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The new financial overhaul bill includes the creation of a new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.  The bureau will write and enforce rules that affect many companies offering financial products. Now the question is: Who will head it? The bureau is largely the brainchild of Harvard law professor Elizabath Warren. But some Republican critics say she may be too partisan.  We speak with Damian Paletta of the Wall Street Journal.

Students wearing the niqab walk with another wearing the "Khemar" in Cairo, Egypt. (AP)

The View From Behind The Niqab

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This month authorities in Syria banned the niqab at public universities.  The minister of higher education said that the face veil, which some Muslim women wear on campus, runs counter to academic values and the traditions of Syrian universities.  This comes as several European countries, including France, debate laws prohibiting Muslim women from wearing the full face covering in public. We take a look at two sides of the debate over Islamic face veils with Hebah Ahmed, a Muslim- American who wears a Niqab and Mona Eltahawy, a Muslim journalist and blogger who writes about Muslim identity and favors a ban.

• Slideshow: What’s the difference between a burqa and a niqab?

Wyoming Puts A Price On Paradise

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The governor of Wyoming is threatening to sell two parcels of state-owned land in Grand Teton National Park to the highest bidder, unless the federal government comes up with a compensation deal that is to the state’s liking. We talk with Cory Hatch, a reporter with the Jackson Hole News and Guide, about this latest federal versus state land management dispute.

Study Shows Computers Lower Grades, But May Boost IQs

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Many groups want to bring a computer to every child in the world, on the assumption that the computer will help the child in school and life. But is that assumption true? A new study of lower income families in Romania shows that the introduction of a computer in the home markedly lowered grades in school, but improved the child’s cognitive skills, like spatial relations . We speak with study co-author Ofer Malamud, assistant professor of public policy at the University of Chicago.

• Read: Working draft of study on computer use and children

Last Rose Farm In New England Re-Opens

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Pinchbeck’s Rose Farm in Guilford, Connecticut closed two years ago, citing foreign competition. Now it’s back in business, because of an unique program supported by autism advocates and the state of Connecticut to train people with autism to work on the farm.

• Slideshow: See photos of the Pinchbeck Rose Farm

Music From The Show

• The Lickets, “Meat City”
• Ahmad Jamal, “Patterns”
• Freddie Hubbard, “Little Sunflower”
• Jerry Douglas, “Rain on Oliviatown”
• Ashley MacIsaac, “Sleepy Maggie”
• Moby, “Inside”
• Tito Puente, “Royal T”

• Pinchbeck farm roses
• Pinchbeck farm employee Matt Radler
• Pinchbeck farm greenhouse
• Pinchbeck farm owner, Tom Pinchbeck
• Pinchbeck farm greenhouse
• Pinchbeck farm employees Cliff Carter and Matt Radler
• Pinchbeck farm roses
• Pinchbeck farm employee Cliff Carter
• Pinchbeck farm employees Cliff Carter and Matt Radler
• Pinchbeck farm rose

Two years ago, the last rose farm in New England closed, citing foreign compettion. Now, Pinchbeck’s Rose Farm in Guilford, Connecticut has re-opened, thanks to a partnership with with autism advocates, in a program called “Roses for Autism.” Some of the employees are autistic and receive state-supported job training.

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We speak with the Nobel prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist about the economy and health care, and why he’s become a strong critic of the Obama Administration.

Controversy Continues Over Lockerbie Release

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A Libyan man reads a newspaper showing photographs of the arrival of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, in a park in Tripoli. (AP)

Adult Autism

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A program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston will focus on adults with autism. MGH received a $29 million gift that will allow it to open the Lurie Family Autism Center. We’ll speak with Dr. Margaret Bauman, associate professor of neurology at Harvard, and director of the “Ladders” program at the hospital.

Athletes and Heat Stroke

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So far this August, at least three football players have died during pre-season practices in the summer heat. And next week, a former high school coach is scheduled to go on trial in connection with the heat-related death of a high school football player in Kentucky in 2008. Doug Tribou of Only a Game has a report on summer football and the risk of heat stroke.

Music from the show

• Calexico, “Mid-Town”
• Euphone, “Fallout”
• California Guitar Trio, “What I am”
• Four Tet, “Unspoken”

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The White House is proposing a broad set of changes to the regulation of financial markets.  One key piece, which some analysts say could lead to the most sweeping reforms since the 1930s, is a new consumer protection agency to regulate everything from mortgages and credit cards to basic bank accounts. We speak with Wall Street Journal reporter Damian Paletta.

Prescription Drug Prices

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How come Americans pay so much for their pills?  We look at how the drug company Pfizer is starting a new program next month to give away some of their most popular drugs to the newly unemployed.  Our guests are Dr. Jorge Puente, regional head of international pharmaceuticals at Pfizer, and Dr. Jerry Avorn,  Harvard Medical School professor and author of “Powerful Medicines: the Benefits, Risks and Costs of Prescription Drugs.”

• Find drug discounts
• Read more about generic drugs
• Consumer Reports’ drug site

Magnets on the Brain

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Researchers are starting to use something called transcranial magnetic stimulation to try and understand the causes of autism.  By using a magnetic device to stimulate different parts of the brain into action, researchers hope they will find the parts of the autistic brain that aren’t working properly, and eventually devise a cure.  We speak to Boston Globe reporter Carolyn Johnson.

California Budget Woes

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With a $24 billion budget shortfall, California Governor Schwarzenegger has called for drastic cuts to social programs. But Democrats are countering with a plan to hike taxes on cigarettes and oil companies.  Dan Weintraub, columnist for the Sacramento Bee, brings us the latest.

Ornette Coleman (AP)

Country Music TV Awards & ‘The Shape of Jazz to Come’

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Taylor Swift and Brad Paisley were the big winners in last night’s Country Music Television Awards.  Their videos dominated the competition.  Also, this year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the landmark albums in the history of jazz.  Ornette Coleman’s “The Shape Of Jazz To Come” was revered and reviled by jazz fans because it took the genre in a new direction.  In this piece from the BBC, music critic Kevin Le Gendre explores why the record was so important.

Music from the show

• Kar Kar Madison, “Boubacar Traore”
• Ahmad Jamal, “Patterns”
• Radiohead, “Myxamatosis”
• Massive Attack, “Future Proof”
• Thelonius Monk, “Caravan”
• Steve Earle, “America v6.0″
• Ashley MacIsaac, “Sleepy Maggie”
• Taylor Swift, “Love Story”
• Brad Paisley, “Start a Band”
• Ornette Coleman, “Enfant”
• Ornette Coleman, “Eventually”
• Ornette Coleman, “Lonely Woman”
• Ornette Coleman, “Chronology”

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GM’s new CEO Fritz Henderson announces a payment protection program that is similar to Ford’s. But what else will GM need to do to stay afloat and become competitive again?

Green Monster?

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Could genetically modified foods actually be good for the environment? Some organic and sustainable food lovers are coming around to this idea, including our guest, James E. McWilliams, who took up the argument in a recent essay on Slate.com. McWilliams is associate professor of history at Texas State University. He writes widely on the history and ethics of food, and his upcoming book is titled “Just Food.”

April Fools’ Computer Worm

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Computer specialists around the world are crossing their fingers that a malicious computer worm that has been quietly infecting millions of computers will not disrupt the Internet on April 1st. Jose Nazario, Manager of Security Research at Arbor Networks, is our guest.

• See whether your computer is infected by the Conficker worm

Can Robots Help Autistic Children?

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Professor Nilanjan Sarkar of Vanderbilt University thinks emotion-sensing robots can help autistic children with their social skills. We also speak to Tonya Mirtes — her 16 year-old son, Daniel, took part in Prof. Sarkar’s research. Mirtes is also a representative at the Autism Society of Middle Tenessee in Nashville.

• See photos of one of Dr. Sarkar’s robots

Balkan Rocker and Remembering Maurice Jarre

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Goran Bregovic performs with his Wedding and Funeral Band in Zurich, Switzerland in 2006. (AP)

Goran Bregovic is one of the biggest names in Balkan music, but his appeal stretches well beyond the region. His everything-but-the-kitchen-sink style is perhaps best represented when he leads his 40 strong ensemble known as the “Wedding and Funeral Band.” In this BBC segment, he talks about his family’s influence on the music on his new CD, “Alkohol.” We also take a moment to remember Oscar-winning composer Maurice Jarre.

Music from the show

• Ashley MacIssac, “Sleepy Maggie
• Calexico, “Crumble”
• Charles Mingus, “Pedal Point Blues”
• The Wee Trio, “Flint
• Ken Vandermark, “Knock Yourself Out”
• Tito Puente, “Royal T”
• Wedding and Funeral Band, “Tango”
• Wedding and Funeral Band, “Ederledzei”
• Wedding and Funeral Band, “Yeremia”
• Wedding and Funeral Band, “Stop”
• Wedding and Funeral Band, “Kalasnjikov”
• Maurice Jarre, “Lara’s Theme from Dr. Zhivago”
• Maurice Jarre, the music from Lawrence of Arabia

Dr. Sarkar’s explanation for how the robot works:

A child with autism is asked to shoot nerf balls through the hoop that is connected to the robot. He/she is instructed to successfully shoot a certain number of hoops in a given time (e.g., 20 hoops in 90 seconds). The child wears several physiological sensors to measure his/her heart rate, skin sweating, and muscle twitching. The robot is capable of creating different game playing experience by moving the hoop at different speeds in different directions. For example, the robot can make the game difficult and frustrating by moving the hoop fast with an up-down motion. It can also make it easy for the child by slowing down the movement with a left-right motion.

Additionally, the robot plays different types of music when it moves the hoop. For example, it can play a soothing music to create a calming environment or it can play a rock music to create an upbeat environment. The idea here is to present different gaming experience for different children. The goal for the robot is to infer automatically which gaming experience a particular child likes most and present that experience to him so that he/she enjoys the game and stays engaged. The robot infers this information based on the physiological response of the children in real-time. The robot also gives vocal feedback to the children (e.g., you are doing great!).

This prototype experiment demonstrates the fact that it is possible to automatically infer the underlying feeling of children with autism given a particular activity and then modify the activity to make it enjoyable to the children. If only they are interested in an activity one can teach them some skills. Thus we anticipate that a robot can play an important role in teaching skills to these children by presenting tasks to them that they enjoy and then incrementally introduce new elements to the task to scaffold their skills.