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Linda Wertheimer talks with Samantha Newport, a freelance reporter for the Washington Post and BBC World Service; she is in Quito, Ecuador. Newport talks about the release of the foreign oil workers who had been kept hostage in the Amazon for four-and-a-half months. One hostage was killed three weeks ago when the ransom demands were not met. The remaining seven were released after their companies paid the $13 million ransom. Four of them are from the United States.

NPR's Jackie Northam reports that the Miss USA pageant is landing in an unlikely venue this year -- Gary, Indiana. The city, infamous for its murder rate, is hoping a beauty pageant will be the beginnings of an image makeover.

NPR's Michael Sullivan reports that the ruling Taliban of Afghanistan is destroying ancient Buddhist statues and artifacts in the country. In recent days, there has been a world-wide public outcry at the destruction of these centuries-old relics.

Host Bob Edwards talks with Ken Gluck, an aid worker with Doctors Without Borders. Gluck was abducted on January 9th while delivering medical supplies in Chechnya. He spent nearly a month in a damp cellar, before he was released on February 4th.

Host Bob Edwards talks with sportswriter and former minor league pitcher Pat Jordan about 21-year old St. Louis pitcher Rick Ankiel, who is struggling with his control. Jordan approves of the advice Kevin Costner's character gave a young pitcher played by Tim Robbins in the movie Bull Durham -- Don't think. It can only hurt the ball-club.

The court case brought by the world's pharmaceutical companies against the South African Government has been postponed until mid April. The companies are trying to block a law that allows South Africa to import generic drugs or authorize their manufacture. The postponement gives the companies time to respond to the inclusion in the case of testimony by the country's leading AIDS activists. Brenda Wilson reports from Pretoria.

NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports a series of violent incidents during Mardi Gras celebrations in Seattle are raising questions about whether Seattle police know how maintain order. One man died during chaotic Fat Tuesday partying while hundreds of police officers stood nearby. But the preceding weekend, the police had been accused of being overly aggressive in handling a revelers who got out of hand.

U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel issued her long anticipated injunction in the Napster case today. The injunction says that record companies seeking to have Napster block access to their material need to provide the internet song-swapping service with the song title, the name of the artist, the name of the file holding the song, and proof of copyright ownership. Napster would then have 72 hours to comply. NPR's Rick Karr reports.

The United States Olympic Committee plans to drug test high profile pro athletes like NBA Dream Teamers up to a year before the Olympics, just like it does to all other U.S. Olympians. Olympic team members from glamour sports like basketball, baseball and hockey are presently tested just before the games begin. The professional leagues, which have less stringent testing procedures than Olympic sports, aren't happy about the change.

The makers of old-fashioned wooden snowshoes are benefitting from an upsurge in interest in the winter sport. Sales of snowshoes have increased more than ten-fold in the past decade, mainly due to the introduction of hi-tech aluminum brands. The traditional activity of hunters and trappers is now the fastest-growing winter sport in the country. It takes about two weeks to produce a hand-made wooden snowshoe ... and the design has changed little in hundreds of years. Maine Public Radio's Susan Chisholm reports.