To the Point

14th International AIDS Conference in Barcelona

In Barcelona today, the 14th International AIDS Conference is taking up what could be the most serious health crisis of all time. The disease, which was once perceived purely as a health threat, has become a pandemic that has infected over 40 million people. Nations devastated by AIDS and HIV face the loss of entire generations, collapse of their economy and the disruption that fosters hopelessness and provides safe havens for terrorists. As the conference gets under way in Barcelona, we join representatives from American and international organizations for a look at the human cost, the implications for our national security and the prospects for heading off a catastrophe of Biblical proportions. Newsmaker: Corporate Corruption Hearing This week's leading topic in Washington will be financial scandal and how to restore America's confidence in business. Both houses of Congress are talking tough, and President Bush is preparing a major speech on Wall Street. Lee Walczak, Washington bureau chief for BusinessWeek, offers an update on the corporate crime wave that's devastating the stock market and consumer confidence. Reporter's Notebook: Defining Terrorism Last week, an Egyptian immigrant killed two Jews and wounded two other people at the El Al ticket counter at LA International Airport. Although the initial assumption was that Hesham Mohamed Hadayet was a terrorist, it now appears he may have had a financial dispute with the Israeli airlines. Amir Taheri, who writes for the Arab News in Saudi Arabia, elaborates on the difficulty and importance of defining terrorism.