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NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that Wall Street staggered through another down day, capping a ghastly week for investors. The gloom has spread from tech stocks to even the most stolid blue chip companies. And many small investors are dismayed by portfolios that are worth a lot less than they were a year ago.

The Senate next week will begin a historic 10 days of debate on limiting the sources of cash in political campaigns. Senate Republican leaders have been looking for a compromise bill with the help of President Bush, who wants to restrict money from unions and corporations but allow more leeway for individual contributors. Senate Democrats generally oppose that distinction, and their leader, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, has called the president's approach an attempt to destroy campaign finance reform. NPR's David Welna reports on the pre-debate positioning of the parties.

Noah Adams talks with reporter Tom Gibb about a massive fire which has crippled an enormous 40-story offshore oil rig located 75-miles off Brazil's Atlantic coast. Officials are trying to prevent a spill of the 400,000 gallons of oil on board. The rig may sink within 48 hours. Three explosions on Thursday damaged a pillar supporting the rig; the explosions killed one worker and left nine others missing and presumed dead. The offshore rig was Brazil's top oil producer in the rich Campos Basin.

Linda Wertheimer talks with sports commentator Stefan Fatsis about March madness and the NCAA men's basketball tournament that is underway. TV viewership over the past four years has declined, and yet CBS is paying $250 million to broadcast this year's tournament. While not a bad deal, Stefan says one of the reasons for the declining ratings is the lack of big name familiar players on the teams. And that is connected to the increasing number of student athletes who leave for professional careers before their senior year. Stefan Fatsis writes about sports and the business of sports for the Wall Street Journal; he joins All Things Considered on Fridays.

Commentator Donald McCaig talks about the everyday proximity of life and death on his sheep farm.

NPR's John Nielsen reports that when elephants stamp their feet they are actually talking, or at least sending seismic messages to other elephants. These signals actually are important to a herd, and human activities that interrupt transmission of signals through the ground could disrupt elephant behavior, migration and the like.

NPR's Michele Kelemen reports from Kiev that Ukraine is going through its worst political crisis since the break-up of the Soviet Union. The now independent country has long been mired in corruption and economic hardship. But with revelations that President Leonid Kuchma may have rigged elections and ordered the disappearance of a murdered journalist, more and more Ukrainians are calling for his ouster. Despite a series of demonstrations in recent months, however, the opposition remains fractured and leaderless.

Makers of several recent movies have experimented with the structure of story telling, finding new ways to develop plot lines. Film Critic Bob Mondello says the new film Memento is a perfect example.

Belle Waring wonders why kissing portrayed on television is so savage. She longs for more restrained passion. Waring is a registered nurse and a writer who lives in Washington, D.C.

John talks to NPR's Guy Raz about rebel fighting in Macedonia