To the Point

The Divide over Fetal Stem Cell Research

Fetal stem cell research, one of medical science's most promising avenues of exploration has run into a roadblock. Undifferentiated embryonic cells offer possible treatments and cures for a range of devastating diseases. But the Catholic Church and others have mobilized opposition in the belief that a fertilized egg is a living person. Now, political pressure is mounting, and federal support for continued research hangs in the balance. We hear about the scientific and moral questions being asked in medical labs, from the pulpit and on Capitol Hill. Newsmaker: Unrest in Macedonia - Macedonians filled the streets yesterday to protest the evacuation of ethnic Albanian rebels from the outskirts of the capital. The BBC's Jonathan Charles reports on efforts to maintain a fragile peace, the demands of rebels who make up thirty percent of the population, and NATO's determination to protect an important international supply line. Reporter's Notebook: Japan's Declining Population - After years of warnings about too many people, we now hear that some major countries don't have enough. Paul Hewitt, who heads the Global Aging Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, elaborates on the economic consequences of declining populations in Japan and Western European countries.