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Host Michele Norris talks with Christopher Dickey, Middle East regional editor and Paris bureau chief for Newsweek, about Ahmed Chalabi's financial dealings. Chalabi is Vice President Dick Cheney's first choice to lead Iraq. Financial institutions that Chalabi owns have been closed by authorities in Jordan, Lebanon and Switzerland because of questionable practices and unsecured loans.

The University of California at Berkeley announces that students from several Asian countries won't be allowed to attend summer school. School officials are concerned that they have no facilities to quarantine students who may contract severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. Fears about the spread of SARS are also affecting business in San Francisco's Chinatown. Deirdre Kennedy of member station KQED reports.

Paul Bremer, the new U.S. civilian administrator for Iraq, arrives in Bagdhad as part of a broad shake-up in the U.S. reconstruction team. Moving out of the country are four top U.S. administrators amid charges that the team has been too slow restoring basic services and has failed to ensure security. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

Chinese health officials report 80 new cases of SARS, nearly half of which are in areas outside Beijing where hospitals are less prepared to deal with the disease. But inspectors from the World Health Organization say China is taking the right steps to stop the spread of SARS in rural areas. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

China's highest court threatens harsh new penalties -- including life in prison -- for anyone caught violating quarantine orders or otherwise intentionally spreading SARS. The move comes as China steps up efforts to battle SARS in rural areas, where poor conditions at health care facilities may make it easier for the virus to spread. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Silicon Valley-based technology firms are increasingly worried about the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, on business. Many manufacture computer parts in Asia and are preparing for business disruptions if the disease continues to spread. NPR's John McChesney reports.

A new study published in the journal Neuron suggests that a new vaccine can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The vaccine, initially deemed a failure after patients developed severe side effects, causes the body to produce antibodies that attack a protein believed to cause the brain damage found in Alzheimer's patients. Hear NPR's Jon Hamilton.

The U.S. government raises the national terror alert from yellow to orange, signaling a "high risk" of attack. New FBI intelligence suggests al Qaeda may target the United States or U.S. interests overseas. The move follows recent terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

In the final installment of a three-part series, NPR's Brenda Wilson examines sexual behavior in young adolescents today, and the role that parent-child communication can play. Some experts say parents may need to broach the topic of sexuality with their kids much sooner than they might think.

Robert Siegel talks with John Hendren, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, about Iraqis who have handled materials looted from nuclear facilities and are now experiencing bizarre medical symptoms.