Government Programs 2002 Archive | PBS NewsHour

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	2002 DECEMBER Dec. 31, 2002 Newsmaker: TSA Director James Loy James Loy, the new director of the Transportation Security Administration, discusses the new federal measures requiring airports to screen all baggage for explosives beginning in 2003.

	Dec. 25, 2002 Faith-Based Initiatives A debate on the Church-State issues raised by President Bush's faith-based initiatives

	Dec. 18, 2002 Broken Trust? American Indians sue the Department of the Interior over alleged mismanagement of land trusts and funds.

	Dec. 12, 2002 President Bush's Economic Team President Bush has chosen Wall Street investment banker Stephen Friedman to head the National Economic Council.

	Dec. 12, 2002 Forests and Fires Terence Smith discusses the administration's approval of a fire fighting method involving logging and thinning of overgrown forests with the vice president of the Wilderness Society and the executive director of the Political Economy Research Center.

	Dec. 11, 2002 Background: Improving Intelligence Kwame Holman looks at the Congressional report issued on intelligence failures prior to 9/11.

	Dec. 11, 2002 Improving Intelligence Two senators discuss the 9/11 report examining the failure of intelligence agencies to prevent the terrorist attacks.

	Dec. 9, 2002 Background: New Man in Treasury Kwame Holman reports on the appointment of railroad conglomerate chief John Snow to replace outgoing Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill.

	Dec. 9, 2002 New Man at Treasury President Bush on Monday tapped railroad conglomerate chief John Snow to serve as the next Treasury Secretary. Two experts discuss Snow's business experience and what skills he may bring to the president's economic team.



	NOVEMBER Nov. 27, 2002 Investigating Sept. 11 Experts and lawmakers discuss the task ahead for an independent commission established to probe the circumstances that led to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as well as the appointment of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as its head.

	Nov. 25, 2002 Tracking Down Al-Qaida Following the recent capture of an al-Qaida operative and the release of an audio tape believed to be from Osama bin Laden, two experts discuss U.S. efforts to track down the terrorist group.

	Nov. 20, 2002 Securing the Homeland After months of debate, the Senate passed the homeland security bill, creating the third largest federal department aimed at protecting the nation from terrorism.

	Nov. 19, 2002 Safer Skies? Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta discusses the changing state of air travel security and the implementation of federal security screeners at all commercial airports in the United States.

	Nov. 18, 2002 Government Surveillance The Pentagon has launched plans to create a computer surveillance system to sift through personal information as a way of tracking down terrorists, which critics warn may lead to violations of privacy.

	Nov. 15, 2002 Insuring Against Attacks As Congress considers a variety of bills aimed at helping the nation protect itself against future terrorist attacks, analysts debate the need for terrorism insurance legislation.

	Nov. 14, 2002 Extended Interview: Dr. Julie Gerberding Dr. Julie Gerberding, the Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses the risks and benefits of the smallpox vaccine.

	Nov. 14, 2002 Extended Interview: Dr. Paul Offit Dr. Paul Offit, the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, examines the potential effects of the smallpox vaccine. Dr. Paul Offit explains why he was the only person on a committee advising the CDC to vote against pre-attack vaccinations.

	Nov. 12, 2002 Background: Back to Work Kwame Holman reports on the first day of the lame suck session of the 107th Congress.

	Nov. 12, 2002 Congress Goes Back to Work As the congress convenes in a lame-duck session, two U.S. senators discuss the likelihood that a homeland security bill will pass and the fate of other key pieces of legislation.

	Nov. 6, 2002 Quitting and Cutting Ray Suarez and guests discuss the Fed's decision to cut interest rates and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Harvey Pitt's resignation.



	OCTOBER Oct. 31, 2002 Securing the Homeland Former Senators Gary Hart and Warren Rudman discuss their recent report saying the United States remains vulnerable to a major terrorist attack.

	Oct. 30, 2002 Handling Haitian Refugees Experts discuss American immigration policy toward Haitian citizens who seek refuge from their impoverished island in the United States.

	Oct. 29, 2002 Elections '02: The Economy As Election Day nears, candidates strive to rally voters with promises to improve the weakened economy.

	Oct. 29, 2002 Accounting and Politics Ray Suarez looks at the controversy surrounding the new federal board created to oversee the accounting industry with two former officials from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

	Oct. 25, 2002 Al-Qaida in Germany A suspected Sept. 11 plotter went on trial this week in Hamburg, Germany, the alleged location of an al-Qaida terror cell. Special Correspondent Simon Marks reports on the the terror network's roots in Germany.

	Oct. 23, 2002 In Memoriam: Richard Helms After a look at the life of late CIA director Richard Helms, Ray Suarez speaks with Helms' biographer, Thomas Powers.

	Oct. 17, 2002 What Went Wrong? Sens. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons program and react to Thursday's testimony from FBI Director Robert Mueller and CIA Director George Tenet about the state of U.S. intelligence before Sept. 11.

	Oct. 17, 2002 Background: What Went Wrong? Kwame Holman reports on the ongoing September 11th intelligence hearings.

	Oct. 7, 2002 Update: Angry Harvest Betty Ann Bowser updates a story about the fallout from a lawsuit brought by African-American farmers against the Department of Agriculture three years ago.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 27, 2002 Shields and Brooks Analysts Mark Shields and David Brooks discuss the heated political debate over homeland security and possible military intervention in Iraq.

	Sept. 27, 2002 Guarding the Homeland The U.S. unveils a new command center aimed at bolstering domestic defense efforts.

	Sept. 26, 2002 Background: Intelligence Inquiries Kwame Holman reports on this week's Congressional hearings on what the CIA and FBI knew before the Sept. 11 attacks.

	Sept. 26, 2002 Findings of Failure The two top House members on the Congressional inquiry into the Sept. 11 attacks discuss possible intelligence failures.

	Sept. 20, 2002 USDA and Bad Beef Tom Bearden reports on the government's efforts to make beef safer.

	Sept. 16, 2002 Background: Tracking Terror Margaret Warner reports on the recent arrests of al-Qaida operatives.

	Sept. 16, 2002 Tracking Terrorism Experts discuss the threat of terrorism and the recent arrests of al-Qaida operatives.

	Sept. 10, 2002 Liberty vs. Security A closer look at how America's justice system has changed in the wake of Sept. 11.

	Sept. 10, 2002 Background: The Threat of al-Qaida Attorney General John Ashcroft announces new warnings about the al-Qaida terrorist network, and Margaret Warner reports about al-Qaida's actions.

	Sept. 10, 2002 The Threat of al-Qaida Two terrorist analysts assess the current state and potential threat of the al-Qaida terror network.

	Sept. 10, 2002 Background: Liberty vs. Security Spencer Michels reports on the impact of Sept. 11 on the judicial system.

	Sept. 5, 2002 Intelligence Since 9/11 Spencer Michels reports on how September 11th changed the US intelligence agencies. Follow-up Discussion

	Sept. 5, 2002 Changes in U.S. Intelligence Experts discuss how U.S. intelligence agencies have changed and adapted to the post-9/11 world. Background Report



	AUGUST Aug. 27, 2002 Liberty vs. Security A federal court rules immigration hearings for people detained in the Sept. 11 investigation must be made public. Two legal experts discuss the decision's potential effects.

	Aug. 26, 2002 Home Sales Hit New High Sales of new housing reached record levels in July, and experts say the trend is backed by a fundamentally sound market.

	Aug. 23, 2002 Secret Court Experts discuss a secret U.S. court's rebuke of the FBI and its denial of a Justice Department request for expanded surveillance authority.

	Aug. 22, 2002 Background: President Bush's Fire Fighting Policy Spencer Michels looks at the president's new plan to prevent future forest fires by thinning national woodlands.

	Aug. 22, 2002 President Bush's Fire Fighting Policy Reaction to President Bush's announcement to change national fire fighting policy.

	Aug. 19, 2002 Record of Terror Judith Miller of The New York Times discusses newly discovered videotapes that purport to show al-Qaida terrorists training methods and possible experiments with poison gas.

	Aug. 9, 2002 Fire Policy in the West Betty Ann Bowser presents the second of two reports on fighting the fires in the West.

	Aug. 8, 2002 Fire Policy Betty Ann Bowser presents the first of two reports on fighting the fires in the West.

	Aug. 6, 2002 Advancing Virus: West Nile Virus An update on the West Nile Virus, which has caused five deaths in Louisiana this year. The director of the CDC and the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health discuss the latest news on the virus.

	Aug. 5, 2002 Naming the Detainees Should the U.S. Justice Dept. have to reveal the names of detainees held in the Sept. 11 investigation? Two experts join the debate.



	JULY July 29, 2002 Miners' Miracle Gwen Ifill looks at the weekend's recovery of nine trapped Pennsylvania miners with members of the remarkable rescue effort: Dave Lauriski, assistant secretary of labor for the Mine Safety and Health administration; and David Hess, chief of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection.

	July 26, 2002 Background: Homeland Security Legislation An update from Kwame Holman on the Congressional debate over proposed Homeland Security legislation.

	July 26, 2002 Homeland Security Legislation Congressmen Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), members of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, discuss the House's homeland security debate.

	July 25, 2002 Better Bookkeeping Congress passes a corporate reform bill creating tougher penalties against fraud and stricter oversight of the accounting industry.

	July 24, 2002 Dream Houses Ray Suarez looks at the state of affordable housing in Burlington, Vermont, where there is a growing divergence between housing costs and salaries.

	July 24, 2002 Fraud at Adelphia? The arrest of five executives from Adelphia cable television company on fraud charges prompts further questions about the state of corporate America.

	July 23, 2002 Fears of the Future Business journalists discuss how Americans are reacting to continuing bad news from Wall Street and Main Street.

	July 22, 2002 WorldCom: Fallen Giant WorldCom on Sunday filed the largest bankruptcy claim in U.S. history, twice the size of last year's Enron case. Three experts discuss the filing and what it means for the troubled telecommunications company.

	July 17, 2002 Wealth and Democracy In the wake of the recent corporate scandals, Paul Solman talks with author Kevin Phillips about a timely new book on the role of wealth in democracy.

	July 16, 2002 Background: Homeland Security Plan A report from Kwame Holman on the newly unveiled Bush administration homeland security strategy.

	July 16, 2002 Homeland Security Jim Lehrer explores the latest developments in homeland security with four members of Congress: Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), Senator Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

	July 15, 2002 Wild Ride: A Late-Day Rally on Wall Street A late-day rally saved Wall Street from huge losses Monday after the Dow dipped down 439 points during trading but closed with a 45 point loss.

	July 12, 2002 CEOs on the Recent Corporate Scandals After a week of Congressional debates and presidential speeches, public opinion of corporate America appears badly shaken. Business correspondent Paul Solman gets perspective from three CEOs on their culpability in recent corporate and accounting scandals.

	July 5, 2002 Getting a Head Start Lee Hochberg reports on a new focus in the Head Start educational program.

	July 5, 2002 Background: Airport Safety Ray Suarez reports on possible changes in airport security as a result of the recent shooting at the Los Angeles airport.

	July 5, 2002 Safeguarding Airports After three people die in a shoot-out at Los Angeles' airport, experts consider what else can be done to keep U.S. airports safe.

	July 4, 2002 Securing the Fourth of July After a report from Betty Ann Bowser on heightened security for the Fourth of July holiday, Ray Saurez talks to Teresa Chambers, Chief of the U.S. Park Police, about securing the nation's capitol.

	July 2, 2002 Fire Fight In the second of two reports, Betty Ann Bowser looks at the ongoing debate over cautionary measures to prevent forest fires from being so destructive.

	July 1, 2002 Fire Fight The huge forest fires in the West this year have triggered a debate over how to keep them from being so damaging. Betty Ann Bowser reports on the conditions that helped spark the wildfires.



	JUNE June 25, 2002 Amtrak Staying on Track? Following a background report by Margaret Warner, two experts debate Amtrak's immediate financial crisis and its long-term future.

	June 20, 2002 Homeland Security Kwame Holman reports on the Congressional hearings to evaluate President Bush's plan for a Department of Homeland Defense.

	June 19, 2002 Newsmaker: Anthony Fauci Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discusses President Bush's $500 million plan to curb mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission.

	June 14, 2002 Shields and Brooks Mark Shields and David Brooks discuss the new U.S. Catholic Church policy on pedophile priests, estate tax laws, and pollution emissions.

	June 13, 2002 Amtrak President David Gunn Jim Lehrer interviews Amtrak president David Gunn, who took over the troubled rail service over a month ago.

	June 11, 2002 Historical Perspectives: New Cabinet Office for Homeland Security Margaret Warner gets perspectives on the creation of a new Cabinet office for Homeland Security from presidential historian Michael Beschloss; journalist and author Haynes Johnson; Richard Norton Smith, director of the Dole Institute at the University of Kansas; and Roger Wilkins, history professor at George Mason University.

	June 11, 2002 Background: New Cabinet Office for Homeland Security Margaret Warner reports on the debate over the creation of a new Cabinet office for Homeland Security.

	June 11, 2002 Al-Qaida Still a Threat? Three experts discuss details of possible threats posed by the al-Qaida terrorist network.

	June 10, 2002 Dirty Bomb Arrest Experts discuss the arrest of a man with alleged plans to build and detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" and what would be the likely affect of an attack.

	June 10, 2002 Richard Armitage U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage says the threat of war between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan appears to be easing.

	June 7, 2002 Doctors' Dilemma Tom Bearden looks at the forces causing some doctors to stop treating Medicare patients.

	June 7, 2002 Update: Security Shake-up A report from Kwame Holman on President Bush's proposal for a new Cabinet post on homeland security.

	June 7, 2002 White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card The White House chief of staff talks about President Bush's plans for a new Cabinet post on homeland security and the FBI hearings on possible intelligence failures.

	June 7, 2002 Shields and Brooks Mark Shields and David Brooks assess the Bush administration's plan to reorganize homeland security and the FBI hearings.

	June 6, 2002 Background: FBI Hearings Kwame Holman reports on Senate hearings on the FBI's performance before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

	June 6, 2002 Connecting the Dots Members of Congress debate possible pre-September 11 intelligence failures and FBI bureaucracy.

	June 4, 2002 What Went Wrong: The Investigation into Alleged Pre-Sept. 11 Intelligence Lapse Sens. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee discuss the investigation into alleged pre-Sept. 11 intelligence lapses.

	June 3, 2002 Extended Interview: Tricia Neuman on Prescription Drug Discounts Susan Dentzer talks with Tricia Neuman, Medicare policy expert from the Kaiser Family Foundation, about prescription drug discount cards.

	June 3, 2002 Extended Interview: Tom Scully on Prescription Drug Discounts Susan Dentzer talks with Tom Scully, administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who is lobbying Congress for legislation that would allow the government to put a Medicare card plan into effect.

	June 3, 2002 Failure to Communicate Experts discuss the CIA's disclosure that it was tracking al-Qaida members who later turned out to be involved in the September 11th attacks.

	June 3, 2002 Background: Failure to Communicate Terence Smith talks with Newsweek Washington Bureau Chief Daniel Klaidman, co-author of the the first news story about how the CIA was slow to relay information on two of the 9/11 hijackers.



	MAY May 30, 2002 Background: Eye on Terror Ray Suarez reports on Attorney General John Ashcroft's announcement of new FBI surveillance guidelines.

	May 30, 2002 Eye On Terror The attorney general announces new FBI guidelines expanding the agency's surveillance authority outside specific investigations.

	May 29, 2002 Background: FBI Redesign A report from Kwame Holman on plans to restructure the FBI.

	May 29, 2002 Redesigning the FBI Three experts assess the Justice Department's plan to overhaul the FBI, making counterterrorism its top priority.

	May 24, 2002 Brooks and Oliphant Analysis of recent terror alerts, the FBI's handling of intelligence warnings pre-Sept. 11 and the connection between the White House and Enron from The Weekly Standard's David Brooks and The Boston Globe's Tom Oliphant.

	May 14, 2002 Making Marriage Work Betty Ann Bowser looks at a welfare program in Oklahoma that encourages marriage.

	May 14, 2002 Reforming Welfare Congress reopens the debate over how to restructure the nation's welfare system.

	May 9, 2002 Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge The director of homeland security discusses the latest anthrax discovery and plans for a national security strategy.

	May 8, 2002 Background: Farm Bill Kwame Holman reports on the farm legislation newly approved by the Senate.

	May 8, 2002 The Farm Bill Analysis of the $180 billion farm bill that passed in the Senate, which reverses a 1996 decision to decrease subsidies.

	May 3, 2002 Arming Pilots Kwame Holman reports on the debate over guns in the cockpit. Then, Elizabeth Farnsworth leads a debate with Captain Stephen Luckey, Patricia Friend, and Michael Goldfarb.

	May 3, 2002 Revisiting Welfare As the 1997 Welfare Reform Law comes up for reauthorization, Betty Ann Bowser looks at the impact it has had in the state of Connecticut.



	APRIL April 24, 2002 Paying Welfare Recipients to Relocate Spencer Michels reports from central California on paying welfare recipients to relocate to where jobs are more plentiful.

	April 18, 2002 Tax Wars Kwame Holman covers the congressional debate over extending the Bush administration's tax cuts.

	April 5, 2002 Judge William Webster, Director of the Security Review Commission Terence Smith interviews Judge William Webster, director of the Security Review Commission, about his just-released report on security at the FBI in the wake of the Hanssen spy affair.



	MARCH March 26, 2002 President Bush's Health Nominees Choices Susan Dentzer looks at President Bush's nominees for surgeon general and director of the National Institutes of Health.

	March 26, 2002 Policing Immigration President Bush and Congress debate how to restructure the Immigration and Naturalization Service agency, following Sept. 11.

	March 18, 2002 Defense Dollars for the War on Terrorism Ray Suarez takes a look at how much military spending is enough for the war on terrorism.

	March 4, 2002 Washington's Balancing Act Lee Hochberg of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports on Washington state's struggle to balance its recession-era budget deficit.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 26, 2002 National ID Spencer Michels reports on the debate over creating a national identification system, and considers what could become a national ID card.

	Feb. 22, 2002 Mammogram Guidelines The federal government announces that women should start regular mammogram screenings at age 40, instead of age 50, to decrease their chances of dying from breast cancer.

	Feb. 19, 2002 The Court Watch The Court Watch Senior correspondent Ray Suarez discusses today's Supreme Court arguments in a case involving public housing eviction policies with Jan Crawford Greenberg, court reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

	Feb. 12, 2002 Aid for Airlines Aid for Airlines Jeffrey Kaye of KCET Los Angeles reports on federal aid for the airline industry.

	Feb. 5, 2002 Sizing Up the Budget President Bush sends a $2.13 trillion budget to Congress that includes billions for homeland security and the largest increase in military spending in twenty years.

	Feb. 1, 2002 Extending Unemployment Benefits Betty Ann Bowser covers the debate over the unemployment system.



	JANUARY Jan. 31, 2002 Test of Privilege: Background Ray Suarez covers the standoff between the General Accounting Office and the White House over access to information.

	Jan. 31, 2002 Test of Privilege: Mary Matilin For more on the standoff between the General Accounting Office and the White House over access to information Suarez talks to Mary Matalin, counselor to Vice President Cheney.

	Jan. 16, 2002 Extended Interview: Christopher Ross A State Dept. special adviser and former ambassador, Christopher Ross discusses the scope of his agency's public diplomacy campaign. The following are extended excerpts of his interview with Terence Smith.

	Jan. 14, 2002 Changing the National Guard Part 2 of a Tom Bearden report on the National Guard's increased role in the homeland security effort.