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Fidgety financial markets continued their volatile swings today. As Jim Zarroli reports, the Nasdaq composite index lost more than 4 percent of its value early in the day before rebounding sharply. But the Nasdaq, home to most new economy stocks, is still off 20-percent for the year. There's a sense of unease about some of the high-tech stocks that have powered the market's remarkable performance. Earnings at many companies have disappointed, and with interest rates and energy costs up this year, investors see little to cheer about.

Robert Siegel talks with Sarah Spencer, one of the authors of a recent report for the Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain. A report encourages a new understanding of the word "British," one which includes both whites and ethnic minorities. When Robert asks about practical ways in which this new inclusiveness might be encouraged, Spencer recommends changes in how British history is taught, as well as employment policies that guarantee equality of opportunity in the workplace. Spencer also discusses the mixed reactions in Britain to the report.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today on two cases testing whether people can sue states for damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The cases, both from Alabama, involved a nurse with breast cancer and a security guard with asthma. They accuse state-owned institutions of discriminating against them based on their disabilities, although they were competent to do their jobs. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports that in recent years the Court has cut back on the power of Congress to subject the states to lawsuits.

NPR's David Kestenbaum examines allegations that two major cultural anthropologists brought social and political havoc - and even deaths - to a tribe of South American Indians - in the process of studying them. The charges are made in an upcoming book: Darkness in Eldorado: How Scientists and Journalists Devastated the Amazon, by Patrick Tierney. If it's true, it is a major scientific and human rights scandal. If it is *not* true, then that's a different kind of scandal. NOTE: For more information about The Ax Fight or for any of the other 22 films in the Asch/Chagnon Yanomamo Series contact: Documentary Educational Resources, 1-800-569-6621 or email: docued@der.org. The movie soundtrack in the piece was recorded courtesy of : Human Studies Film Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports on the AARP's new identity. The American Association of Retired Persons is trying to realign its image with that of the aging baby boomers. Suddenly, post 50 is looking more active and more engaged with the world. But some members worry that the AARP is ignoring older retirees whose lifestyles and attitudes don't necessarily fit with those of the boomers. (

Host Bob Edwards talks with Peter Marks who writes about political ads for the "New York Times." They discuss the content of television ads run by the Presidential candidates and their parties during the remaining weeks of the Presidential race.

NPR's Don Gonyea reports on efforts by Republican presidential candidate Governor George W. Bush to appeal to women, by sending his wife Laura and mother Barbara out on a bus tour of swing states (3:30).

NPR's Pat Dowell profiles actress Ellen Burstyn, who's getting favorable reviews for her new television program, "That's Life," and her new movie, "Requiem for a Dream." Burstyn appears in another new movie, "The Yards," which opens tomorrow in New York and Los Angeles. She has several more projects in the works.

NPR's Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg reports on the opening of Madame Tussaud's in New York. The famed British wax museum will feature replicas of some real New York types, including Woody Allen, Joe DiMaggio, Donald Trump, and Rudy Giuliani. But it will also have figures that have long attracted attention in its London home, such as Napoleon and Princess Diana. (

Commentator Kevin Phillips talks about the connection between oil, technology, and wealth in the United States.