Search results for

Karen Schaefer from member station WCPN takes us to the origin of most of the nation's rock salt -- deep under Lake Erie.

President Bush has adopted a harder line toward North Korea than his predecessor did. At the White House today Mr. Bush raised doubts as to whether the communist North is keeping agreements it made with former President Clinton. Also at the White House, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States will not immediately resume the negotiations that the Clinton administration began with Pyongyang. The remarks came as Mr. Bush met with South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who is seeking reconciliation with the North. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

Robert Siegel talks with Ian F. Hanley Lopez, professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley, about changing definitions in the United States of who is white. Lopez is the author of White by Law: The Legal Construction of Race.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports from Jerusalem on the installation of Israel's new government, led by right wing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The government includes moderate leftists and right wing extremists and it will command a decisive majority in Israel's parliament.

NPR's Jack Speer reports that many businessess are eagerly anticipating the release of U.S. census numbers. Companies use the information to track demographics, helping them to plan where to open branches and to what group of people they'll market their products. The Census Bureau say no one should be worried about privacy, since an individual's information cannot be tracked.

NPR's Pam Fessler reports on the findings of the 2000 census that the Hispanic population of the U.S. is growing faster than had been thought, and is roughly even with the black population. The official report on Hispanic population growth has not been released yet, but the increase was indicated in a chart released with another census report last week.

Linda Wertheimer talks with Dennis Lehane about his latest book, called Mystic River, which follows three friends as youngsters and adults and the dark events in their lives.

Alan Cheuse reviews a book of short stories called Island, by Alistair MacLeod that take place in his homeland of Nova Scotia.

Robert Siegel talks with Andy Bowers from Pearl Harbor about the Navy inquiry into the collision between a U.S. submarine and a Japanese fishing boat. Today is the third day of hearings into the Feb. 9 accident that killed nine Japanese men and boys.

If all goes according to plan, the space shuttle Discovery will take off early tomorrow morning. It's carrying hardware and a replacement crew for the international space station. NPR's Chris Joyce reports.