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Alex Chadwick reports on the extraordinary biodiversity of Madagascar. The island split off the southeast coast of Africa millions of years ago, before many mammals evolved. As a result, Madagascar's disappearing forests are populated mostly by insects, amphibians, and reptiles -- and by the island's newest and most rapidly reproducing species -- humans.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports that four of the Republican presidential candidates participated in a debate this afternoon in South Carolina, which holds its primary March 2. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, former Texas Gov. Lamar Alexander, commentator Pat Buchanan and publisher Steve Forbes all hope to win at least some of the state's 37 delegates. The candidates had sometimes feisty exchanges over their positions on trade, taxes, campaign ads and social issues.

NPR's Kathy Schalch reports that presidential candidates have a lot more to spend their money on than expensive television advertising, which often gets the most attention. They spend the bulk of their funds on staff and travel, and direct-mail solicitations to help them raise even more money. This year is already the most expensive campaign in history, but experts aren't sure just what all that spending is getting in return.

NPR's Lynn Neary reports on a new initiative that targets churches for I-R-S investigations. "Americans United for Separation of Church and State" filed a complaint today with the IRS against Second Baptist Church of Houston. The complaint accuses the church of violating its tax exempt status by publishing specific, partisan voting instructions in a project pamphlet. Second Baptist Church of Houston is one of the largest churches in the country with more than 22-thousand members.

NPR's Adam Hochberg reports that while a number of states have filed huge lawsuits against the tobacco industry, there's been substantial resistance among elected officials in some states to these suits. While a number of Attorneys General are hoping to recover money they said the state has had to pay out for tobacco-related illnesses, some politicians feel this is not the best way for their states to spend their time and money, and some have resisted these suits because they feel they just end up lining the pockets of anti-tobacco lawyers.

NPR's Chris Arnold reports that despite the rush to hook schools to the Internet, there's still a lot of questions about just how useful on-line services are to students. Some schools that have just been connected find that without the right training, students and teachers often waste time learning how to use the Internet. Schools with more experience say it's crucial to structure lesson plans around Internet resources, and to make sure students are not just using computers as a toy.

In the fraud and conspiracy case against Jim and Susan McDougal and Gov. Jim Guy Tucker, businessman David Hale testified today that he met with then governor Bill Clinton and James McDougal to discuss making a covet loan to Clinton. Mr. Hale is the government's star witness and his testimony has been long-awaited. He was sentenced last week to more than 2 years in prison and more than a million dollars in fines for defrauding the Small Business Administration. NPR's Jon Greenberg reports from Little Rock, Arkansas.

The European Commission has confirmed the world-wide ban on British beef. Earlier this week, a committee of verterinarians had recommended the ban. Although scientists can't confirm a link between what has come to be known as mad cow disease and a fatal human disease, the commission decided to ban British beef to restore public confidence. NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports on the reasons for the ban, the ramifications for the British beef industry and the British government plans for handling the crisis.

Linda talks with Mongadi Mafata, a court reporter for the Sowetan newspaper in South Africa, about the divorce proceedings between President Nelson Mandela and his estranged wife, Winnie. As of today, the divorce is final, after some powerful testimony from the Mr. Mandela in which he claimed she made him the lonliest man in the country, testimony Winnie Mandela's lawyers did not refute. Mafata says that this testimony was meant to prove that there were irreconcilable differences between the couple, grounds for granting the divorce. The financial settlement is scheduled for tomorrow.

Sally Watt of member station W-U-S-F in Tampa reports that the police department's policy of high speed pursuits of criminal suspects has been called into question. A series of accidents have resulted in the deaths of 5 people and in the injury of 12 others since the policy was reinstated in last May. The Tampa Police Department say they initiated the policy to fight car theft, and they blame the criminals who refuse to stop, for the carnage.