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Mad cow disease and related illness are thought to be spread by an infectious protein, not a germ. But some prominent scientists don't agree. NPR's Richard Harris travels to a National Institutes of Health lab in Montana, where a group of scientists have been trying for several decades to get to the bottom of brain-wasting diseases.

Amid continuing violence in Iraq, the struggle continues to establish democratic government. In Baquba, a city about an hour north of Baghdad, elections for district council attract only about two percent of potential voters. NPR'S Emily Harris reports.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new CD by newcomer Dan Reeder.

President Bush courted NASCAR fans and potential voters Sunday at the Daytona 500 in Florida. So-called "NASCAR dads" are considered key swing voters in this year's presidential election. Analysts say the group tends to vote conservative on social issues, although Democrats may be able to win votes on economic concerns. Hear NPR's Ari Shapiro.

The five Democrats vying for their party's presidential nomination prepare for Wisconsin's Tuesday primary and Sunday night debate. Opinion polls show Sen. John Kerry holding the lead in voter support, as he often has in the string of primaries and caucuses held so far. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Scott Horsley.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with retired Maj. Gen. Robert Scales about the changing security situation in Iraq. Scales is the author of The Iraq War: A Military History.

South Korean and U.S. researchers say they have successfully cloned a human embryo and extracted embryonic stem cells from it. The experiment, reported in the journal Science, is the first instance of cloned human stem cells -- an important step toward therapeutic cloning, in which patients' own replacement tissue would be generated to treat them. Hear NPR's Joe Palca.

Veneration of ancestors, supplication to the gods, and animal sacrifice -- these are among the suite of rituals that form a complicated canon of religious law for adherents of voodoo. NPR's John Burnett investigates what it takes to learn and practice these rituals in the second part of his Radio Expedition to West Africa.

John Kerry has already begun looking beyond the primaries to a possible race against President Bush in the fall. Commentator Jay Bryant is a Republican political consultant, and he says that - if Kerry is the Democrat's choice - this could be two firsts for the 2004 campaign: the first time both parties' candidates have opted not to take Federal matching funds - and the first time it's been clear so early who the candidates will be.

Malian guitarist Habib Koite issues a new live album, Foly!. The double-disc release is an attempt to capture the flavor of Koite's live performances, which bring out the many influences in his blend of Afro-pop, from jazz to classical and rock. Music critic Banning Eyre has a review.