Week of March 29, 2006

The New York Times: Diseases on the Brink

Video: Trachoma
Mar. 31, 2006
"As part of a Times series on diseases on the brink of eradication, former President Jimmy Carter discusses The Carter Center's work to combat trachoma in Ethiopia."

Video: The Guinea Worm
Donald G. McNeil, Jr.
Mar. 26, 2006
"Former President Jimmy Carter and the Times's Donald G. McNeil Jr. discuss the ancient parasitic disease of guinea worm." (Related story)

PBS

Video: The New Medicine
Mar. 29, 2006
"The New Medicine -- a two-hour documentary that premieres Wednesday, March 29 at 9:00 (ET) on PBS (check local listings) -- explores a burgeoning movement taking place in hospitals and clinics across the country: integrating the best of high-tech medicine with a new attitude that recognizes it is essential to the healing process to treat the patient as a whole person, and not a cog in an assembly line." (Related New York Times TV review)

BBC News

Video: Why Many Baby Girls Are Unwanted in India
Nick Bryant
Mar. 29, 2006
"A doctor in India has been jailed for two years for revealing the sex of a female fetus and then agreeing to abort it. This is the first time medical professionals have been jailed in such a case. Under Indian laws, ultrasound tests on a pregnant woman to determine the gender of the foetus are illegal. It has been estimated that India has seen 10 million female fetuses terminated in the past 20 years." (Related story)

National Public Radio

Audio: Researchers Try Fighting Heart Disease Gene by Gene
Joe Palca
Mar. 27, 2006
"Scientists are reporting a new way to lower cholesterol. The process involves a tool called RNA interference. It uses a snippet of RNA to turn off a single gene at a time. In theory, genes responsible for producing cholesterol could be controlled to help prevent heart disease."

CNN

Video: Spices of Life
Bill Lloyd
Mar. 25, 2006
"Dr. Bill Lloyd says some spices not only make food taste better, they battle cancer and Alzheimer's disease."

ABC News: 20/20

Video: Eat Healthy While Eating Out
Don Dahler
Mar. 24, 2006
Putting restaurant 'heart-smart' menus to the test.

CBS Evening News

Video: ADHD Drugs Under Suspicion
Elizabeth Kaledin
Mar. 22, 2006
"Drugs such as Ritalin are known to help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it's not clear how risky these drugs may be. Elizabeth Kaledin reports."

Week of March 22, 2006

CNN

Video: DUI Bracelets Can't Tell a Lie
Adaora Udoji
Mar. 22, 2006
"A judge shows CNN's Adaora Udoji how a bracelet that monitors alcohol consumption prevents repeat DUIs."

The New York Times

Video: Diseases on the Brink
Celia W. Dugger and Donald G. McNeil Jr.
Mar. 20, 2006
"The Times's Celia W. Dugger and Donald G. McNeil Jr. discuss five diseases on the brink of eradication." (Related print edition story)

National Public Radio

Audio: Zimbabwean Farmers Find a New Life in Nigeria
Ofeibea Quist-Arcton
Mar. 22, 2006
"Forced out of Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe's infamous land reform program, a group of white farmers is taking advantage of a second chance in Nigeria. It's an experiment in helping Nigeria to feed itself."

Audio: A City Steps Up: Savannah Confronts Poverty
Steve Inskeep
Mar. 20, 2006
"Savannah, Ga., is one of the oldest and loveliest cities in America. Called 'the Little Easy' for its charming historic district and hospitality, Savannah nonetheless grapples with stubborn poverty and crime higher than that of many larger cities...Each month, the city sponsors 'poverty simulations' to raise awareness among its citizens. Government leaders, heads of businesses and civic groups spend an evening role-playing as people living in, or on the brink of, poverty."

Audio: Legal, Herbal Hallucinogenic Draws Teens, Critics
David Schaper
Mar. 20, 2006
"A powerful and legal hallucinogenic herb is gaining popularity among teenagers and young adults. Salvia divinorum is also raising concerns among parents and lawmakers across the country. The herb, sometimes called 'Magic Mint,' 'Ska Maria Pastora' or 'Sally D,' is widely available on the Internet and at some tobacco shops, head shops and stores selling herbal remedies. Critics say it is being marketed and sold misleadingly as producing a high; in fact, it induces an intense, dreamlike experience that can be unpleasant for first-time users. Two states have banned Salvia. Legislation to make it a controlled substance has failed twice in Congress."

CBS Evening News

Video: Bird Flu Preparedness
Trish Regan
Mar. 21, 2006
"When it comes to emergency planning for an outbreak of bird flu, U.S. corporations are on the front lines, along with state and local governments. Trish Regan reports." (Requires Real Player)

NBC: Dateline

Video: Bed Bugs Bite Back
Dennis Murphy
Mar. 19, 2006
"You've heard the nursery rhyme: 'Good Night. Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite.' And by now, you may have heard the news that bedbugs...are back! How common are they? And how worried should you be? Dennis Murphy has a Dateline Hidden Camera Investigation." (Requires Internet Explorer)

Video: Ann Curry's Darfur Diary
Ann Curry
Mar. 19, 2006
"It's one of the most compelling stories of our time-- that is almost hidden from the modern world. Yet millions are affected by what is going on in a Darfur. Ann Curry shares her Darfur diary."

BBC News

Video: TB Infection Rates Continue To Rise
Gill Higgins
Mar. 22, 2006
"The number of cases of tuberculosis in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has risen to more than 7,000 cases a year. There are calls for more screening and better support for TB patients. Gill Higgins reports." (Related story)

Week of March 15, 2006

NBC Nightly News

Video: Public Defender Helps Homeless
George Lewis
Mar. 15, 2006
"NBC's George Lewis has the story of a determined public defender who is trying to help homeless people in San Diego get a new start in life." (Requires Internet Explorer)

Video: VA Hospitals' Amazing Transformation
Robert Bazell
Mar. 15, 2006
"VA hospitals have undergone an amazing transformation, offering what several surveys say is the best medical care in the country." (Requires Internet Explorer)

BBC News

Video: Two Drug Trial Men Critically Ill
Gill Higgins
Mar. 15, 2006
"Two men remain critically ill and four others are in a serious condition after taking part in a clinical drugs trial. They are all in intensive care at Northwick Park Hospital, northwest London."

Video: Sick Baby's Family Thanks Judge
Fergus Walsh
Mar. 15, 2006
"The parents of a disabled baby boy at the centre of a right-to-life case have thanked the judge for ruling to keep him alive. They were fighting a hospital's bid to turn off the ventilator that keeps the child alive."

ABC News: World News Tonight

Video: Bird Flu Reality Check
Jim Avila
Mar. 14, 2006
"Bird flu discoverer says there is a 50-50 chance the virus will jump to humans." (Related story)

Video: Bird Flu Warning From the North?
Brian Ross
Mar. 13, 2006
Outbreak of bird flu in North America could begin in Alaska.

CNN

Bird Flu Controversy
Mary Snow
Mar. 16, 2006
"Remarks by HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt have raised concerns over just how vulnerable we are to bird flu."

Video: Sleep Eating After Taking Ambien
Sanjay Gupta
Mar. 15, 2006
"CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at possible links between sleep-eating episodes and the use of the prescription drug Ambien." (Related CBS story)

Video: Unwilling Guinea Pigs
Gary Nurenberg
Mar. 12, 2006
"If you need urgent care, you may receive an experimental blood substitute." (Related AP story)

National Public Radio

Audio: Rwandan Rape Survivors Find Solace in Shared History
Jeanne Baron
Mar. 14, 2006
"Rwandan women who survived genocide, but suffered rape and abuse, are finding some solace in a neighborhood association of survivors. It's a relief for some of these women to share their stories, after long keeping silent."

Audio: Fraud Leads to Procedural Reviews at Scientific Journals
Joe Palca
Mar. 13, 2006
"A high-profile case of research fraud is prompting science journals to reexamine their review procedures. Last year, South Korean scientists claimed to have made breakthroughs in cloning. Journals assumed that the reports' authors were telling the truth about their research. They later learned some of the data were fraudulent."

CBS News

Video: Mad Cow Identified in Alabama
Claudia Coffey
Mar. 14, 2006
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed mad cow disease in Alabama, but officials insist the meat supply is safe. Claudia Coffey reports on the U.S.'s third case of the disease since 2003." (Related AP story) (Real Player preferred)

CBS News: 60 Minutes

Video: Is The Price Right?
Dan Rather
Mar. 5, 2006
"Some 46 million Americans lack health insurance, yet as Dan Rather reports, they often face much heftier hospital costs than what are charged to insurance companies and programs." (Related story) (Real Player preferred)

Week of March 8, 2006

The New York Times

Video: Africa Sees Hope in AIDS Care
Sharon LaFraniere and Ben Werschkul
Mar. 8, 2006
"Dr. Roland Monika is the Lesotho government's sole pediatrician. Feb. 9, was a typical day." (Related print edition story)

CNN

Video: Women Face Greater Lung Cancer Risk
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Mar. 7, 2006
"CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports that non-smoking women are more likely to get lung cancer than men who don't smoke."

Video: Multiple Sclerosis Drug Dispute
Christy Feig
Mar. 7, 2006
"The maker of a multiple sclerosis drug that killed two people wants it back on the market. CNN's has more."

National Public Radio

Audio: Chicken and Hog Farms Measured for Air Pollution
Greg Allen
Mar. 7, 2006
"Hog farms are known for their odor. But so far, no one has paid much attention to whether these smells actually pollute the air. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency is testing chicken and hog farms for gases and particles that can make air harmful to breathe."

Audio: International Tobacco Treaty Stalls in U.S.
Corey Flintoff
Mar. 6, 2006
"It has been nearly two years since the United States signed an international treaty to curb tobacco use. But the U.S. still has not ratified it. The Bush administration says it's studying the treaty. Critics say the U.S. is losing its moral authority and influence on global health policy because of its hesitation in sending the treaty to Congress for approval."

The News Hour with Jim Lehrer

Video: South Dakota's Challenge to Legal Abortion
Fred de Sam Lazaro
Mar. 3, 2006
A report on the proposed abortion ban in South Dakota.

Week of March 1, 2006

Montana Meth Project

Dedicated site for Montana teens: NotEvenOnce.com

Related Feb. 28 New York Times article by Kate Zernike

"Leading the Meth Project effort is research-validated, nationally recognized, high-impact advertising that communicates graphically the risks of Meth use. The hazardous and life-threatening product features and consequences of Methamphetamine are clear, compelling, and undeniable. We are communicating these product features and consequences to the young people of Montana on a massive scale. We reach 90% of our target audience -- youth ages 12-17 -- three times per week with targeted, clear, compelling product messages about Meth. This is saturation-level marketing. We plan to sustain this level of communication for some years."

NBC Nightly News

Video: Women's Heath Study Under Scrutiny
Robert Bazell
Feb. 28, 2006
"The leaders of the Women's Health Initiative deny charges that a study on calcium and low-fat diets gave the wrong public health messages." (Requires Internet Explorer)

The News Hour with Jim Lehrer

Video: Rebuilding Health Care in New Orleans
Susan Dentzer
Feb. 27, 2006
A report on rebuilding the health care system in New Orleans damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

National Public Radio

Audio: Progress in Low-Cost Treatments for Liver Cancer in Africa
Madeleine Brand
Feb. 27, 2006
"One of the many diseases the continent of Africa struggles with is liver cancer. Until now, there were only expensive options for treatment and prevention. But researchers have come upon an easy and relatively cheap solution. Madeleine Brand talks with Dr. Sydney Speisel, a pediatrician and professor at Yale Medical School."

60 Minutes (CBS News)

Video: Scientist Hopes For Stem Cell Success
Feb. 26, 2006
"If paralyzed people are ever going to walk again, it might be because of the scientist in this story. His name is Dr. Hans Keirstead and he has made great strides using human embryonic stem cells. He is among the best and the brightest in his field -- a field that shows enormous promise, but has been restricted by a ban on federal funding for research because it involves the destruction of human embryos." (Related story)