Search results for

The home-improvement chains Home Depot and Lowe's seek to fulfill promises to environmentalists to protect and sustain supplies of the lumber they sell. The business rivals are tracking the lumber to its source, seeking to reduce the impact on endangered forests. NPR's Robert Smith reports.

Gov. Gray Davis (D-CA) prepares to deliver his annual State of the State address. He's expected to address a California budget deficit estimated at $35 billion. NPR's Richard Gonzales reports.

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that flu deaths are on the rise in the United States. Fatalities related to influenza increased from about 20,000 per year in the 1970s to about 36,000 per year in the 1990s. NPR's Joanne Silberner reports.

Mexico is asking the World Court at The Hague to stop the United States from executing 51 Mexican citizens. Mexico argues the United States has violated international rules by not informing Mexican detainees of their right to assistance from the Mexican consulate. The United States disagrees, and says Mexico is infringing on its justice system by questioning the use of capital punishment. NPR's Gerry Hadden reports.

Reports have been circulating that Saudi Arabia and Turkey are working to convince Saddam Hussein to step down from power voluntarily before the U.S. military forces him to do so. NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says comments on the matter from high-ranking Bush administration officials suggests something might be afoot.

Paleontologists say they've found in China the fossilized remains of a small flying dinosaur with four wings. Experts on the links between dinosaurs and birds say this could be one of the most important fossils ever found. They also say this fossil could turn out to be a fake. NPR's John Nielsen reports.

A converted barn in northern Indiana is the happening place for acoustic music fans. It's known as LVD's, and it's run by Elva Miller. LVD's has become a haven for acoustic musicians, and it draws dedicated fans and world-class musicians. Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers reports.

Economic growth comes to a near standstill in the fourth quarter of 2002, as the gross domestic product rose by an annual rate of just 0.7 percent. Concerns over a possible war in Iraq and rising oil prices prompt many businesses to hold off on new spending. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.

The White House proposes major changes to encourage individuals to save more money toward retirement. The plan would replace Individual Retirement Accounts with personal-savings accounts featuring higher allowable contributions. Critics say the proposals would increase federal deficits. NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports.

President Bush sends Congress a 2004 budget totaling $2.23 trillion, with the largest increases going to defense and homeland security. The budget assumes a new round of tax cuts, but doesn't account for a possible Iraq war. The proposal also includes the largest deficit in America's history -- more than $300 billion. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.