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Robert talks with artist Guillermo Gomez-Pena about the artistic installation, "Temple of the Confessions," now in place at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The piece calls for members of the public to talk about Mexican immigrants. Their words are recorded and then played back in performance of the piece.

Commentator David Crystal offers examples of three to four-year-olds' clever interpretations of language. One child, fed up with being in the outskirts, asked a parent "When will we get to the 'inskirts?'"

China has passed a new law making aging parents the responsibility of their children. The problem of how to care for the elderly is particularly acute in China, where life expectancy is long and where there are not government-funded services for their support. Many Chinese complain that the burden of caring for their aging parents is too great. Anthony Kuhn has this report.

The graduate students who teach half the classes and grade most of the papers at three University of California campuses have been out on strike all week. NPR's Richard Gonzales reports that the strike is aimed at gaining bargaining rights. The University system says these teaching assistants aren't "workers."

Robert talks to Agent Lucinda Schroeder of the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service in Albequerque, New Mexico about yesterday's sting operation that led to the arrest of eight eagle poachers. Eagles are a protected species; the killing and sale of eagle parts is illegal. This operation was unusual in that it led to actual trappers, not just traders. There's a growing market for eagle feathers, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that he's trying very hard not to be cynical about some recent events in the news.

Daniel talks with Alfred Montgomery of Belfast, Northern Ireland, about a wedding ring he found three years ago at the crash site of an American bomber which went down in World War II. After years of research, Montgomery traced the ring to the Kentucky widow of the plane's pilot and personally returned it to her.

Robert talks to Charles Harrington Elster, the author of "There's a Word For It: A Grandiloquent Guide to Life" (Scribner: NY 1996). This book offers words for every occasion.. mostly words you have never heard of, like borborigmus, perendinate or explaterate.

NPR's Barbara Bradley reports on today's order by Army Secretary Togo West to find out whether top commanders knew about allegations of sexual harassment or sex abuse in the Army, and whether they condoned a culture of sexual misconduct within the ranks. While West says the Army will face up to any problems it finds, some critics wonder whether talk will take the place of action.

A sunken World War II-era tanker that may be loaded with more than 3 million gallons of oil was recently discovered on the edge of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. A spill from the tankers' rotting holds could do all kinds of damage. The Coast Guard says the best thing to do is leave the tanker alone. NPR's John Nielsen explains why. The tanker Montebello was sunk 55 years ago today by a Japanese submarine.

In Hong Kong, a community theatre group transforms the British tradition of the Christmas pantomime -- a satirical musical comedy -- into a slapstick critique of the colony's politics. NPR's Mary Kay Magistad reports on this year's performance, the last before China takes over. Chinese control of the island may bring a less permissive atmosphere. Will the pantomime of the future have the same sharp bite as today's?

NPR's Michael Goldfarb reflects on the long career of Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni, who died today at age 72. Mastroianni was well-known for his roles in "La Dolce Vita" (lah DOHL-chay VEE-tah) and other films made by director Federico Fellini.

NPR'S Linda Gradstein reports that every Jewish eighteen-year-old is drafted in the military in Israel, but enthusiasm for service seems to be waning. In a nation where youths have traditionally vied to be in the elite combat units, many believe what is happening reflects changes in Israeli society at large.

NPR's Chris Arnold reports that millions of Americans turned to the Internet to get their news on election night. CNN said its web site was getting 5 million "hits" an hour last night as people searched results on specific races rather than waiting for network coverage.

NPR's Mike Shuster reports that the United States is alarmed at the escalating fighting in the West Bank and Gaza and is calling on all sides in the clashes not to take "unduly provocative action." US officials are surprised at the speed and level of the violence and are afraid it is endangering the Middle East peace process that they thought was slowly moving ahead.

One of the Republicans' promises to congressional office workers, the right to unionize, may be slipping away. The law passed at the beginning of the 104th Congress allowing aides to organize specifies a deadline of October first for a final approval vote. But NPR's Barbara Bradley reports that Congress has not been able to work out which staffers should be allowed to unionize and under what terms.

Beth Fertig of member station WNYC reports that much of the success of workfare in New York City hinges upon the cooperation of the city's powerful labor unions...unions which are growing increasingly skeptical about the role and motives of the workfare programs.

Many older women are part of a generation that never discuss sex or sexually transmitted diseases. And many older homosexuals never experienced "coming out". That means that they and their partners are often hit by AIDS unaware. But age confers no special protection against the disease. And NPR's Wendy Schmelzer reports that more than 10% of the cases of AIDS in this country occurs in people over 50 years of age.

Officials at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground say they are searching for any other offenders in the sex scandal at the training installation. So far three male trainers, including two drill instructors have been charged with rape and sexual harassment of more than a dozen Army women. The base commander also says he's reiterating a "buddy system" policy, under which each recruit has a partner to keep watch over him or her at all times. NPR's Phillip Davis reports.

Robert talks with Daniel Patrick Moynihan about his new book, "Miles to Go: A Personal History of Social Policy," a compilation of Moynihan's speeches and essays about social policy spanning three decades. (12:00) STATIONS: "Miles to Go: A Personal History of Social Policy" is published by Harvard University Press.