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Jon Miller reports from Lima that Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori today indicated that he will not resort to force to end the hostage crisis at the Japanese ambassador's residence. Speaking in public for just the third time since the standoff began, Fujimori said he remains steadfast in his refusal to release jailed leftist rebels, the main demand of the guerrillas who took over the compound. But the Peruvian leader also said his position is a mixture of "firmness" and "prudence," and that he is looking for a way out of the crisis. It was three weeks ago today that rebels of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement seized the compound during a party; several hundred hostages have been released, but 74 remain, including senior Peruvian officials and Japanese businessmen.

NPR's Ann Cooper reports on the work of South Africa's Truth Commission, which is trying to discover who was responsible for human rights abuses committed during apartheid. The commission has the power to grant amnesty to those who fully admit their crimes; the former white minority government insisted on this process as part of the price of a peaceful transition to democracy. While the Truth Commission's work is supposed to help heal the nation's wounds, testimony about gruesome acts of torture and murder is making it hard for many to forgive.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that voters may be concerned about the health of the economy, but it's not clear they are going to take those concerns out on incumbents. Weak job growth and a struggling stock market have combined to push consumer confidence levels to a nine-year low. The Democratic Party is clearly hoping that voter anxiety about the economy will give their candidates an edge in tomorrow's election. To see how economic concerns are playing out, Zarroli visits a new congressional district in suburban Philadelphia. (5:15)

In January 1940, Irving Berlin, the most popular songwriter in America, raced into his office and asked his musical secretary to take down a new song. NPR's Susan Stamberg reports on the history of "White Christmas," a song Berlin said was the best he — or anyone — ever wrote.

U.N. weapons inspectors wrap up their first field mission in Iraq after a four-year hiatus. The inspectors examined two sites near Baghdad, looking for evidence of banned weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. has warned Iraq's Saddam Hussein it will disarm Iraq by force if the inspections fail. NPR's Bob Edwards speaks with Washington Post reporter Chandrasekaran in Baghdad about the first day of U.N. weapons inspections.

NPR's David Welna reports on the latest developments about Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott. Today, President Bush weighed in on the matter for the first time, saying that Lott's comments -- which seemingly endorsed the views held by Strom Thurmond when Thurmond ran for president on a segregationist platform in 1948 -- were "offensive" and "wrong." Mr. Bush made his comments before an enthusiastic Philadelphia audience made up of many minorities. But the President refused to ask for Lott's resignation as leader.

A juvenile court judge in Fairfax County, Va., rules that Washington, D.C.-area sniper suspect Lee Malvo, 17, can be tried as an adult for the murder of an FBI analyst. He and another suspect are implicated in 12 other fatal shootings. The ruling makes Malvo eligible for the death penalty. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

NPR's Don Gonyea reports the Bush administration is going to court in support of three white university students who say their school uses racial quotas. The White House is accusing the University of Michigan of using quotas in deciding who is admitted. The university says its policy is constitutional, and that race is one of many factors it considers in its selection process. Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress say after the racial remarks made by Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), now is not the time for the administration to challenge the factor of race in admissions.

NPR's David Molpus reports on the job of figuring the financial cost of a U.S. strike on Iraq. Estimates run from a billion a week -- even without any fighting -- to $25 billion a year for a post-war occupation of Iraq. The Congressional Budget Office's estimate ranges from $40 billion to $200 billion. Some say the U.S. needs the war to lower oil prices and revive the stock market. Others say the consideration should be how effective a strike would be on the war on terrorism.

The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld a 1998 law that extends copyright for 20 years. Internet publisher Eric Eldred maintains a website where he posts out-of-print literature that's in the public domain for free. He and his lawyers had argued that the founding fathers intended creative works to eventually revert to the public domain for the benefit of all. The Supreme Court ruled that Congress was within its Constitutional powers to extend the length of copyright. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.