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Host Steve Inskeep talks with author Adam Cohen about his book, American Pharaoh, a biography of former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley.

Host Steve Inskeep talks to columnist Doug Grow of the Minneapolis Star Tribune about a dispute over kosher dill pickles at the Minnesota State Fair.

Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome that the Vatican's watchdog agency, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, released a document today asserting the primacy of Roman Catholicism over all other world religions. The document's release follows just two days after the controversial beatification of Pius the Ninth, the pope who established the dogma of papal infallibility. The document released today asserts that non-Christians are "in a gravely deficient situation" with regard to salvation. Other Christian churches, it states, have defects, in part because they do not recognize papal authority.

Linda reports on one of the big publishing events of the fall: the release of The Mark - the eighth novel in the Left Behind series, published by Tyndale press. It's a huge crossover success which began selling in Christian bookstores but can be found in airport bookstores and on the New York Times bestseller list. The story is the Biblical prophecy of the End Times, set in the near future.

Linda speaks with Larry Lozier, the owner of the Hyde Park, NY house, who found Mastodon bones in his back yard. The bones were discovered after he decided to dredge and deepened the pond in his yard. What appeared to be a log turned out to be a big bone. He called local colleges, but no one believed him, until he called Dr. Christopher Lindner at Bard College. Now he has a team of scientists excavating his pond.

NPR's Pam Fessler reports on the Democrats' push to get their agenda acted on during these final weeks of the 106th Congress. Led by President Clinton, Senate Leader Tom Daschle and House Leader Richard Gephardt, the Democrats once again urged passage of an increase in the minimum wage and a patients' bill of rights. But both parties know that much of what is going on maybe less about legislation and more about gaining the electoral advantage as November 7 approaches.

As many as 25,000 people from around the world have joined in the fight to put out the wildfires in the western United States. Even with the abundance of manpower, the problem remains — there is a lack of skilled workers on the front line. Kathy Witkowsky reports from Montana's Bitteroot Valley on the what kind of skill and training are needed to fight the fires raging in the West.

There were violent scenes in the South African town of Sasolburg today, when a white businessman was arraigned in court on murder charges. He is accused of dragging one of his black employees to death behind a pickup truck. The incident has caused outrage among South Africans, and led to accusations that not enough is being done to halt racist violence, six years after the end of apartheid. Jim Fish of the BBC has a report.

NPR's Don Gonyea reports on the marathon Gore/Lieberman campaign swing through several key states yesterday. The tour began Sunday with a meeting with construction workers in Philadelphia, continuing to Flint, Michigan and Tampa Florida. The circuit ended in Louisville at a dinner sponsored by the AFL-CIO. Along the way, Al Gore spoke about issues he thinks will appeal to working families: tax breaks for the middle class, better wages, and lower prescription drug costs.

Impressions of Peru by 9-year-old (in October) Miriam Newman-Marshall. She was born in Callao, Peru, but adopted and arrived to the United States when she was just four months old. Miriam went back to Peru recently and sent us an audio report on how she spent her summer vacation.

School began in most districts across the country today. Many high schools start at 7:30 AM....but in Minneapolis, high schools have, for the fourth year, begun their day later...at 8:40AM. The dramatic change is the result of years of sleep research on adolescents...which finds they naturally fall asleep later, around 11:30PM. And what's more...they need about nine and a half hours of sleep each night. So without the later start times..teens are perpetually in what researchers call "sleep debt." NPR's Michelle Trudeau reports.

Noah speaks with Craig Dremann, co-owner of the Redwood City Seed Company, about the Indian Military's claim that the world's hottest chili pepper is grown in Assam. He says it's the hottest domesticated pepper, but the hottest is a wild pepper called the Pepper Tepin, which grows in the dry desert mountains of Northern Mexico. His company sells old fashioned vegetable and herb seeds from all over the world, including Assam. For the chili seeds, he's had to developed his own testing system, which is similar to the scoville scale at the turn of the century.

NPR's Richard Gonzales reports on the affirmative action case that the California Supreme Court hears today, testing whether Proposition 209 allows cities and counties to keep minority outreach hiring programs. Even though Prop 209 bans affirmative action programs, many California municipalities have refused to change their minority hiring and contracting practices, unless the courts force them to do so. This case will determine whether they're complying with Prop 209.

Supreme Court nominations are rarely debated as part of a presidential campaign. But the next president may fill several vacancies on the nine-member high court in his first term, changing the makeup of the court for a generation. That may indeed prove to be the next president's most lasting legacy, yet the candidates are less than eager to talk about whom they might choose. Nina Totenberg filed this report for NPR News.

Banning Eyre reviews the CD Bambay Gueej by Chiekh Lo. Lo is from Senegal, and marries the West African traditional music with Cuban and other Latin sounds. He is just beginning to reach an international audience, with this, his 2nd international release. The CD is Bambay Gueej by Chiekh Lo. It's on Nonesuch Records, catalog number PRCD 300008.

Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush proposed today that low-income seniors receive prescription drugs for free. Bush also said that all seniors ought to have a choice of plans that would pay up at one fourth of their drug costs, either by government program or through private insurance. Steve Inskeep, traveling with the Bush campaign, filed this report for NPR News.

President Clinton is among 150 heads of state gathered in New York City for the UN Millennium Summit. It's the largest gathering of world leaders in history. NPR's Ann Garrels reports.

NPR's Margo Adler reports concerns about traffic and security are tremendous, as the UN Millennium Summit gets under way in New York City.

Host Bob Edwards talks with Wendy Hamilton of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The group was founded twenty years ago.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that the increasing popularity of olive oil in Israeli cooking is creating a thriving olive oil industry. More Israelis are switching from soybean oil, as they acquire a taste for olive oil.

Commentator Amy Dickinson tries to find out the recipe for the "secret" sauce that's powered the Methodist barbecue that's been held every summer weekend since 1949 in her hometown in upstate New York. The secret is: there is no secret after all. It's a myth.

Congressional lawmakers return to Capitol Hill faced with a long list of issues as Election Day draws near. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

Commentator T.R. Reid, tells host Bob Edwards about his latest outdoor excursion- climbing Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Britain. At just over 4,400 feet, "The Ben" is a far cry from the 14 26,000 foot plus peaks mountaineers usually brag about, but Reid says the day long climb is well worth the effort.

Renee Montagne talks with the pronunciation editor for American Heritage dictionary about the different ways people are pronouncing words these days.

Host Bob Edwards talks with NPR's Julie Rovner, about the various health care bills that Congress is expected to consider, when members return this week from the Labor Day holiday.