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A major environmental lobbying group has broken ranks, issuing a report that calls the Endangered Species Act a failure. The Environmental Defense Fund says the law hasn't protected species on private land and that the law needs to be overhauled to extend its reach to these areas. But other groups don't want Congress to tinker with one of environmentalism's monumental achievements. And as NPR's John Nielsen reports, ranchers and farmers are also opposed to any changes.

State officials across the country heard talk of welfare reform two years ago, and realized how poorly equipped their states were to accept new welfare responsibilities. NPR's John Nielsen reports that governors and legislators instituted new programs to trim costs and now say they are ready to handle the burdens of reform. But some analysts warn that because a strong national economy is fueling much of the improvement, a recession could ruin the states' progress.

A special commission set up by Congress to study the accuracy of the consumer price index has concluded the C.P.I. overstates inflation by approximately 1.1%. The commission, headed up by former Bush Administration economic advisor, Michael Boskin, made several recommendations for correcting the upward bias...which costs the federal government billions of dollars every year because the C.P.I. is used to adjust benefit payments to millions of American retirees and veterans. NPR's John Ydstie reports.

Voters across the country elect a new Congress. All 435 House seats and 34 Senate posts are in play, as well as 36 state governors' races. Florida's much-maligned voting procedure is on display. Hear NPR's John Ydstie and Pam Fessler.

From a train station in Cincinnati, Ohio, President Bush addresses the nation, laying out his case against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and why he feels Iraq constitutes a unique threat to U.S. interests. Congress is expected to vote soon on a resolution authorizing force against Iraq. NPR's John Ydstie and Don Gonyea have a live report.

In South Dakota, Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson claims victory with just 500 votes more than his Republican challenger, Rep. John Thune. In Minnesota, former Vice President Walter Mondale concedes to Republican Norm Coleman. Hear NPR's David Welna.

In 1937, Bradford Washburn and partner Robert Bates climbed Mt. Lucania, a 17,000-foot peak in the Yukon Territory. They very nearly failed to return. The book Escape from Lucania chronicles the expedition. NPR's John Ydstie speaks with Washburn, 92, and author David Roberts.

President Bush confirms he will nominate John W. Snow, chairman of the transportation firm CSX Corp., to be the next Treasury secretary. Snow would replace Paul O'Neill, who announced his resignation Friday. NPR News reports.

CSX Chairman John Snow is reportedly President Bush's choice to replace Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. Bush also reportedly will name former Goldman Sachs co-chairman Stephen Friedman to be the new White House economic adviser. Hear more from NPR's Bob Edwards and Cokie Roberts.

Cardinal Law resigns as Archbishop of Boston as controversy persists over his handling of sex-abuse allegations against the Roman Catholic clergy. The move comes after 58 priests called for Law to step down. The Archdiocese's financial problems remain. Hear from NPR's Bob Edwards, John Allen of The National Catholic Reporter and NPR's Duncan Moon.

U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton arrives in South Korea for talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Bolton says the United States will aim to get the United Nations involved in the issue. NPR's Eric Weiner reports.

In Seoul, U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton says he expects the U.N. Security Council to begin discussions on North Korea's nuclear weapons program by the end of the week. NPR's Eric Weiner reports.

Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) announces his bid for the Democratic nomination for president in 2004. Some ask whether he has the gravitas for the job. He's a self-made millionaire, a criminal defense lawyer and the first southerner to enter the race on the Democrats' side. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports.

North and South Korean officials meet in Seoul for talks on economic cooperation, but discussions are overshadowed by concerns about North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Meanwhile, U.S. envoy John Bolton says he expects the U.N. to begin discussions on the standoff by week's end. NPR's Eric Weiner reports.

New census figures show the number of Hispanics as very close to the number of blacks in the United States. Depending on how the figures are tallied, the number of Hispanics may be seen as having surpassed the number of blacks. Host Robert Siegel talks with John R. Logan about the numbers and the implications of the changing proportion of minority groups in America. Logan is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Director of the Mumford Center, State University of New York, Albany.

John Burns, Middle East Correspondent for the New York Times, is in Aden, Yemen, covering the investigation into the explosion that killed seventeen sailors abroad the U.S.S. Cole last week. He tells Noah Adams about investigators' discovery of bomb making materials in a house near the port where the U.S.S. Cole was moored. Burns also talks about the effort to retrieve bodies and wreckage from the Navy destroyer.

Robert talks with Donald Oberdorfer, a Professor at Johns Hopkins Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and author of Two Koreas: A Contemporary History, about the Nobel Peace Prize awarded this year to the President of South Korea, Kim Dae-Jung. They discusses what the Nobel will mean for the continued talks between North and South Korea, as well as Secretary of State Madeline Albright's visit to North Korea. (4:00) Two Koreas: A Contemporary History is published by Basic Books, 1999.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan said today that surging oil prices bear close attention because they have the potential to disrupt the nation's longest ever economic expansion. As NPR's John Ydstie reports, Greenspan said higher oil prices have not sparked a new round of inflation, but that possibility still exists, especially given low inventories and tensions in the Middle East. He noted that federal budget surpluses have aided the expansion, but added that government's propensity to spend may mean smaller surpluses in years to come.

NPR's Pam Fessler reports on President-elect Bush's selection of a new Labor Secretary-designate and a US Trade Representative-designate. Elaine Chao is being tapped to follow Linda Chavez, who withdrew her name for the Labor Department. Robert Zoellick is in line for U.S. Trade Representative. At a news conference today, Bush also defended two other nominees, saying he will stand by John Ashcroft for Attorney General and Gayle Norton for Interior Secretary.

For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has taken blood samples from a cross-section of Americans to look for a number of toxic substances. These substances show up in pollutants from industry and in products like cigarettes. NPR's John Nielsen reports some good news; chemicals from second-hand smoke seems to be appearing in blood less frequently. There's worrisome news too; there are lots of other chemicals in our blood about which we know very little.