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Texas Governor George W. Bush continued his swing through the Midwest today, saying he is the candidate who will help middle class families. From birth to retirement, the Republican presidential nominee says he is looking out for working Americans. Bush made that appeal in a neo-natal ward yesterday, a school today, and in an appearance on Oprah Winfrey's daytime talk show. NPR's Anthony Brooks is traveling with the Bush campaign.

NPR'S Howard Berkes explores Australia's passion for swimming. In the first day of Olympic swimming competition, five world records fell. Australian talent Ian Thorpe thundered through the water with victories in single and relay events, stirring hopes that the Australians can replace America as the sport's dominant team.

Host Jacki Lyden talks with Richard Kingsmill, a disc jockey for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Kingsmill's programs are heard nationally on "Triple J," an ABC station that specializes in home-grown Australian pop music. Kingsmill plays some tunes for us.

Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's Run the World, the card game Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and coverage of the Theranos trial.

Women are competing in Olympic triathlon for the first time and their race will determine the first medal winners of the Games. As NPR's Tom Goldman reports, the competition begins at the foot of the Sydney Opera House. Swimmers will plunge into the chilly waters of the harbor and then bike and run around Sydney's picturesque central business district.

For some time, scientists have generally agreed that carbon dioxide from tailpipes and smokestacks is the principal gas responsible for global warming. Now, some scientists are suggesting that more attention should be paid to other gases that contribute to climate change. A new study in Science magazine finds that farming practices that are supposedly environmentally friendly actually contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

NPR's Mike Shuster reports that demonstrators burned the US and UN flags in Jakarta today in response to remarks by the visiting US Defense Secretary William Cohen. He told the Indonesian government it must disband paramilitary groups in West Timor or risk international economic assistance. Indonesia, which has not recovered from the Asian economic crisis, is still dependent on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. But analysts warn that withdrawing financial support could jeopardize Indonesia's transition to democracy and possibly bring down the current elected government.

Ralph Nader talks about "Republicrats" who see the world through the same corporate prism. And for generations, Third Party candidates from both the left and the right have said the two major parties are two halves of the same power structure -- different mostly in name and tradition. This year, as the major parties try to appeal to the political center, they often sound alike. Yet it can be argued that the two parties stand for specific philosophies that are farther apart than they have been in half a century. A new poll by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard has found that voting for one or the other means choosing between distinct outlooks on the issues. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

A note on some of the little known candidates for the White House in this year's election.

Noah talks to Debora Spar, a Harvard Business School Professor who teaches a course on managing international trade and investment, about Microsoft's problems doing business in China. The company decided to invest there after China signed onto the treaty to respect intellectual property in 1992. Despite the treaty, six years later pirating of the company's software has actually increased. Spar questions whether, given Microsoft's experience, it can reasonably be expected that China will abide by rules set by the World Trade Organization.

NPR's David Welna reports that the new president of the American Bar Association urged lawyers to do more work free of charge for immigrants. Lawyers across the nation are doing less of this pro-bono work as they're pressured to contribute to law firm profits. Also more immigrants are in jail awaiting charges and without access to legal aid.

Charles Haynes and Oliver Thomas of the First Amendment Center have developed a process known as the 3R Projects: Rights, Responsibility and Respect. The program is designed to educate teachers and administrators about what is and isn't allowed under the First Amendment, so that issues of religious freedom and free speech can be resolved before they turn into lawsuits. NPR's Mandalit DelBarco reports.

The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington is moving its archives. Thousands of rare recordings are being carefully packed up and sent to their new home. The collection is an eclectic mix of Americana, consisting of 34 years of recordings from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the catalog of Folkways Records. All Things Considered Director Bob Boilen went to visit the collection and archivist Jeff Place as he boxes up some of America's great musical treasures.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports the recall of Firestone tires has left Ford in something of a quandary. If the controversy drags on long enough, it could hurt sales of the popular Ford Explorer. Ford recently announced it will get some of the tires for upcoming Explorers from other tire manufacturers. But the booming world auto market makes it hard for Ford to sever its ties to Firestone altogether. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

NPR's Howard Berkes reports from Sydney, Australia that the United States women's softball team lost the first time since the 1998 world championships, ending a 112-game winning streak.

NPR's Julie Rovner reports on Congressional efforts to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. An amendment to the annual spending bill for the Department of Agriculture would allow pharmacists and wholesalers to import U.S.-approved drugs from Canada and Mexico, where costs for those drugs are lower. But the drug industry says this could allow unsafe or contaminated drugs into the market.

Host Bob Edwards talks to BBC's Suzanna Price about the latest explosion in Islamabad. A bomb ripped through a busy fruit market on the edge of Pakistan's capital today killing at least 16 people and wounding about 50.

NPR's Jack Speer reports Continental AG is voluntarily recalling tires that came as standard equipment on Ford Lincoln Navigators. Ford's Lincoln Mercury division released a statement today saying the two companies are working together to quickly inspect tires and replace them if necessary.

A Russian court today ruled that accused U.S. spy Edmond Pope must remain behind bars pending his trial. The American businessman has suffered in the past from a rare form of bone cancer, and his attorney asked that he be released for medical treatment. Russia's Federal Security Service argued, successfully, that Pope is well enough to remain in custody. Pope, a former U.S. Navy officer, is accused of trying to gather intelligence about a Russian torpedo. Charles Maynes has a report from Moscow.

NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Sydney, Australia on the disappointment in today's tennis competition at the Olympics. Three of the four members of the U.S men's team lost. The Women's team did much better than the men, with all four players winning their early round matches.

NPR's Anne Sutton reports from McGrath, Alaska, on the dispute over how to deal with the thriving wolf population in the state. Wolves compete with Native Alaskans and other hunters for moose and caribou meat. There's a stalemate over how much, if any, wolf hunting should be allowed, and whether hunters should be allowed to use airplanes to track wolves from the air before landing to shoot them. Preservationists are worried that too much hunting will wipe out the wolf population.

NPR's Peter Kenyon reports on the passage of permanent normal trade relations with China. Congress came down solidly in favor of the bill, which has been called the most positive development in U.S.-China relations since President Nixon's visit to Beijing in 1972.

The Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health concluded today. A major focus on the event was on how well the mental health and education systems are responding to the mental health needs of very young children. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports.

Noah talks to American canoeist David "Davey" Hearn, about the results of the men's solo whitewater canoe competition at the Sydney Olympics. Competing in his third Olympic games at age 41, Hearn finished last in the finals. He says he was beaten by better paddling, not by youth.

Host Bob Edwards talks to Christine Brennan, sports columnist for USA Today about men's and women's gymnastics at the Summer Olympics.