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A growing market for foods and other consumer products colored with "natural" red dye has sparked a booming industry in Peru. NPR's Martin Kaste reports that thousands of families make a living harvesting the source of the dye -- tiny insect called cochineals. See photos of the insects being harvested, and discover the true source of the red dye. (Please note this correction which aired in 'All Things Considered' on June 19, 2003: ..."my description yesterday of the Cochineal insect as a Peruvian beetle. While we could claim that this is a vague layman's usage of 'beetle' that would include even certain Volkswagens, that would not wash with Dr. Paul Johnson, professor of entomology at South Dakota State University in Brookings. He calls it, 'a serious entomological faux pas.' In a further unkind cut, Professor Johnson writes: 'I would expect such cavalier biology from your colleagues at Fox, but factual inaccuracies on NPR?! ... Beetles are exceedingly distinctive insects that are well-known and well characterized in any novitiate-level biology book, as well as advanced entomology references... Cochineal insects are not beetles and not even closely related, let alone not even similar in appearance (but rather) a species of scale insect. Shame on NPR for allowing Western entomo-phobic disregard for insects to influence the misrepresentation of biological facts.")

The Homestead Act prodded waves of settlers to spread across the Great Plains -- but today, many of the towns created by that bill are dying. New congressional legislation known as the New Homestead Act aims to revitalize rural towns with incentives. NPR's Howard Berkes visits Ord, Neb., were many of the proposed measures are already in place.

Once a mainstay of queer culture, Grindr is slipping at representing all aspects of LGBTQ people. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to journalist Mathew Rodriguez about why.

Long-term flooding along major waterways stranded barges up and down the Mississippi River this summer and caused havoc with river transportation and the economy that depends on it.

Major League Baseball and the players' union are in discussions to begin the baseball season as early as May or June. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Jeff Passan of ESPN about the plans.

Smithfield CEO Larry Pope tried to reassure lawmakers that the sale of his Virginia based company will not mean a transfer of jobs to China or a reduction in food safety. He appeared before lawmakers on the Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday.

Realtors are seeing reasons for optimism in the housing market. As Kaomi Goetz of WSHU reports, one historic home sale suggests the high end of the market is booming again — in Connecticut, at least.

An unusually large number of luxury condos are for sale or rent at Chicago's Trump International Hotel and Tower. Market forces and protests over the Trump presidency may both be factors.

After a late-night vote and an ensuing public relations debacle, House Republicans reversed themselves on a decision that would have taken the teeth out of the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Volkswagen admitted last September to intentionally cheating on emissions tests. A federal judge has set a Tuesday deadline for VW to work out a plan for making amends.