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Jacki Lyden talks with Elizabeth Abbott, author of A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher. Abbott reveals what caused and still causes people to give up sex . Although required by some religions, celibacy was undertaken as a choice primarily throughout history for social and economic reasons. (Scribner ISBN 0-684-84943-7)

Alex talks about next weekend's hula dance at the Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana. The Pit is the hole left after an incredible amount of copper ore had been extracted by the Anaconda Company and ARCO.

NPR's Corey Flintoff reports on a new study that found that the monuments and memorials around Washington DC are vulnerable to terrorist threats. The report states that because of an understaffed and underfunded police force, nine sites, including the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, are at risk.

Noah and Ariel Dorfman, a professor at Duke University discuss the history of the Chilean ship, the B.E. Esmeralda. The ship is part of the Tall Ship celebration, and is visiting New London, Connecticut today. Of all the Tall Ships, this one is the most controversial, because it had been used to hold and torture political prisoners.

Computers can greatly improve the lives of people with disabilities, but Charlotte Renner reports that blind people can't access much of the very visual content on the World Wide Web. Adaptive software can help, but some web designers are trying to create sites that can be accessed by people who can't see well enough to point and click with a standard mouse. (4:30) (Note: The website mentioned in this story is http://www.cast.org. This link will open in a new browser window.)

Two groups of scientists report that have successfully transplanted lab-grown cells to repair severely damaged corneas. Their findings appear in the journal "Cornea" and in tomorrow's New England Journal of Medicine. NPR's Wendy Schmelzer reports.

Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers today urged Congress to approve the administration's request for $472 million, to provide debt relief to developing nations. Republican leaders in the House are refusing to approve the full amount and are holding out for reforms at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the institutions that manage the debt relief program. NPR's Kathleen Schalch has this story.

An investigation by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer revealed that the three major brands of crayons -- Crayola, Prand and Rose Art -- all contain asbestos. Linda talks with Andrew Schneider, who reported on the story for the Seattle newspaper.

Noah speaks with David Brower, who was the Sierra Club's first executive director. Brower talks about why he quit the board of the Sierra Club, an organization he has been affiliated with since 1933. He has been quoted as saying "The Earth is burning but I hear nothing from the Sierra Club board except the music of violins. It's time for them to shape up."

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that the Clinton administration is consulting with other Latin American nations with regard to possible punitive steps to be taken against Peru. The US sharply criticized Peru's government for not postponing Sunday's presidential runoff to deal with irregularities. A state department spokesman refused to say what steps, if any, the US is prepared to take against President Alberto Fujimori. Peru receives the most US aid in Latin America after Colombia, and is a close partner with Washington in fighting drug trafficking.