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NPR's Renee Montagne talks with Richard Curtis of the charity group Comic Relief. He convinced Harry Potter author JK Rowling to write two Hogwarts textbooks for donation to the organization.

NPR's Martin Kaste reports on the success of Brazil's AIDS program. Alone among developing nations, Brazil has provided AIDS drugs to nearly all who need them. That's cut the death rate from AIDS in half. The success is due to the country's aggressive policies on allowing generic copies of expensive brand name drugs. The international pharmaceutical industry has tolerated the situation until recently. Now the country faces a major trade dispute over its policy on AIDS drugs.

Noah Adams talks with Chris Desimio, a financial consultant and stock broker in Cincinnati, Ohio, about the technology companies that are still doing well despite the downturn of the stock market. He also talks about the companies which should not have gone down in value, but did, because of the psychology of the market right now.

NPR's Madeleine Brand talks with Jef Beck, one of the world's foremost collector of Ken Dolls. Today is the 40th anniversary of Barbie's male counterpart.

In the first of a two-part series, NPR's Peter Overby reports on the relationship between the oil industry and federal government. The two have a history that stretches back to the early 1900's. Tomorrow, Overby explores what the industry hopes to gain from a new president who got his start drilling oil in Texas.

Will he or won't he? South African President Mbeki is scheduled to speak to parliament tomorrow, where he may make a historic pronouncement regarding the AIDS health crisis. During the question time, he will be asked why the government hasn't yet declared a state of emergency, which would allow it to bypass international trade agreements and allow the importation and manufacture of cheaper, generic AIDS drugs. NPR's Brenda Wilson reports from Johannesburg.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that U.S. stock prices tumbled yesterday amid investor concerns about technology earnings. The NASDAQ composite index has now declined by 60-percent since its high last March. There's concern that confidence has fallen to the point where prices may not rebound as quickly as in the past.

Linda Wertheimer talks with sports commentator Stefan Fatsis about March madness and the NCAA men's basketball tournament that is underway. TV viewership over the past four years has declined, and yet CBS is paying $250 million to broadcast this year's tournament. While not a bad deal, Stefan says one of the reasons for the declining ratings is the lack of big name familiar players on the teams. And that is connected to the increasing number of student athletes who leave for professional careers before their senior year. Stefan Fatsis writes about sports and the business of sports for the Wall Street Journal; he joins All Things Considered on Fridays.

NPR's Guy Raz reports from the Macedonian city of Tetovo that fighting escalated today between ethnic Albanian rebels and Macedonian security forces. The two sides exchanged fierce gunfire just outside the city -- Macedonia's second largest. Occasional shells and bullets landed in the central square. Most activity has come to a halt. The government says it's preparing for all-out war. Although Macedonia was the one republic to secede from Yugoslavia without bloodshed and an ethnic Albanian party is included in the ruling coalition, the rebels say they're fighting for greater rights for the Albanian community.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden in Jerusalem reports that after nearly six months of violence, some Palestinians are beginning to question the aim and the tactics of the uprising in the West Bank and Gaza.