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Beyond the glamour of Hollywood and the romance of the Golden Gate Bridge, there is another California -- and it's home to the greatest garden in the world. The 400-mile-long Central Valley supplies fully one-quarter of the food America eats. Now the region faces huge changes. In the second of a four-part series on the future of the valley, NPR's John McChesney reports on the benefits and pitfalls of pesticide use, and the pressure on farmers to "go organic."

New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests there is no medical reason for post-menopausal women to avoid attempting pregnancy using donated eggs. Hear Richard Paulson, the study's chief researcher.

NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports on the ongoing meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where the discussion is focused on child abuse by the clergy. Among the votes planned for tomorrow is one on a statement that bishops will hold one another responsible for implementing the policies by fraternal correction. One bishop also said public pressure will hold the bishops accountable. But lay groups pushing for stronger protections for minors say the bishops promised 10 years ago they would be accountable, but went on placing offending priests in parishes.

NPR's Nick Spicer reports from Brussels, where Russian president Vladimir Putin met today with NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson, as well as with leaders of the European Union. The public statements at both NATO and the EU were conciliatory, and Russia and the EU even resolved a long-standing dispute over the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. But the meetings were clouded by controversy over Chechnya. Protesters demonstrated against Russia's war in the breakaway republic, and EU officials indicated the issue was a topic of debate in their meetings.

Robert Siegel talks to NPR's David Welna about what to expect -- and what not to expect -- in the lame-duck session of Congress that begins today.

When Congress went home in October, the Senate was still stuck on its version of a bill to create a new Department of Homeland Security. But President Bush campaigned hard on the issue, which may have helped elect a new Republican majority in the Senate. That gave new momentum to negotiators who have been trying to fashion a compromise version of labor-management rules that both parties could accept. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

NPR's Mara Liasson reports on lame-duck sessions of the past, including the 1998 session where the House impeached President Clinton, and the 1954 session where the Senate censured Wisconsin's Joe McCarthy.

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a trademark case that pits lingerie chain Victoria's Secret against a small Kentucky novelty store called Victor's Little Secret. At issue is whether Victor's Little Secret, a seller of sex toys and videos, is violating federal law by diluting the value of the Victoria's Secret trademark. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

He transformed Batman into a brooding, tortured vigilante in his remakes of the classic Batman comic: The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Both are now available in hardback editions. Miller also wrote the screenplays for RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3.

NPR's Michele Kelemen reports on the significance of the latest audiotape message from Osama bin Laden. U.S. experts believe it was the voice of Bin Laden on the Arabic language tape which aired yesterday on the al Jazeera television network. Until now, some experts had believed the al Qaeda leader was killed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.