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NPR's Don Gonyea reports that Ford Motor Company has been forced to close three assembly plants, idling some 6,800 workers. The plant closings were made necessary because of a UAW strike at a key parts-manufacturer, Johnson Controls, Inc. The company makes seats for Ford's popular Expedition model. The UAW and Johnson Control are still negotiating, but there were no reports of progress.

Scott talks to David George Gordon about his book "The Compleat Cockroach." Mr. Gordon is a big fan of the speedy insect.

Storyteller Jay O'Callahan tells a tale about love, dancing and miracles. At a young age, Max was told he would never dance again--and he got braces on his legs. His grandmother wasn't willing to accept this and pushed Max to strengthen his legs and mind--she said if you are in love and have a song you can do anything. As a teenager he learned that both these things were true.

We hear an excerpt from Madeleine Albright's comments before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today, where she is in the first stages of the confirmation process for the office of Secretary of State. She talked about why foreign policy matters to all Americans.

South Korea's largest labor union has called for a two-day strike to try to force thr government to reject a new law that would allow companies to lay off workers. Thousands of riot police and strikers clogged downtown Seoul today, but negotiations seem to be underway. Robert speaks with the BBC's Charles Scanlon in Seoul, who is observing the situation.

Commentator Lenore Skenazy is outraged by Mattel's voluntary decision to stop making and selling the Cabbage Patch doll that has been eating kids' hair and fingers. Tongue-in-cheek, she wonders if this will lead to the banning of all flesh-eating toys ... some of which she extracts from her imagination.

Scott and Weekend Edition's sports commentator Ron Rapoport discuss the surprising success of the National Football League's two expansion teams — the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars — who will be playing in tomorrow's NFL championship games.

The Republicans may be faced with the ethical violations of Speaker Newt Gingrich, but soon the Democrats must answer charges of fundraising improprieties of their Democratic National Committee. NPR's Peter Overby reports on how the Democrats are preparing for this upcoming political assault.

between G.M. and Volkswagon that ended litigation over charges of industrial espionage by a former design chief of G.M.'s European subsidiary. V.W. will pay G.M. 100-million dollars in damages and agreed to buy 1-billion worth of parts over the next seven years.

Fallout continues from the indefinite postponement of a hearing on House Speaker Newt Gingrich's violations of ethics standards. A Democratic member of the ethics panel has called the announcement a "Thursday Night Massacre," and the casualties are bipartisan consensus and ethics process. Meanwhile, Republicans are calling for a criminal investigation into tape recordings of a cellular phone conversation in which Gingrich is heard discussing plans to manage the public disclosure of the charges against him, an apparent violation of a promise to the committee. NPR's Brian Naylor has a report.