Bush Makes Decision on Embryonic Stem Cells

Hosted by
After much deliberation and prayer, President Bush made his decision on federal funding of stem cell research. Lobbied by religious groups that find the practice morally unacceptable and by researchers who claim the medical benefits make it worth destroying what they call "pre-embryos," Bush ultimately approved federal funding under limited circumstances. We explore the promise, perils and politics of stem cell research, and get the reaction to the President's compromise from doctors, scientists, politicians and experts on ethics. Newsmaker: Middle East Escalation - In the aftermath of yesterday's suicide bombing that killed 15 people in a Jerusalem restaurant, Israeli forces overnight occupied Orient House, the PLO headquarters in East Jerusalem. Wafa Amr, of Reuters News Service, takes a look Palestinian reaction and assesses the likelihood of increased violence in the region. Reporter's Notebook: Audio Experts Try to Recover Gap in Nixon Tapes - The National Archives says history has a right to know if state-of-the-art technology can restore 18 and a half minutes of silence on a taped conversation between President Richard Nixon and his top aide, H.R. Haldeman. Satirist and Nixon authority Harry Shearer has done his own "wallowing in Watergate." He offers this perspective.
After much deliberation and prayer, President Bush made his decision on federal funding of stem cell research. Lobbied by religious groups that find the practice morally unacceptable and by researchers who claim the medical benefits make it worth destroying what they call "pre-embryos," Bush ultimately approved federal funding under limited circumstances. We explore the promise, perils and politics of stem cell research, and get the reaction to the President's compromise from doctors, scientists, politicians and experts on ethics.
  • Newsmaker: Middle East Escalation - In the aftermath of yesterday's suicide bombing that killed 15 people in a Jerusalem restaurant, Israeli forces overnight occupied Orient House, the PLO headquarters in East Jerusalem. Wafa Amr, of Reuters News Service, takes a look Palestinian reaction and assesses the likelihood of increased violence in the region.
  • Reporter's Notebook: Audio Experts Try to Recover Gap in Nixon Tapes - The National Archives says history has a right to know if state-of-the-art technology can restore 18 and a half minutes of silence on a taped conversation between President Richard Nixon and his top aide, H.R. Haldeman. Satirist and Nixon authority Harry Shearer has done his own "wallowing in Watergate." He offers this perspective.

Reuters News Service

American Journal of Bioethics

Council for Responsible Genetics

Exploding the Gene Myth

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International

National Catholic Bioethics Center

The Perfect Baby

US House Rules Committee

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney