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Linda talks to E.J. Dionne, Political Columnist for the Washington Post, and David Brooks, Senior Editor at The Weekly Standard, about the hotly contested states in the presidential race, and what both candidates must do put together a majority of electoral college votes.

A remembrance for comedian Steve Allen, who has died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 78. Allen was a pioneer of late night TV, as the original host of The Tonight Show on NBC in 1954. His prolific career in entertainment also included record albums, movies, Broadway shows, work as a disc jockey and forty books.

NPR's Nina Totenberg reports on the arguments before the Supreme Court today on whether Clean Water regulations apply to a body of water contained within a state, but used as habitat by migrating birds. The justices are being asked to rule on whether the fate of the body of water is of concern only to that state, or, because of the impact on the birds, to the larger environment.

NPR's Madeline Brand reports on Vice President Al Gore's short campaign trip ahead of Tuesday's third and final debate with Republican Presidential candidate George W. Bush. Gore has been raising the issue of health care in stump speeches since his last Presidential debate.

Members of the liberal wing of the Democratic party are staking claim that they won't be ignored this Presidential election season. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports.

Host Lisa Simeone talks with Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center, in Princeton, N.J. about recent polls with undecided voters who are steadfast in their uncertainty: up to one in four voters say they haven't made a final choice between Vice President Al Gore or Texas Governor George Bush for the Presidential election this year.

Deborah Amos wraps up her series on the illegal drug trade in America with a report on drug treatment. A movement has been growing over the past few years to use treatment more and incarceration less in the war on drugs. Advocates say treatment is a far more effective way of reducing the number of drug users in America. But the idea runs counter to what's popular with politicians and much of the public.

NPR's Linda Gradstein reports on the funeral held today for one of two Israeli soldiers killed in the West Bank last week.

Host Lisa Simeone talks to Tickey Pule, director of the Botswana National Museum, about the return of the remains of an unknown African man, which had been on display in a museum in Spain for over 100 years. The remains, called El Negro in Spain, were stolen from a grave in the early 1800s by two Frenchmen. Pule explains the importance of having the remains returned to Botswana for a proper reburial.

World leaders are traveling to Egypt for an emergency summit they hope will bring an end to violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories. From Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, NPR's Michael Sullivan reports.

From Jerusalem, NPR's Jennifer Ludden offers a reporter's notebook on the crumbling relationships between Israelis and Palestinian neighbors.

Movie Critic Bob Mondello reviews a new feature film starring Joan Allen, as a vice-presidential nominee named in a sex scandal.

It's not the most orthodox of majors, but a small college in Vermont is now offering a degree in adventure recreation. With a boom in so-called adventure travel, the business of leading and outfitting demanding wilderness trips is among the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry. Some students want to make a career of it. Pippin Ross reports.

The price of a college education has tripled in the last two decades. It's harder for poor families to meet the rising costs. NPR'S Claudio Sanchez profiles one student at the University of Maryland and her attempts to make it through.

With the presidential race now in a dead heat, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush are campaigning hard in key battleground states. Florida is one of them with 25 electoral votes at stake. NPR's Phillip Davis reports on why Florida has turned from solidly Republican to a state ripe for either candidate to win or lose.

When a group of alcohol and nicotine addicted pigeons are 'freed' from their cages at a University of California laboratory, crazy things can happen. Host Lisa Simeone talks to satirist C.D. Payne about his latest creations, the feathered characters of the novel Frisco Pigeon Mambo, (Aivia Press, 2000).

NPR's Jennifer Ludden in the Gaza Strip reports on some of the victims of the past two weeks of clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian protestors. Even in grief, many of the families of the slain Palestinians say the uprising must continue.

Linda talks to Bashraheel Bashraheel, a reporter for the Al Ayyaam newspaper in Yemen, who saw the aftermath of the explosion that killed four American sailors aboard the U.S.S. Cole. The Navy destroyer was refueling in a Yemeni port when the explosion occurred this morning. Bashraheel describes the port, the ship, and the condition of the sailors aboard. And he fills us in on additional information about the investigation that is being conducted by the U.S. and Yemeni authorities.

Deborah Amos continues her series on the multi-billion-dollar illegal drug trade in America. Today's report focuses on controversial law enforcement practices, including the seizure of drug money and assets such as cars to help fund the war on drugs. In some cases undercover informers are paid with percentages of drug money that they help seize. Critics, including some law enforcement officers, say the procedures are ripe for corruption. There's more at http://www.npr.org/news/specials/drugwars/.

This year's Miss America Pageant is undergoing an overhaul. The stage sets, the swimsuit competition and the selection of the judges is all new. One of the most radical of changes is the music. There She Is, the song made famous by Bert Parks, has been redone in a techno style. Robert talks with Jeff Margolis, the producer and director of this year's pageant, about the changes to this year's show.

Debbie Elliott reports that World Health Organization hosts two days of hearings, beginning today in Geneva, on first draft of international treaty on tobacco control. The goal is to get countries to do such things as ban cigarette advertising and limit sales to adults only.

NPR's Sarah Chayes reports from Paris on the Chinese-born writer Gao Xingjian, who was honored today with the Nobel Prize for Literature. Gao -- the first Chinese writer ever to win the literature prize -- has been living in self-imposed exile in France since 1987. The Swedish Academy honored him for his novels and plays about the struggle for individuality in mass culture.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden in Gaza reports the violence of the past two weeks has hardened attitudes among Palestinians, with growing numbers saying they no longer support the peace process.

Robert talks with Donald Oberdorfer, a Professor at Johns Hopkins Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and author of Two Koreas: A Contemporary History, about the Nobel Peace Prize awarded this year to the President of South Korea, Kim Dae-Jung. They discusses what the Nobel will mean for the continued talks between North and South Korea, as well as Secretary of State Madeline Albright's visit to North Korea. (4:00) Two Koreas: A Contemporary History is published by Basic Books, 1999.

NPR's Steve Inskeep at the Pentagon reports an explosion rocked a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Arabian port of Aden today, killing at least five sailors and wounding more than 30 others. Defense Department officials believe it was a terrorist attack.