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China is in the final stage of wrapping up its 14-year bid to join the World Trade Organization. In his annual news conference at the National People's Congress, China's Trade Minister Shi Guangsheng told reporters today that the outcome of final negotiations was a foregone conclusion, but he shied away from setting a specific date for Beijing joining the world body. NPR's Rob Gifford reports from Beijing.

Noah Adams talks to Michael Kirst, a professor of education at Stanford University. He was co-chair of the technical committee that selected questions for the new California state high school exit test. He says that the test measures the minimum proficiency a student must demonstrate in English and math in order to graduate. Other states require a test for high school graduation. The tests in Virginia and Massachusetts, for example, are much harder than the California test.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden in Jerusalem reports on two members of the new Israeli government who are known for their hard-line views. One has advocated expelling Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza while the other has suggested Israel could attack Tehran or the Aswan High Dam in Egypt.

NPR's Steve Inskeep reports that a bankruptcy bill before Congress would make it harder to hide from creditors. Some lawmakers argue the law would be for the moral good of debtors, and business lobbyists of all stripes are pushing to shape the bill in their favor.

Ever wonder why we call a prolonged downturn in the market a "Bear Market" and an extended rise a "Bull Market?" Virginia Morris, co-author of the Wall Street Journal Guide to Money and Investing, explains where these terms come from.

In the first of a two-part series, NPR's Peter Overby reports on the relationship between the oil industry and federal government. The two have a history that stretches back to the early 1900's. Tomorrow, Overby explores what the industry hopes to gain from a new president who got his start drilling oil in Texas.

NPR's Renee Montagne talks with Richard Curtis of the charity group Comic Relief. He convinced Harry Potter author JK Rowling to write two Hogwarts textbooks for donation to the organization.

Student Christina Appleberry argues that standardized tests are good for her. She doesn't get very good grades because she doesn't do her homework, but she is smart and always does well on tests.

NPR's Phillip Martin reports on that the 2000 census results reflect a change in America's perception of race. This was the first census that allowed people to check more than one category of race and ethnicity.

Noah Adams talks with reporter Tom Gibb about a massive fire which has crippled an enormous 40-story offshore oil rig located 75-miles off Brazil's Atlantic coast. Officials are trying to prevent a spill of the 400,000 gallons of oil on board. The rig may sink within 48 hours. Three explosions on Thursday damaged a pillar supporting the rig; the explosions killed one worker and left nine others missing and presumed dead. The offshore rig was Brazil's top oil producer in the rich Campos Basin.

The Senate next week will begin a historic 10 days of debate on limiting the sources of cash in political campaigns. Senate Republican leaders have been looking for a compromise bill with the help of President Bush, who wants to restrict money from unions and corporations but allow more leeway for individual contributors. Senate Democrats generally oppose that distinction, and their leader, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, has called the president's approach an attempt to destroy campaign finance reform. NPR's David Welna reports on the pre-debate positioning of the parties.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden in Jerusalem reports that after nearly six months of violence, some Palestinians are beginning to question the aim and the tactics of the uprising in the West Bank and Gaza.

Donovan Reynolds of Michigan Radio looks at the career of actor David Oyelowo. He's been called "The Black Olivier," and is currently performing the lead in Shakespeare's Henry the Sixth for a touring production by The Royal Shakespeare Company. His casting caused quite a stir in England, where some say only whites should play Shakespeare's kings. Oyelowo sees the role as a way to break one of the last racial barriers in acting.

NPR's Guy Raz reports from the Macedonian city of Tetovo that fighting escalated today between ethnic Albanian rebels and Macedonian security forces. The two sides exchanged fierce gunfire just outside the city -- Macedonia's second largest. Occasional shells and bullets landed in the central square. Most activity has come to a halt. The government says it's preparing for all-out war. Although Macedonia was the one republic to secede from Yugoslavia without bloodshed and an ethnic Albanian party is included in the ruling coalition, the rebels say they're fighting for greater rights for the Albanian community.

Linda Wertheimer traveled to New York City to look into the viability of Web sites run by three news organizations; ABC News, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. All three sites have not reached profitability but all of them have made a firm commitment to remain online. The Wall Street Journal site is the only one that requires subscribers to pay. Recently, advertising revenue has diminished which is making it even harder for these sites to make a profit. ABC News and the New York Times have recently had significant layoffs in their digital divisions.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that Wall Street staggered through another down day, capping a ghastly week for investors. The gloom has spread from tech stocks to even the most stolid blue chip companies. And many small investors are dismayed by portfolios that are worth a lot less than they were a year ago.

Host Melissa Block visits the staff of The Onion -- the news-satire tabloid self-identified as 'America's Finest News Source.' The Onion recently moved its editorial offices to New York City, and Melissa caught up with them during one of their planning meetings.

Europe's concerns about foot-and-mouth disease, like its concerns about mad cow disease, are not shared in South America, which has some of the largest cattle herds in the world. The free-range herds do not eat imported animal products. So they are not likely to catch mad cow disease. Foot-and-mouth disease is prevalent in parts of South America but it is controlled by vaccination programs. Brazil cannot export its beef to regions free of foot-and-mouth, but people in Brazil enjoy their steak dinners more than ever.

Makers of several recent movies have experimented with the structure of story telling, finding new ways to develop plot lines. Film Critic Bob Mondello says the new film Memento is a perfect example.

Belle Waring wonders why kissing portrayed on television is so savage. She longs for more restrained passion. Waring is a registered nurse and a writer who lives in Washington, D.C.

Commentator Donald McCaig talks about the everyday proximity of life and death on his sheep farm.

Linda Wertheimer talks with sports commentator Stefan Fatsis about March madness and the NCAA men's basketball tournament that is underway. TV viewership over the past four years has declined, and yet CBS is paying $250 million to broadcast this year's tournament. While not a bad deal, Stefan says one of the reasons for the declining ratings is the lack of big name familiar players on the teams. And that is connected to the increasing number of student athletes who leave for professional careers before their senior year. Stefan Fatsis writes about sports and the business of sports for the Wall Street Journal; he joins All Things Considered on Fridays.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports from Cornwall, England, where the curtain goes up tomorrow on the world's largest greenhouse. The "Eden Project" -- with its tropical rain forest under a giant geodesic dome -- is a huge conservation project for endangered plant species.

Lynn Neary reports on today's speech by John DiIulio, the head of the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives. DiIulio continues to promote the Bush administrations plans for involving faith based organizations in public social service despite growing questions and criticism.

NPR's John Nielsen reports that when elephants stamp their feet they are actually talking, or at least sending seismic messages to other elephants. These signals actually are important to a herd, and human activities that interrupt transmission of signals through the ground could disrupt elephant behavior, migration and the like.