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NPR's Richard Gonzales reports that local governments and public universities are re-examining their minority outreach programs in light of a ruling by the California Supreme Court. The court ruled a San Jose ordinance requiring bids on city projects to include those from firms owned by women and minorities violated state law.

North Country Public Radio's Brian Mann reports on the Environmental Protection Agency's plan to clean toxic sediment from New York's Hudson River. The EPA wants General Electric to pay for the project because the company LEGALLY dumped PCB's into the river for 30 years. GE is waging a public relations campaign against the expensive plan.

NPR's Gerry Hadden reports from Chile on the 1973 Caravan of Death -- a terror campaign that killed 55 supporters of the deposed president and left 'disappeared.' Last week, a Chilean judge indicted the country's former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, for the bloodshed early in his regime, but lawyers are fighting to keep him from ever standing trial.

NPR's Andy Bowers reports on two separate but similar Florida court cases, either of which could decide the Presidential election. Plantiffs from Seminole and Martin Counties allege that Republicans were illegally allowed to alter absentee ballots request forms. Depending on how the two judges rule, thousands of absentee ballots could be thrown out.

NPR's Richard Knox reports on the first human studies of a new class of anti-cancer drugs. The drugs choke off the blood supply to tumors. The results show that the drugs are safe and cause some tumors to stop growing and even shrink. But researchers say the drugs don't work in all cases and should not be considered a cure.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden in Jerusalem reports a leading member of Yasser Arafat's political faction has been assassinated by Israeli forces. The Israeli army has acknowledged that one of its helicopter gunships targeted a vehicle carrying the Fatah official in the West Bank today. Israel says the Palestinian helped organize armed attacks on Israeli positions.

NPR's Don Gonyea reports from Palm Beach County, Florida, where early this morning, officials took the extraordinary step of ordering a hand recount of all the presidential ballots cast in the county. The move could add significant numbers of votes to Vice President Al Gore. The candidate who ultimately wins Florida's electoral votes will win the election.

NPR's David Molpus reports on the latest developments in Florida's vote re-count. Representatives from the Bush campaign asked federal courts to step in and stop any hand-counting of ballots; Gore representatives called on Republicans to withdraw that request. Two counties are currently re-counting some ballots by hand.

NPR's John Nielsen reports a group of humpback whales off the eastern coast of Australia have started singing a different tune. Since meeting up with two stray whales from the Western coast of Australia the pod has changed it's mating call. It seems the call of the new whales is more successful in the world of underwater dating.

New immigrants often find themselves the targets of con artists, posing as lawyers, who agree to get them papers and provide other services at very high prices. New York Senator Charles Schumer is introducing a bill to tighten penalties for those who prey on immigrants. Mary Ann McCune from member station WNYC reports.