Search results for

California voters approved an end to state-sponsored racial preferences this month. NPR's Richard Gonzales reports that supporters of affirmative action have now sued to overturn what's known as Proposition 209. In the meantime, three California cities are devising ways to keep affirmative action alive within the strictures of the new law.

Veta Christy reports on a decision by the Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power plant to close permanently. The nation's second oldest reactor was shut down in July due to safety concerns, but was scheduled to run for another 10 years. Analysts say the shutdown could signal big changes for the nation's utilities.

NPR'S Mary Kay Magistad (MAGG-stad) reports that the Cambodian government says it has sent troops to help the Khmer Rouge breakaway faction retake a village it lost yesterday to hardline members of the group. This caused hundreds of Khmer Rouge soldiers and civilians to flee into Thailand.

A national alliance of church organizations is redefining what compassion means in terms of its service to communities. Julia McEvoy reports that one church in suburban Chicago has decided that being a good Christian means tackling community issues that have been damaging the local economy.

Linda talks with Michael Isikoff, a Washington correspondent for Newsweek Magazine. They discuss the FDIC report about a real estate document drafted by Hillary Rodham Clinton which hid commissions paid by the Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan to a prominent businessman, and what this news means for the continuing Whitewater investigation.

At a campaign rally outside Pittsburgh today, President Clinton backed two proposals designed to appeal to middle class voters. One encourages long term savings with inflation-indexed securities; the other allows for tax-deductible interest on certain education savings bonds. NPR's Mara Liasson reports.

NPR's Martha RAddatz reports that the Pentagon has had to deal with delays in its attempts to identify the number of US soldiers that may have been exposed to chemical weapons during the Persian Gulf War. It seems that the computer model the government is using may need more work.

This week, Chicago's O'Hare airport joins New York's LaGuardia airport in a test of a new weather prediction system that's designed to keep ice off planes in the air and on the ground. Aviation experts say it will keep planes flying on time and improve safety too. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports.

Steve Young of Vermont Public Radio reports on a lawsuit filed on behalf of a young Vermont student from a relatively poor school district. The suit, like others in other states, challenges the way Vermont distributes tax funds for schools and argues that it creates huge disparities in education state-wide.

NPR's John Ydstie reports that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan encouraged the Congress to move forward on efforts to revise the nation's main inflation guage, the consumer price index. Greenspan reiterated his view that the CPI overstates inflation and forces the government to overcompensate retirees and others for the effect of inflation.