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NPR's John Ydstie reports that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told the Senate Budget Committee yesterday that he expects the national debt to be paid down sooner than expected, and that it might be advisable to begin reducing budget surpluses by cutting taxes over the next few years. Greenspan's testimony is good news for President Bush and others who advocate tax cuts.

NPR's Guy Raz reports on a public demonstration in Prague by journalists dissatisfied with the state of the free press in the Czech Republic. Last month the government appointed a new director of the taxpayer-funded TV station in order to improve the quality of the television news, but journalists claim that the action has imposed Soviet-style control over news content.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that a planned Israeli-Palestinian summit in Sweden has been called off by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Barak made the decision after he was harshly criticized by Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat Sunday night at an economic conference in Switzerland.

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from the Vatican on Pope John Paul's naming yesterday of seven new cardinals. The Pope's announcement follows the naming last week of a record-setting 37 new cardinals. One of the new appointments is a Ukrainian-born U.S. citizen, and another is South Africa's first black cardinal.

NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports on the impact the California power crisis may have on the salmon population in the Pacific Northwest. Normally, Oregon and Washington receive electricity from California, and their utilities don't have to use as much water at their hydro-electric plants. This year there's concern that increased water usage will affect endangered salmon.

NPR's Chris Joyce reports from Western China, where the Chinese hope to build a wide network of parks and reserves. This area, however, in the high mountains on the edge of the Chinese empire, is also the ancient Tibetan homeland. The first of two parts in an installment of Radio Expeditions, a co-production of NPR and the National Geographic Society.

In an article that appeared in yesterday's Washington Post, Dan Keating reported from Kissimmee, Florida, where a number of newspapers are organizing an exhaustive hand recount in eight of that state's most populous counties. The results show a unique disadvantage for Democratic candidate Al Gore. Liane speaks with Keating about their findings, which they hope will guide voting reform in the state and across the country.

NPR's Anne Garrels reports that despite President Putin's talk about reforming the Russian military operation in Chechnya, the various army and interior ministry units remain ill-equipped to subdue the rebellious republic. Thousands of rebels still roam the breakaway republic, staging daily hit-and-run attacks against Russian troops. Often, the Russian forces take out their frustrations on Chechen civilians.

NPR's Joanne Silberner reports on a provision in the 2001 federal budget that requires Medicare to pay twice the usual rate if doctors use a new technology -- digital mammography -- to test for breast cancer. Proponents say digital mammograms provide a better image. But critics say the provision benefits General Electric, the maker of the technology, more than it helps patients.

From member station WHYY, Martin Wells reports Philadelphia schools are making an effort to get rid of library books that are tattered, inappropriate, or just plain wrong. Some decades old books talk about how man may one day land on the moon, another wrongly says that South African leader Nelson Mandela was executed.