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Danny Perez is a 29-year-old centerfielder with the Aberdeen Arsenal of the independent Atlantic League. He remembers being a Little League phenom as kid in El Paso, Texas.

Robert talks to Jacob Weisberg, Chief Political correspondent for the online magazine Slate, about the presidential candidates' appearances on TV shows aimed at a female audience. Bush appeared on Live with Regis today, and was on Oprah Tuesday. Gore appeared on Oprah last week. (5:00) Slate magazine is at http://slate.msn.com

Linda and Robert read letters from All Things Considered listeners. Today's topics include the world's largest empires, houses versus homes, Olympic coverage, and Purple Haze. (4:00) Send letters to "Letters," All Things Considered, National Public Radio, 635 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20001, or e-mail to atc@npr.org.

NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Sydney, Australia as the track and field competition gets underway. All eyes are on Marion Jones. Today she began her quest for five gold medals with a leisurely win in 11.20 seconds in her first-round heat.

Track and field gets underway at the Olympics Friday, with American sprinters Marion Jones and Maurice Greene competing in qualifying rounds. But the big track news was made OFF the track. As NPR's Howard Berkes reports, the mysterious French runner Marie-Jose Perec left Sydney a day before her first heat, claiming an intruder forced his way into her hotel room and threatened her. Perec, the defending Olympic champion in the 200 and 400 meters, avoided all public appearances in the weeks before the Games, communicating only through her Website.

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports that with just two days before Yugoslavia's presidential election, there's growing anxiety in Belgrade and abroad about the possible aftermath of the vote. Polls show opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica leading Slobodan Milosevic. But many opposition leaders and analysts believe that Milosevic, an indicted war criminal, will resort to anything to stay in power.

French President Jaques Chirac is angrily denying charges that he was involved in unscrupulous fundraising for his party, and kickbacks to construction companies, while he was Mayor of Paris in the 1980's. The allegations come from a videotaped interview with a man who was an aide to Chirac during those years -- but has since died. Robert talks to John Henley, Correspondent for the Guardian newspaper in Paris about the story.

The first American to win a gold medal in weightlifting in 40 years hardly fits the sport's image. She's a 105-pound former gymnast named Tara Nott. As NPR's reports, Nott was awarded the gold when it was stripped from a Bulgarian lifter who tested positive for a banned diuretic. In other Olympic action, Americans won twin gold medals today when they tied in swimming's mad dash, the 50 meters, breaking a run of victories by Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband.

At each Olympics, the winner of the 100 meters becomes known as the fastest man in the world. The race lasts a tad over 9 seconds, but it requires tremendous physical and mental preparation. It's not unusual for an elite sprinter to engage a scientist to analyze the biomechanics of his gait. But as NPR's Tom Goldman reports, at race time simplicity is best. Top runners say they are able to clear their minds of extraneous thoughts during their races.

Critic Ken Tucker offers Linda a sneak preview of the fall television season. They'll discuss a new show starring Bette Midler; also, Ed, a program about a lawyer who opens a bowling alley, and a show featuring a genetically engineered supergirl called Dark Angel, from filmmaker James Cameron.

Commentator Craig Childs says there's a special place in the southern Utah desert that's transformed four times a year when the seasons change. It's an ancient calendar that's hand-carved into the cliffs.

NPR's Neal Conan has the season-ender in his Play-by-Play series: reflections on what's it's like to broadcast baseball games. Neal talks about how hard it is to muster enthusiasm for a losing team. The Aberdeen Arsenal concludes its first minor league season at home, Thomas Run Park in Bel Air, Maryland over the next four days.

Watching the Olympic games in Sydney, Commentator James Finn Garner yearns for the days when the U.S. had a rival to reckon with.

NPR's Brian Naylor reports that the House and Senate are far apart on a strategy for completing the spending bills required before the new fiscal year begins on October 1st. There are divisions between House and Senate Republicans. The possibility is being raised of holding a lame duck session after the election.

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has been blamed for much of the bloodshed in the Balkans. Yet Commentator Iain Guest, a visiting fellow at the Overseas Development Council in Washington, D.C., says the elections this weekend are more about principle than personality. Demonizing Milosevic, Guest says, just strengthens his position.

President Clinton has authorized the release of thirty-million barrels of oil from the nation's emergency reserves. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson made the announcement this afternoon. He denied that the move was political -- but instead said it was aimed at ensuring enough supply heading into the winter heating season. Linda talks to NPR's Pam Fessler about the news.

NPR's Michael Sullivan reports that yesterday India announced that it would pull its contingent out of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone. India, with the second-largest contingent of troops is pulling out at a time when the United Nations is attempting to increase the number of peacekeepers in the embattled West African nation.

Joshua Levs reports from Sydney on that most Australian of delicacy: vegemite. The thick, yeast extract spread has been a long-time favorite of aussies for generations...still, many admit it's an acquired taste.

Karen Schaefer from member station WCPN in Cleveland reports on the opening of a National Underground Railroad exhibit. Some two-thousand people will gather to celebrate and preserve a chapter in America's struggle for civil rights.

Kenneth Turan, film critics for the Los Angeles Times reviews Cameron Crowe's new film Almost Famous.

NPR's Peter Kenyon reports Presidential candidate George W. Bush's campaign continues through Florida.

Steve Tripoli of member station WBUR reports that the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston suggests that African Americans seek help from their churches when they are rebuilding the local economies.

NPR's Joanne Silberner watched the struggles of Tyler Handerson and his family as they waited for the restart of an experimental medical study. Tyler has a cancer that affects nerve cells and the brain. The study aims to use a new kind of "gene therapy" to cure the cancer. But the trial was one of many put on hold last year after the death of a Pennsylvania teenager.

NPR's John Ydstie reports the U.S. joined the central banks of Europe, Japan, England and Canada in a coordinated effort to stop the slide of the Euro. The intervention in the foreign exchange markets seemed to work, at least for now. The Euro climbed as high as 90 cents, but then fell back a bit later in the day.

Host Bob Edwards talks to Canadian comedian Rich Little about his new show in which he plays 8 different U.S Presidents. Little has been doing impressions of presidents for approximately 40 years.