Search results for

A new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association supports the "gateway drug theory," which states that early marijuana use increases the likelihood of using other drugs or becoming dependent on drugs or alcohol. NPR's Vicky Que reports.

The U.S. Census Bureau releases new figures that show Latinos make up 13 percent of the population. But many did not check off a racial origin category on the 2000 census form, making it more difficult to create Latino voting districts or implement federal programs. NPR's Madeleine Brand talks to Ilan Stavans of Amherst University.

Gregory Crouch reports from the Netherlands that Dutch voters go to the polls for the second time in eight months today. The party of slain right-wing Dutch politician Pym Fortuyn is plummeting in popularity after months of negative news reports about its members. Fortuyn, best known for his anti-immigrant stance, was assassinated a few days before last year's elections.

Recep Tayipp Erdogan is one of the most powerful politicians in Turkey. But he doesn't hold a political office. In fact, he can't: Erdogan has been banned from running for the country's parliament because some believe he's a religious extremist. But now, a government committee is deciding whether to remove the ban and allow Erdogan to run for office. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

The New Jersey Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the state can discourage women on welfare from having another child. The lawsuit argues that a federal welfare law that allows states to deny additional payments for children born into families already on welfare is unfair. NPR's Nancy Solomon reports.

Commentator Frederica Mathews-Green describes the evolution of her position on abortion. Thirty years ago, she was fighting for a "better world" through abortion rights for women, but today she views the historic Roe v. Wade decision as a tragedy. (On Jan. 23, 3003: A commentary with a different perspective on abortion.)

NPR's Libby Lewis reports on a case being argued before the Supreme Court today on a Maine law that's aimed at lowering prescription drug prices.

The NFL will not allow a Las Vegas tourism commercial to air during the Super Bowl. The league does not want imply any links to gambling. Commentator Frank Deford says the National Football League, and other professional sports in the United States, are too paranoid about gambling.

Lt. Col. Dan Biggie, an Air Force chaplain, joins host Steve Inskeep from Cocoa Beach, Fla., where spectators had been waiting for the shuttle Columbia to land. He discusses the role of chaplains and how astronauts deal with the danger of their occupation.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Atul Gawande, author of Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science. It's a book about the imperfection of medicine and the fallibility of doctors.