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NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that the eerie similarities between the disruption of the peace processes in Northern Ireland and the Middle East points to the emergence of sub-factions determined to prevent a final peace at all costs.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that two of the world's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers have decided to merge in one of the business world's biggest transactions ever. Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz are both Swiss firms. Together they will become the world's second largest drugmaker, behind the U.S.-British firm, Glaxo Wellcom. The stock swap is valued at more than $36 billion.

Linda talks with Michael Betzold, a reporter on strike from the Detroit Free Press, about Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Betzold says Kevorkian wishes that society will one day accept assisted suicide for those who are emotionally ill as well as for the terminally sick. Betzold also talks about Kevorkian's desire to control death. Betzold has written about Kevorkian since 1991 and wrote a book about him called, "Appointment with Dr. Death."

Linda Gradstein reports on the opening session of the Palestinian Council, the legislative body elected in Palestinian elections earlier this year. On the streets of Gaza, there is widespread support for Yasser Arafat, but people also said they understood the frustration that led to four suicide bombings in the past 12 days.

Noah speaks with James Cusack, who covers security affairs for the Irish Times in Dublin. Cusack says the chances for a negotiated settlement between the British government and the IRA have diminished in the wake of the ascendency of the IRA's military wing. He says this hard-line inner core is more violent than the political leadership and less likely to negotiate.

NPR's John McChesney reports that the multimedia-software industry is facing a shakeout that could eliminate dozens of companies from the scene. Not very many CD-Rom publishers are profitable, and cost pressures are expected to force further consolidation.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports on the 60th anniversary of Consumers Union, publishers of Consumer Reports.

Robert talks with 18 year old Jacob Lurie, who won a $40,000 scholarship in the Westinghouse Talent Search for his theoretical work with surreal numbers. Lurie talks about his project and the elegance of mathematics.

Linda Wertheimer speaks with Dr. Richard Davey, chief medical officer of the American Red Cross, about the safety of the U.S. blood supply. Dr. Davey explains that the blood supply is extremely safe and that a new test which will detect the presence of HIV instead of the HIV antibody, will make the blood supply even safer.

NPR's John McChesney reports that one-time rivals Microsoft and America on Line reached an agreement today that would put AOL on every computer running Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system. The agreement comes less than a year after America on Line and other on-line services argued strenuously that the advent of the Microsoft Network last summer would give the software giant an unfair advantage over the on-line providers.