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NPR's Jack Speer reports the nation's economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter. The nation's gross domestic product, or GDP, expanded at a 2 percent annual rate, according to the Commerce Department. Most economists expected the economy to grow no faster than 1 percent in the first quarter. Analysts said the economy was helped along by strong consumer spending and a narrower trade gap.

Alan Cheuse reviews a new novel by Sylvia Brownrigg called, Pages for You. (1:30) The book is published by Farrar, Straus, Giroux.

Scott talks with Michael Dombeck, retired Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Mr. Dombeck stepped down at the end of March as the Bush administration reviewed the conservation policies he created under former President Clinton.

Actor GREG KINNEAR. His newest film is Someone Like You. He plays a soap opera star in the film Nurse Betty which is now out on video. Kinnear's other films include As Good As It Gets (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award) and Sabrina. Kinnear got his start as host and executive producer of "Talk Soup" on E! Entertainment. Later he hosted his own late-night talk show, Later with Greg Kinnear.

Commentator Marshall Wittmann, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. says controversy over the Vietnam attack led by former senator Robert Kerrey does not tarnish the heroism that earned him a medal.

NPR's Jon Hamilton reports from Nigeria on an unusual summit of African leaders that concluded today. Presidents from African countries met for the first time to discuss the AIDS crisis, tuberculosis and other diseases ravaging the continent. The meeting also included former President Bill Clinton and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

On the Media reporter Mike Pesca, on ESPN's acquisition of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS). Possibly not the most nefarious example of media energy, but an interesting event when ESPN both covers bass fishing events and owns the world's largest bass fishing organization. Bassmasters magazine has 600,000 subscribers and bass is a $28 million industry -- and visitors to ESPN Sports Zone restaurants will now be able to play a bass fishing video game.

Front-page pictures of a calf that survived the slaughter of cattle on a farm in southern England brought a public outcry and a change in government policy on foot-and-mouth disease. Britain has decided to stop killing healthy animals. NPR's Julie McCarthy in London talks with Linda Wertheimer.

According to new research published today in Science magazine, the amount of ozone pollution produced by a power generating plant depends on where it's located as well as on its emission levels. NPR's John Nielsen has the story.

The population of Paris, Tennessee grows tenfold this time of year, for the annual Fish Fry, a four-day festival of beauty pageants, rodeos, motocross racing and 12,000 pounds of fried catfish. Linda Wertheimer talks with head fish fryer Bob Milam.