Terry Gross

Dr. Mark Chassin ("cha" as In "CHAT"-sin) Is the co-author of a report on medical mistakes In our nation's hospitals. This week In response to that report, President Clinton ordered that all U.S. hospitals take measures to reduce their errors. The report, Issued by the Institute of Medicine late last year, shook up patients and practitioners alike. It estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die each year as a result of medical errors. The study was based on two studies In three states: New York, Utah, and Colorado.

Attorneys Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld. They co-founded the Innocence Project, dedicated to freeing innocent people from jail using DNA tests to do so. Barry Scheck is best known for his DNA analysis on the OJ Simpson defense team. They've collaborated on a new book (along with columnist Jim Dwyer) about their efforts, "Actual Innocence: Five Days to Execution, and Other Dispatches From the Wrongly Convicted." (Doubleday).

Law Professor Alfred Brophy. In 1921, what many call the bloodiest race riot in US history took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Now 80 years later, a state commission has recommended reparations be made to the aged black survivors of the riots. Brophy, a professor at the Oklahoma City University Law School, researched the issue of reparations and the riot for the state commission.

Kinney Booker. He is one of the survivors of the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. He provides a first person account of the riot.

Law Professor Alfred Brophy. In 1921, what many call the bloodiest race riot in US history took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Now 80 years later, a state commission has recommended reparations be made to the aged black survivors of the riots. Brophy, a professor at the Oklahoma City University Law School, researched the issue of reparations and the riot for the state commission.

Retired U.S. Navy flight surgeon and NASA astronaut Capt. Jerry Linenger ("Linn-en-jer") In his new book, Off the Planet: Surviving Five Perilous Months Aboard the Space Station Mir" (McGraw-Hill) he chronicles his five months on board the Russian Space station "Mir" a ramshackle place he described as "six school buses all hooked together." During his five months there, they had numerous brushes with death, lacking adequate supplies, and battling constant system failures.

Writer and director M. Night Shyamalan ("SHA mah lahn"). His film “The Sixth Sense” has been nominated for six Academy Awards: Best Picture, Directing, Performance by an a supporting actor (Haley Joel Osment) and actress (Toni Collette), film editing, and screenplay. The film is about a boy who sees the dead. It stars Bruce Willis. Shyamalan made his film debut with "Praying with Anger" which was named Debut of the Year by the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. (REBROADCAST from 8/25/99)

Writer Alan Ball. His first feature film screenplay was for last year's critically acclaimed, "American Beauty." The film has been nominated for eight Academy Awards: Best picture, Directing, Performance by an actor (Kevin Spacey) and actress(Annette Bening) in a leading role, original score, editing, and screenplay. BALL’s also creator, head writer, and executive producer of the TV comedy "Oh Grow Up." Previously, BALL wrote for the TV shows "Grace Under Fire," and "Cybill.” (REBROADCAST from 12/14/99)

Karl Evanzz is an on-line editor at the Washington Post, and author of "The Messenger: The Rise and Fall of Elijah Muhammad" (Pantheon Books) the founder and "Prophet" of the Nation of Islam. Evanzz talked to Muhammad's children, his apostles, and had access to previously unreleased FBI files about him.