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Allison St. John of member station KPBS in San Diego reports on an essay contest for high school students . The students submit essays on a theme of when it's not good to keep a secret. The program is an effort to help young people deal with the ethical issues which arise when they suspect a friend may be contemplating a violent act against themself or others.

NPR's Howard Berkes explores the rush to harness energy from wind during a visit to the town of McCamey, the Wind Energy Capital of Texas, where hundreds of wind turbines are going up on every available mesa.

NPR's David Molpus reports on a recent study that looks at the global diversity practices of U.S.-based multinational companies. The study suggests that while companies are becoming more sensitive to diversity issues, they must walk a fine line between American practices and local customs.

NPR's Ivan Watson reports on vigilante justice in southeastern Nigeria. A provincial government has hired a machete-toting militia called "The Bakassi Boys" to deal with a spate of armed robberies. The results have been bloody but immensely popular, and the crime rate has dropped sharply.

Taliban leaders recently ordered the destruction of two ancient statues of Buddha, carved into a mountain in the third and fifth centuries. The monuments are considered offensive to Islam. But commentator Andrew Lam knows smashing a physical statue will not erase the spiritual message of Buddhism.

In the third part of his series on the oil century, John Burnett reports that high technology has reinvented the oil and gas industries. Companies can now find oil in places once considered impossible, such as deep beneath the ocean. They also can use high-tech instruments to find oil in spent and all but forgotten places, such as the Spindletop oil field. The new wildcatters say oil supplies may be finite, but the reach of knowledge is infinite. (12:30) More information and previous audio segments can be found on our Spindletop feature page, which accompanies this series on the oil and gas industry.

NPR's Sarah Chayes reports on today's municipal election in Paris. Because of recent government corruption scandals, Parisians may select liberal candidates for the first time in100 years.

In the first of a series of conversations with members of President Bush's cabinet, host Bob Edwards talks to Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi. They discuss some of the problems confronting his department. Secretary Principi says one of his priorities is eliminating the backlog of claims for veterans benefits. He says the Department of Veterans Affairs provides medical care to more than four million veterans a year and that more money is needed to improve the quality of that care. President Bush is requesting one billion dollars for the department for next year.

Today, according to statements from the Taliban in Afghanistan, ancient Buddhist statues carved into a mountain have been destroyed despite attempts by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to prevent it. Host Lisa Simeone talks with Humanities Professor Crispin Sartwell who says that destruction of idols has a long tradition in Western history. (5:00).

Host Lisa Simeone talks with NPR's Gerry Hadden about the end of the Zapatistas' trek to the capital to push for legislation that will guarantee the rights of indigenous people.