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Jacki Lyden talks with Elizabeth Abbott, author of A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, and Cher. Abbott reveals what caused and still causes people to give up sex . Although required by some religions, celibacy was undertaken as a choice primarily throughout history for social and economic reasons. (Scribner ISBN 0-684-84943-7)

Noah and Ariel Dorfman, a professor at Duke University discuss the history of the Chilean ship, the B.E. Esmeralda. The ship is part of the Tall Ship celebration, and is visiting New London, Connecticut today. Of all the Tall Ships, this one is the most controversial, because it had been used to hold and torture political prisoners.

Computers can greatly improve the lives of people with disabilities, but Charlotte Renner reports that blind people can't access much of the very visual content on the World Wide Web. Adaptive software can help, but some web designers are trying to create sites that can be accessed by people who can't see well enough to point and click with a standard mouse. (4:30) (Note: The website mentioned in this story is http://www.cast.org. This link will open in a new browser window.)

Two groups of scientists report that have successfully transplanted lab-grown cells to repair severely damaged corneas. Their findings appear in the journal "Cornea" and in tomorrow's New England Journal of Medicine. NPR's Wendy Schmelzer reports.

Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers today urged Congress to approve the administration's request for $472 million, to provide debt relief to developing nations. Republican leaders in the House are refusing to approve the full amount and are holding out for reforms at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the institutions that manage the debt relief program. NPR's Kathleen Schalch has this story.

A new study shows more than half of young people say climate change makes them feel afraid, sad, anxious, angry, powerless and helpless. And government inaction in particular makes them worried.

NPR's David Kestenbaum reports on a new set of rules from the EPA that would reduce the amount of arsenic in drinking water tenfold below current limits. Arsenic usually comes from natural sources and doesn't occur in all parts of the country. But the new rules will require upgrades in water systems in thousands of small towns and rural areas.

Commentator Lorraine Johnson Coleman offers some helpful tips for Yankee tourists heading down south over the next few months on vacation, particularly on the delicate subject of food.

Democrats are hoping to use a maneuver called budget reconciliation to pass a big economic plan over Republican objections. Here's what you need to know about the process.

Census experts with the American Statistical Association have been evaluating the state population numbers used to reallocate congressional seats and Electoral College votes for the next decade.