Search results for

NPR's Joe Palca reports on the murky ethical questions that can arise during medical research. Palca tells the story of a woman with multiple sclerosis who volunteered to test an experimental drug. She says she was promised a free supply of the medication in exchange for her participation. Medical ethicists say patients should never be made promises like that, and should not enter studies with the expectation that they will benefit personally.

NPR's Joanne Silberner reports that the hormone estrogen is showing promise as a treatment for post-partum depression. A study that involved having new mothers wear skins patches that adminiter estrogen found the treatment seemed to alleviate post-partum depression. Researches caution that more research is needed to test the approach. (4:30) -b- 8. OTTO - Storyteller Kevin Kling has a hitchhiking tale to tell. He gets picked up by Otto a man with bad knees and a few other problems.

Tonight, the Chicago Bulls may clinch the National Basketball Association playoffs with a win against the Seattle SuperSonics. Chicago is gearing up for the game with enthusiasm --- and with some trepidation. The last two times the Bulls won championships, the city endured looting and some rioting. NPR's Edward Lifson reports that this time the city, the Bulls management and local merchants are doing what they can to prevent and minimize any looting that may follow the game.

Bombing between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continues. Clashes between the two groups have existed for years. Linda Wertheimer talks with Judith Miller, New York Times correspondent and author of several books about the Middle East. She discuss the historical roots of Hezbollah and talks about previous clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Judith Miller has a new book out, God Has 99 Names: Reporting from a Militant Middle East (Simon & Schuster).

Legislators in California, exasperated with the explosion of graffiti, have proposed a new law to ban portable, aerosol paint cans. NPR's Mandalit DelBarco reports that Chicago tried a similar tactic, but graffiti continues apace there. The paint industry is opposed, saying it will hurt legitimate users, from home hobbyists to costume designers in Hollywood. Graffiti writers scoff at the ban: they say they'll just use other tools.

NPR's Anne Garrels reports from Moscow that Russia and three former Soviet republics today signed an agreement designed to lead to a common market and perhaps a single currency. Russian President Boris Yeltsin stressed, however, that the deal is not a move towards re-establishing the Soviet Union. He said the main idea behind the agreement is the preservation of the four nations' sovereignty. One of the countries involved in today's plan, Belarus, plans to sign a treaty with Russia next week bringing those two nations even closer.

NPR's Brian Naylor reports on the flurry of activity on capitol hill this week. Congress passed a number of bills -- including legislation to raise the debt ceiling, a line-item veto, and an overhaul of the farm bill . But lawmakers also got bogged down in some partisan fights, including a move by democrats to try to increase the minimum wage. That feuding is seen as a sign of trouble to come for the rest of the year, as democrats try to stymie the legislative efforts of presumptive gop presidential nominee Bob Dole.

NPR's Laura Ziegler reports that the drug P.C.P. is back. Phencyclidine (fen-SIE-kluh-deen) has been in and out of vogue in U.S. cities over the last 30 years. In its powdered form, P.C.P. is known as "angel dust" or "crystal"... but it's as a liquid that the drug is making a comeback. At a press conference last week, federal authorities cited an increasing demand, especially among young people, for liquid P.C.P.

More developments could be coming in the Whitewater investigation, because special counsel Kenneth Starr has said he expects to wrap up his probe this year. NPR's Phillip Davis reports the investigation has moved from looking at events that took place in the 1970's in Arkansas to related events in Washington in the '90's. It also has been expanded to include the handling of FBI files by some White House staff, and possible contradictions in statements made by a former presidential counsel to a House committee.

The Supreme Court heard arguments today on a challenge to the Brady gun-control law, which requires background checks on people trying to buy handguns. Sheriffs from Arizona and Montana filed suit, saying the law is unconstitutional because it requires states to carry out a federal policy. Supporters of the law say it has been effective in keeping criminals from buying guns. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.