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	2006 DECEMBER Dec. 28, 2006 Test Treatments Provide Hope for Pediatric Cancer Patients About 10,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each year and those who do not respond well to standard treatments face an especially difficult challenge. The NewsHour reports on test treatments that provide families some hope.

	Dec. 28, 2006 Milk and Meat from Cloned Animals Safe to Eat, FDA Says The Food and Drug Administration issued a preliminary decision Thursday saying that food products from cloned animals are safe to eat. Under the proposed guidelines, the products would also not be required to carry a special label.

	Dec. 26, 2006 India Works on Reversing Sterilizations Following Tsunami After the 2004 Asian tsunami wiped away a large segment of the Indian population, including many children, efforts began to help couples reverse sterilization procedures.

	Dec. 20, 2006 Study Shows Mental Exercises Slow Memory Loss A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed the benefits of a workout regimen for the brain. NewsHour health correspondent Susan Dentzer reports on the findings.

	Dec. 20, 2006 Bill and Melinda Gates Reflect on Need for Global Philanthropy Bill and Melinda Gates, whose foundation seeks to address worldwide needs in areas including health and education, describe their initiatives and decision-making process.

	Dec. 19, 2006 EU Condemns Libyan Death Verdict Bulgarian and European Union officials condemned the death sentences handed down Tuesday by a Libyan court to six foreign medical workers for intentionally infecting children with HIV.

	Dec. 14, 2006 New Initiatives Taken to Combat Malaria and AIDS Results of two studies conducted in Africa show that circumcision can cut the rate of HIV infection in heterosexual men by 50 percent. Meanwhile the Bush administration is launching a new anti-malaria initiative. An expert discusses combating these diseases and the role of international organizations.

	Dec. 14, 2006 Democratic Senator Johnson in Critical Condition Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., was in critical condition Thursday, following brain surgery. His medical condition has raised questions about the fate of the new Senate majority in Congress and the possible political impact of the Senator's illness.

	Dec. 13, 2006 FDA Proposes Expanding Antidepressant Warnings The Food and Drug Administration may soon require drug companies to expand antidepressant warning labels to include increased suicide risk for young adults, according to a plan put forth by FDA officials at an advisory hearing Wednesday.

	Dec. 5, 2006 Medicare Participants Face Changing Drug Plans With rising up-front deductibles and widening coverage gaps, Medicare beneficiaries search for plans that will include their prescription drugs. A report looks at the changing Medicare benefits and what reforms newly elected Democrats may pursue.



	NOVEMBER Nov. 30, 2006 Death of Poisoned Russian Spy Sparks Radiation Alert British authorities found traces of radiation at 12 locations, including two British Airways planes, while investigating the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko last week.

	Nov. 29, 2006 Gene Map of Brain Offers Hope for Alzheimer's, Autism A new tool for medical research, the Allen Brain Atlas, provides a three-dimensional catalog of all the genes active in the brain and has revealed clues to diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's, as well as conditions such as autism.

	Nov. 22, 2006 Growers Modify Practices to Prevent E. Coli Outbreaks Spinach has returned to store shelves after September's deadly E. coli outbreak. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports from California on what caused the problem and what growers are doing to prevent another one.

	Nov. 21, 2006 Surgery, Nonoperative Care Relieve Herniated Disc Pain Equally, Study Says Non-surgical treatments, such as physical therapy and painkillers, are as effective as surgery in alleviating back pain for herniated discs, a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association says. Correspondent Susan Dentzer discusses the findings.

	Nov. 21, 2006 Dust, Debris at World Trade Center Site May Have Made Workers Sick A Mt. Sinai report found 60 percent of Sept. 11 first responders who breathed contaminated dust and smoke at the World Trade Center attack site now suffer from respiratory problems. The NewsHour reports on lingering health problems and help given to the aid workers.

	Nov. 21, 2006 Extended Interview: Researcher Discusses Health of 9/11 First Responders Philip Landrigan, chairman of the Community and Preventive Medicine Department at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, discusses the department's recent report on the health of 9/11 first responders.

	Nov. 20, 2006 Hospital Infections More Likely to Lead to Deaths, Study Says The federal government estimates that approximately 100,000 Americans die each year after acquiring one or more infections during their hospital stays. A new study reveals the roots of this problem, as well as its economic impact on the health care industry.

	Nov. 14, 2006 Studies Clarify Best Practices for Heart Care People should receive angioplasties to unclog arteries in the first 90 minutes following a heart attack, though they often don't receive the treatment in time, the American Heart Association said at a recent meeting. An expert discusses this and other recommendations.

	Nov. 13, 2006 Thousands of Would-be Nurses Denied Affordable Training Options Thousands of would-be nurses are waitlisted at community colleges -- the main affordable choice for them. At the same time, the United States is facing a nursing shortage and importing nurses from abroad because of the high demand.

	Nov. 2, 2006 Study Reveals Red Wine Improves Health of Obese Mice A recent study discovered that an antioxidant called resveratrol found in red wine made obese mice live longer and healthier lives. This was the first study to reveal the resveratrol has survival benefits in a mammal and could be applied to human beings.



	OCTOBER Oct. 26, 2006 New Study Says Early Screening May Prevent Lung Cancer Deaths A new study says early screening could save the lives of thousands of smokers. Despite the finding, some in the medical community question both the cost and accuracy of the test. Health correspondent Susan Dentzer explains the findings.

	Oct. 12, 2006 Doctors Work to Restore Damaged Faces of Iraq War Soldiers As a result of the explosives and weapons used in Iraq, more than 100 soldiers have sustained severe injuries to their faces. But with the help of facial prosthetics and advanced plastic surgery, doctors can help repair the damage and their lives.

	Oct. 12, 2006 Prosthetic Sculptures Duplicate Faces of Wounded U.S. Soldiers With the increased number of wounded U.S. soldiers from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, technology is being developed to replace injured faces with prosthetic sculptures. Researcher and sculptor David Hanson discusses the new robotic technology and the problems associated with duplicating a human face.

	Oct. 11, 2006 Doctor Discusses the Tissue Engineered Duplicate Organs Dr. Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University discusses the use of tissue engineering in replacing faces of wounded U.S. soldiers.

	Oct. 11, 2006 Doctor Discusses Complexity of Rebuilding Faces of Injured Soldiers Dr. Joe Rosen discusses the issues involved in rebuilding a complex organ such as the face, and efforts under way in the "Virtual Face" project.

	Oct. 11, 2006 Soldier Discusses How He Copes with His Reconstructed Face U.S. soldier Jeffrey Mittman, who was seriously wounded in the face while serving in Iraq, discusses how he is coping with his injury.

	Oct. 2, 2006 U.S. Scientists Win Nobel Prize in Medicine for Gene Breakthrough Two American scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for discovering a new way to turn off the effects of specific genes, a process that has opened new pathways in medical treatment.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 22, 2006 Wal-Mart Cuts Prices of Generic Drugs as Competitors Follow Suit Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, announced it will start selling nearly 300 generic prescription drugs at sharply reduced prices. One of its competitors, Target, responded that it will offer similar cuts. Analysts discuss the new drug plans.

	Sept. 21, 2006 Wal-Mart to Test Discount Generic Drug Program Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Thursday it plans to begin selling nearly 300 generic prescription drugs for a sharply discounted rate of $4 for a month's supply.

	Sept. 19, 2006 New High-tech Prostheses Being Developed for Amputees As the number of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with missing limbs rises, researchers are working on developing better high-tech prostheses for amputees.

	Sept. 18, 2006 More Cases of Contaminated Spinach Reported Across Country Over one-hundred people in at least twenty-one states have become sick by eating spinach contaminated with E. coli bacteria according to the Food and Drug Administration, which advised consumers not to eat any fresh spinach until further notice.

	Sept. 14, 2006 Doctors Scramble to Handle War Veterans' Brain Injuries Medical experts are witnessing an increase in the number of brain injuries sustained by soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, prompting Veterans Affairs hospitals to set up special centers to handle the severe cases.

	Sept. 12, 2006 Longevity Study Finds Wide Gaps Between Races, Classes A new study by Harvard University researchers has found large gaps in life expectancy among different racial, economic, and geographic groups across America. Health Correspondent Susan Dentzer explains the findings.

	Sept. 7, 2006 Genetic Map of Certain Cancers Discovered; Cancer Rate Drops Medical researchers have created the first genetic map of colon and breast cancer, revealing that nearly 200 mutated genes that were previously unknown help tumors grow and spread. Meanwhile, breast cancer rates in the United States have started to fall.



	AUGUST Aug. 30, 2006 Number of Americans without Health Insurance Hits Record High According to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, the number of uninsured people in America has increased by 1.3 million to 46.6 million, including 400,000 more children. Health Correspondent Susan Dentzer discusses the story behind the alarming numbers.

	Aug. 24, 2006 Embryonic Stem Cell Development Raises Ethical Concerns Scientists have announced a new method of extracting stem cells from embryos, but it has done little to quell ethical concerns about the research. Two experts debate the ramifications of the new procedure.

	Aug. 24, 2006 FDA Approves Plan B Contraceptive Pill Without Prescription The Food and Drug Administration approved non-prescription use of the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B for women 18 years and older. The director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research explains the decision.

	Aug. 23, 2006 Volunteers Give Health Care to Uninsured in Rural Virginia Organizations that deliver free medical care worldwide, often in emergencies, recently visited rural Virginia to provide more than 1,000 people with all types of health services. Susan Dentzer provides a report.

	Aug. 21, 2006 Reports Raise Concerns About Patient Euthanasia After Hurricane Katrina Recent controversial reports said five elderly and terminally ill patients who were abandoned and proclaimed dead in a New Orleans hospital immediately after Hurricane Katrina were euthanized by the hospital staff.

	Aug. 18, 2006 National Campaign Aims to Curb Hospital Mistakes, Save Lives Nationwide, up to 98,000 deaths annually can be attributed to errors in U.S. hospitals, including misprescribed medication and hospital-acquired infections. The 100,000 Lives campaign wants to save money and lives by bringing together health care groups and hospitals.

	Aug. 18, 2006 Judge Finds Big Tobacco Guilty of Racketeering, Conspiracy A federal judge has ruled that five major tobacco companies violated racketeering laws and conspired to cover up the risks of smoking. Two analysts discuss the verdict.

	Aug. 16, 2006 Chicago City Council Proposes Anti-Trans Fats Ordinance A report looks at Chicago City Council's anti-fat diet plan, which includes keeping trans fats off of menus and would make Chicago the first major city in the country to limit trans fats.

	Aug. 15, 2006 Conference Stresses Testing, Role of Women in AIDS Prevention World health experts and community leaders gathered in Toronto for the 16th International AIDS Conference. Former NewsHour correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who attended the conference, discusses the ideas put forth.

	Aug. 14, 2006 Photographs Show Cuba's Castro Ailing, But Alert After Surgery Cuba's Communist daily newspaper published photos of President Fidel Castro in his bed during a visit with his brother Raul and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in town for Fidel Castro's 80th birthday Sunday.

	Aug. 2, 2006 Washington D.C. Offers Free HIV Tests to Combat Spread of AIDS Washington D.C. has begun to offer a rapid oral HIV test free to residents -- the first program of its kind. The director of the D.C. HIV/AIDS Administration discusses the program's aim to increase awareness, draw in more patients and encourage disease prevention.

	Aug. 1, 2006 Cuban Leader Castro Temporarily Transfers Power to Brother In a surprise announcement Monday night, Cuban President Fidel Castro handed power to his younger brother Raul while he undergoes intestinal surgery.



	JULY July 31, 2006 Caregivers Struggle with Needs of Alzheimer's Patients As the number of patients stricken with Alzheimer's disease continues to grow, so does the community of families and caregivers who have pledged to look after loved ones, often risking emotional, physical and financial burdens.

	July 27, 2006 New Bird Flu Vaccine Appears More Effective in Drug Trials A new vaccine, developed by GlaxoSmithKline to combat the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, has shown to be more effective than any other version in clinical trials, the company announced Wednesday.

	July 26, 2006 Families Advocate for Alzheimer's Disease to Be National Priority An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's, and the number is expected to triple within 10 years. Families of patients are making efforts to push the private and public sectors toward finding better treatments.

	July 26, 2006 Humanitarian Aid Efforts in Lebanon Continue on Slow Path International agencies are providing relief aid to the estimated 700,000 Lebanese civilians displaced by the recent crisis. Israel opened four humanitarian corridors into Lebanon on Tuesday for relief agencies to provide food and medicine to those in need.

	July 19, 2006 Stem Cell Veto Makes Private Funding More Essential President Bush's first veto of a bill that would have expanded federal research on embryonic stem cells could affect the state of the research. The NewsHour's health correspondent explains.

	July 17, 2006 President Bush Threatens to Veto Stem Cell Bill President Bush threatened to use his veto power after the Senate reopened debate Monday on a bill to lift restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Two analysts discuss the medical research implications.

	July 12, 2006 Tim Shriver Discusses His Mother, Eunice Shriver, and the Special Olympics Tim Shriver, Eunice Kennedy Shriver's son, talks about his mother and her legacy, the Special Olympics. Eunice Kennedy Shriver celebrates her 85th birthday this week.

	July 5, 2006 Substance Abuse Rates Rise in Women Over Past Two Decades For decades, far more U.S. males than females have been substance abusers, but the gender gap is now shrinking. An encore report looks at the growing dependency in woman and the approaches to treat the problem.

	July 3, 2006 Experts Race to Understand Bird Flu's Spread in Indonesia After scares that an Indonesian family died from human-to-human transmission of the bird flu, a team of United Nations veterinary experts are working to set up a countrywide surveillance system to monitor the disease's spread and train local people to participate.



	JUNE June 28, 2006 Uganda Works to Reduce AIDS Cases Since the 1980s, Uganda has been combatting the spread of AIDS and encouraging community support groups to help fight further developments.

	June 27, 2006 Surgeon General Concludes There is No Safe Level of Second-Hand Smoke The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Richard Carmona discusses the report released Tuesday confirming that there is no risk-free level of exposure to second-hand smoke. The report reveals that the only way to protect non-smokers is to ban smoking in public places.

	June 26, 2006 Warren Buffett Pledges around $30 Billion to Gates Foundation Warren Buffett, the world's second richest person, has donated nearly 85 percent of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help fight disease and poverty and improve education.

	June 19, 2006 High Court Returns Wetlands Cases to Lower Court, Agrees to Hear Abortion Appeal The Supreme Court on Monday narrowly voided a lower court's decision blocking two developments on wetlands in Michigan, and agreed to consider a second appeal to reinstate a federal ban on so-called partial-birth abortions.

	June 9, 2006 FDA Approves Use of Vaccine for Cervical Cancer An interview with a gynecologist looks at Gardasil, a new vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in girls and women to prevent four strains of a virus that can cause cervical cancer.

	June 6, 2006 Harvard Researchers Start Cloning Human Embryos with Private Funds Harvard researchers announced Tuesday that they have begun efforts to clone human embryos to create stem cells by using private funding to get around federal funding restrictions.



	MAY May 30, 2006 AIDS Continues to Shape U.S., World Policies First identified in 1981, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has shaped health policy, politics and medicine in the United States and throughout the world. International efforts have led to some breakthroughs but no simple answers in combating the virus.

	May 24, 2006 Health Officials Investigate Possible Person-to-Person Spread of Bird Flu The World Health Organization launched an investigation Wednesday into the deaths of six family members in Indonesia who may have died as a result of human-to-human transmission of the bird flu.

	May 22, 2006 Kentucky Derby Winner Barbaro Breaks Hind Leg in Preakness Race horse Barbaro, who won the Kentucky Derby, suffered a serious hind-leg break at the Preakness race Saturday.

	May 17, 2006 Mississippi Works to Restructure Health Care Services Residents of Moss Point, Miss. have just a small clinic to cater to their medical needs after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the area last year.

	May 15, 2006 Seniors Rush to Sign Up for Medicare's Drug Benefit Before Deadline The Bush administration made one last push Monday to persuade seniors to sign up for Medicare's drug benefit before a financial penalty kicks in. Two experts discuss the deadline and what it means for seniors and others struggling to pay for drugs.

	May 8, 2006 Deadline for Prescription Drug Enrollment Plan Approaches The clock is ticking for Medicare beneficiaries wishing to enroll in a prescription drug coverage plan by the May 15 registration deadline. Susan Dentzer of the NewsHour's Health Unit reports on the prescription drug coverage countdown.

	May 3, 2006 U.S. Government Releases New Plans for Pandemic Flu The White House released an updated pandemic flu plan as fears continue that the bird flu virus that has infected birds in 48 countries and humans in nine arrives in the United States. A homeland security adviser outlines what the federal government is doing to prepare.



	APRIL April 24, 2006 Story of Polio Fight Wins Pulitzer Prize Author and historian David Oshinsky won the Pulitzer Prize in history this year for his work on the subject of polio in America.

	April 21, 2006 Growing Drug Abuse by Women Pose New Challenges For decades, far more U.S. males than females have been substance abusers, but the gender gap is now shrinking. A report on the growing dependency in woman and the approaches to treat the problem.

	April 20, 2006 CDC Chief Responds to Mumps Reappearance in Eight Midwest States The largest mumps outbreak in more than two decades has hit the Midwest with confirmed cases in at least eight states. Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control, offers an update on efforts to contain the virus.

	April 19, 2006 High Court Considers Insanity Defense The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving a schizophrenic teenager in Arizona, convicted of killing a police officer. His attorney argued that proving insanity under the state's law was almost impossible. A law expert who was in the courtroom discusses the case.

	April 17, 2006 Illinois Community Struggles with Continued Industrial Pollution Exelon Corporation didn't publicly acknowledge at least six spills of water containing radioactive tritium until recently--even though the first one happened in 1996. Residents of Will County, Illinois are now outraged and worried about tritium's effect on their health.

	April 5, 2006 Massachusetts Announces Universal Healthcare Plan The Massachusetts legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill Tuesday which will allow 99% of individuals in the state to obtain health insurance. An expert examines the state's unique approach to handle the problem with those uninsured.

	April 5, 2006 Massachusetts Seeks Insurance for All Residents Massachusetts lawmakers approved a landmark bill Tuesday creating a system under which all citizens will be able to obtain health insurance, regardless of financial status.

	April 3, 2006 Steroid Scandal Casts Shadow Over Baseball Season As Major League Baseball begins another season, more and more players have reportedly been using steroids. An analysis of the steroid problem in baseball and how it will effect the year.



	MARCH March 31, 2006 Center Gives Hope to Muscular Dystrophy Patients Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. is doing pioneering research and treatment for muscular dystrophy using interdisciplinary teams of doctors and scientists focused on a common problem.

	March 29, 2006 Drought Plagues Horn of Africa Drought and hunger are spreading quickly across east Africa, specifically in Somalia and Kenya, damaging the countryside and killing families. A report on the severity of the famine and ways that organizations are helping soothe the plight.

	March 21, 2006 Azerbaijan Reports Five Human Deaths From Bird Flu The World Health Organization confirmed seven human cases of the H5N1 strain of the bird flu in Azerbaijan. Five of the victims died, bringing the human death toll to 103 out of 184 recorded cases since late 2003.

	March 20, 2006 Administration Warns Bird Flu Expected in U.S. This Year Bush administration officials Monday said the likelihood of bird flu arriving on U.S. shores this year is "increasingly likely" but that its arrival does not increase the chances of a human pandemic.

	March 20, 2006 Supreme Court Rejects Cigarette Award Case The Supreme Court on Monday decided not to review a $50 million punitive damage award that lower courts in California enforced upon cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris USA.

	March 17, 2006 New FDA Cheif Inherits Old Problems The newly nominated commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration is being called upon to restore morale and confidence in the agency following its controversial handling of Vioxx and birth control known as Plan B. Two officials consider the state of the FDA.

	March 16, 2006 India Works on Reversing Sterilizations Following Tsunami After the 2004 Asian tsunami wiped away a large segment of the Indian population, including many children, efforts began to help couples reverse sterilization procedures.

	March 16, 2006 India Works on Fertility Reversal After Tsunami NewsHour correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro of Twin Cities Public Television reports from India on the effort to reverse sterilization, one of India's most common forms of birth control, for those who lost children in the tsunami.

	March 3, 2006 South Dakota Law Bans Most Types of Abortion South Dakota, already the state with the strictest abortion regulations, has passed a controversial law that prevents doctors from performing an abortion except in cases where the mother's life is in danger.

	March 2, 2006 Bird Flu Spreads to Europe, Africa The deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu has infected poultry and wild fowl in Asia, Africa and Europe raising fears that it could spark a global pandemic if it becomes easily transmittable from human to human. Two health officials discuss the recent outbreaks.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 28, 2006 Campaign Finance Law Faces Supreme Court Scrutiny The Supreme Court heard arguments about a Vermont law that would limit contributions towards state election campaigns, and released a decision on the regulations on anti-abortion protests. Gwen Ifill talks to Marcia Coyle of the National Law Journal about Tuesday's action.

	Feb. 27, 2006 New Orleans Health Care System Struggles to Rebuild Charity Hospital was the second-oldest continuously operating hospital in the United States until Katrina struck the Gulf Coast six months ago. Now, it operates from tents inside the New Orleans Convention Center. Susan Dentzer of the NewHour's Health unit reports on the city's struggling health care system.

	Feb. 21, 2006 High Court Agrees to Hear Late-term Abortion Case The U.S. Supreme Court heard challenges Tuesday to federal environmental laws and scheduled arguments on state abortion restrictions. Ray Suarez discusses the arguments as well as Justice Samuel Alito's first day on the bench with Marcia Coyle.

	Feb. 17, 2006 Houston Struggles with FEMA to Provide Shelter for Katrina Evacuees Gulf Coast residents who fled to Houston, Texas after Hurricane Katrina found emergency housing but are now facing problems receiving help from the federal government months after the storm.

	Feb. 16, 2006 President Bush Proposes Health Savings Accounts In an effort to help people cope with higher costs and declining coverage, President Bush has proposed greatly expanding the use of health savings accounts with high deductibles. Following a background report on the president's proposal, two guests offer differing opinions on how to fix America's health care system.

	Feb. 14, 2006 Firms Outsourcing Drug Research to India The decision by many pharmaceutical companies to conduct clinical drug trials in India, a country with a large number of scientists, doctors and patients has sparked an ethical debate over whether the trials will benefit the participants, many of them who are poor and cannot afford medical attention otherwise.

	Feb. 14, 2006 Man Shot By Vice President Back in Intensive Care Hospital officials in Corpus Christi, Texas, said Harry Whittington, who was accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney, has birdshot in or near his heart, which caused him to suffer a mild heart attack. Jeffrey Brown reports on the story.

	Feb. 13, 2006 Maryland Bill Requires Health Care Changes for Wal-Mart A Maryland law, scheduled to go into effect in 2007, aims to force large employers, and specifically the Wal-Mart chain, to improve health benefits for employees.

	Feb. 13, 2006 China, Indonesia Report New Bird Flu Deaths The World Health Organization confirmed new human cases and deaths of the H5N1 strain of the bird flu in China and Indonesia following the discovery of the deadly virus among birds in Greece, Italy and Bulgaria over the weekend.

	Feb. 9, 2006 Senate Debates Compensation for Asbestos Victims A proposed Senate bill would create a $140 billion trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure. Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah provide opposing viewpoints on the effectiveness of the plan to help around 700,000 people who have claimed health problems as a result of asbestos exposure.

	Feb. 9, 2006 Residents Weigh Return to New Orleans Five months after Hurricane Katrina struck, two reports from New Orleans track one family's struggle over whether to move back and a prominent musician's battle to retain the city's jazz tradition.

	Feb. 9, 2006 Cancer Deaths Begin to Decline The American Cancer Society reported Thursday that death rates for the most common cancers have been falling steadily for 10 to 20 years. Jim Lehrer discusses the details of the report and what is causing the decline in cancer deaths with Dr. Larry Norton of the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

	Feb. 8, 2006 New Orleans Health Care Struggles After Hurricane Katrina Susan Dentzer of the Health Unit reports from New Orleans about the city's broken health care system after Hurricane Katrina and the effort to assist the thousands of residents who are poor, uninsured and chronically ill.

	Feb. 8, 2006 New Study Shows Low Fat Diet May Not Go Far Enough A major study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that reducing the amount of fat in a diet does not reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease, Two experts explain the results of the study and what it says about diet and health..

	Feb. 8, 2006 Nigeria Reports First Case of Bird Flu in Africa Animal health experts confirmed the first outbreak among poultry of the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus in Nigeria.

	Feb. 6, 2006 President Submits 2007 Budget to Congress President Bush submitted his 2007 budget proposal to Congress on Monday. The $2.8 trillion plan includes increases in defense spending, provisions to make existing tax cuts permanent and reductions in entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Two guests discuss the administration's priorities.

	Feb. 2, 2006 Start to Medicare Prescription Drug Program Troubled Tens of thousands of seniors have encountered problems with Medicare's new prescription drug benefit program since its launch Jan. 1, prompting a debate over the plan's design, implementation and effectiveness.

	Feb. 2, 2006 Iraq Gets First Human Case of Bird Flu The World Health Organization confirmed Thursday that a teenager who died on Jan. 17 in northern Iraq tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, making the war-torn country the seventh to report a human case of the deadly disease.

	Feb. 1, 2006 Coal Towns React to Recent Fatal Accidents Lee Hochberg of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports from West Virginia on the search for answers to last month's mining disasters.



	JANUARY Jan. 25, 2006 Experts Discuss Drug Company Gifts A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association says 90 percent of the $21 billion pharmaceutical companies spend on marketing goes directly to physicians. Two experts discusses the debate concerning whether free samples from drug companies influence patients' care.

	Jan. 17, 2006 Supreme Court Upholds Oregon Assisted Suicide Law The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday upheld an Oregon law that allows doctor-assisted suicide. By a 6-3 vote, the court said the U.S. Justice Department may not use a federal drug law to override the state law.

	Jan. 16, 2006 Medicare Drug Program Suffers Technical Problems More than two weeks after its launch, technical glitches in Medicare's prescription drug program continue to prevent many low-income seniors from receiving much-needed prescriptions.

	Jan. 13, 2006 Lab Finds Mutation in Bird Flu Virus; EU Pledges $100 Million in Aid A British laboratory has found that two victims of Turkey's bird flu outbreak died from a slightly mutated strain of the H5N1 virus, raising fears the virus could start spreading more easily.

	Jan. 10, 2006 Health Care Costs Doubled Between 1993 and 2004 The overall cost of health care doubled between 1993 and 2004, and in 2004, health care spending topped $1.9 trillion or 16 percent of the nation's economic output -- the largest share on record, according to a report released Monday by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

	Jan. 10, 2006 New Human Cases of Bird Flu in Turkey, China, Japan Turkish health authorities confirmed the 15th human case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu and have said a third child in the same family died from the virus, though the World Health Organization has confirmed only two deaths and four cases.

	Jan. 6, 2006 Sharon's Grave Condition Raises Questions About Strokes Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had emergency surgery again Friday to stop bleeding in the brain after suffering a massive stroke Wednesday. A doctor discusses the causes of and treatments for strokes

	Jan. 6, 2006 Turkey Confirms Third Human Death From Bird Flu Turkey announced Friday the third death from bird flu, the deadly virus that experts say is still an animal disease but has proved fatal in over 70 human cases.

	Jan. 5, 2006 Grave Prognosis for Ariel Sharon Doctors announced that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will not return to politics after suffering a stroke Wednesday night, signaling the end of an era in Israeli politics since he took office in 2001.

	Jan. 4, 2006 Turkey Confirms First Human Cases of Bird Flu Turkey announced Wednesday its first two human cases, one of them fatal, of the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu, marking the virus' first occurrence in people outside Southeast Asia and China.

	Jan. 4, 2006 Fighting Malaria in Africa Residents in rural communities in Africa have begun purchasing mosquito nets with international aid money as an affordable, available and effective method of preventing malaria. An Indepedent Television News report from Uganda and Tanzania looks at the manufacturing and distribution process.

	Jan. 4, 2006 Assessing Coal Mining Safety Following an update on the coal mine explosion in Sago, W.Va. that resulted in the deaths of 12 workers and left one in critical condition, a former mine inspector gives an assessment of technological advancements and safety procedures in the coal mining industry.

	Jan. 3, 2006 China Criticized for Not Sharing Bird Flu Information Despite requests from the World Health Organization and other international health bodies, China is still not sharing virus samples from animals infected with the H5N1 strain of the bird flu.

	Jan. 3, 2006 Rescue Teams Struggle to Reach Trapped Miners in West Virginia Rescue workers continued Tuesday evening to dig into the mine shaft in Tallmansville, W.Va., where 13 coal miners have been trapped since Monday morning when an explosion blocked their path.

	Jan. 3, 2006 Mine Safety Issues Examined as Search Continues For Coal Miners The search for 13 miners continued Tuesday in West Virginia. Following an update from a reporter, an expert discusses mine safety issues.

	Jan. 2, 2006 2005: The Year in Science In a review of 2005's science stories, two writers consider the stem cell controversy, global climate change and the threat of a bird flu pandemic.