The U.S. is expected to file new complaints with the WTO this week saying China isn't doing enough to fight piracy and counterfeits. Beijing has made it easier to prosecute the crimes, but the problem is built into its restrictive market.

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget now has an online database of more than 13,000 congressional earmarks from the 2005 budget — $19 billion worth of pork benefitting some big companies.

Housing costs have risen so high in some cities that entire regions are out of reach for most first-time home buyers. And in those areas, it's becoming a slow drain for the economy as a whole.

Most Congress members are enjoying spring recess this week, but 10 Senate leaders are working through the break to try to come to a compromise on immigration reform.

A very different car rally took off from Washington, D.C., on its way to Costa Rica. It's called the Greaseball Challenge. It features cars running on restaurants' old grease and oil.

The U.S. is slapping tarrifs on imports of some paper products from China — indicating the Bush administration has taken a different approach in its relationship with Beijing. John Dimsdale reports.

In his recent novel, author Christopher Buckley offers a modest proposal of sorts toward dealing with America's impending Social Security problem — government incentives for suicide. He discusses the idea with Kai Ryssdal.

Brazil's Lula da Silva will visit President Bush at Camp David tomorrow. They've agreed to work together to promote the use of ethanol fuel, but U.S. tariffs on sugar-based ethanol are gumming up negotiations.

The Equal Rights Amendment fell three states short of ratification in 1982, but now it has reemerged as the Women's Equality Amendment. And it still faces plenty of opposition.

Qwest, Verizon and AT&T have been granted the right to compete for the federal government's telecom contracts, a decision which propels Qwest into the top-tier providers. The big loser: Sprint.