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The Japanese have worked hard for the last 50 years to build their economy into one of the most dominant in the world. But now that they have earned that status, they would like to have some fun with their money. NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that theme parks are a favorite destination for Japanese travellers. In Japan, the original park, Tokyo Disneyland, has been joined by a multitude of others... one run by video-game giant Sega, another featuring miniature models of famous world landmarks, and another with virtual reality rides.

Noah talks with Sally Friedman about her new memoir, detailing her training as a long-distance swimmer, planning to swim the English Channel, and the death of her husband Paul on the eve of her departure for England. Paul's death was six years ago and he remains young in her mind; she, however, feels much older, having more in common with the widows she knows in her New York neighborhood.

NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports on the man chosen to succeed the late Somali militia leader General Mohamed Farrah Aideed (eye-DEED). The new leader is a former reservist in the U-S Marines who actually served briefly during America's military intervention in Somalia. He also is Aideed's son...and friends describe him as more American than Somali.

Linda talks with Ronald Boster (BOSS-ter) about the economic plan Dole announced yesterday. Dole said if he were elected president he would cut taxes by 15 percent across the board and also balance the budget by the year 2002. Boster says Dole's plan would not allow for government savings and investment. Boster is a vice president of the business-supported Committee for Economic Development and a former GOP aide to the House Budget committee.

A variety of Alaska residents tell what they plan to do with their 1,130 dollar checks they've just received. Anyone who has lived in Alaska for the last 18 months received one. The checks are called Permanent Fund Dividends. The Permanent Fund was set up by oil companies as a reserve. Half the earnings from an average year are given back to Alaskans as dividends. We hear from Alaskans living in Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage.

NPR's Edward Lifson reports on the Congressional election in Illinois' fifth district. This year a Democratic state Representative is running against Michael Flanagan, the young Republican incumbent who ousted Dan Rostenkowski two years ago.

- Since September 30th, a volcano has been erupting beneath a glacier in southeastern Iceland. The subsequent heat has melted parts of the ice cap, sparking fears of massive flooding in the region. Jackie speaks with NPR's David Baron, who reports from a road overlooking the potential floodplain.

- Jackie speaks with the BBC's Owen Bennet Jones in Geneva about an unusual and problematic proposal that Switzerland has received from the World Hindu Federation. The federation is asking the Swiss government to ship 230,000 Swiss cows to Nepal. Jones says the animals may be infected with Mad Cow Disease and have been slated for destruction. The federation argues the animals will be protected in Nepal, where they are considered sacred.

The thirty-sixth Republican National Convention opened today for what amounts to a four-day salute to presidential candidate Bob Dole and his running mate Jack Kemp. The opening session was devoted to consideration of the party platform, but the most contentious differences -- over the party's position on abortion -- were resolved last week. The message of the convention has been scripted, but some moderate Republican governors say they feel excluded. NPR's Mara Liasson reports.

In an emotional address to the delegates, Nancy Reagan thanked them for giving her and her husband a life in politics, and regretted that former president Ronald Reagan was unable to speak to them this week.

Noah talks with Paea (PY-uh) Wolfgramm, an Olympic silver medalist from the Kingdom of Tonga. Wolfgramm took his silver medal in boxing, making the Kingdom of Tonga the country bringing home the most medals per capita. They'll discuss his homecoming and his future in the sport.

Linda talks with two young voters who are attending their first convention. They are with the Young Voter Program, two among more than 700 voters between the ages of 16 and 25 who have come to San Diego from all 50 states to watch the political process in action. Brian Wilson from Louisiana and Jeannie Rhoads from California talk about being on the floor, and about how the Republican approach to the nation's economy is what attracts them to the party.

Steven Smith of Minnesota Public radio reports on the challenges to creating viable businesses in Black communities. African Americans spend 400-billion dollars a year on consumer items, but Black leaders want a higher proportion of that to go to black-owned businesses.

Commentator Andrei Codrescu just finished reading Mary McCarthy's "Memories of a Catholic Girlhood" and he notes that she had a horrid childhood. He says that childhood today can still be bad, but parents now are much more indulgent...as he knows from firsthand experience.

Robert talks with Alan Dershowitz, a professor of law at Harvard University and a constitutional law expert. He was a member of O.J. Simpson's criminal defense team and is the author of Reasonable Doubt (Simon and Schuster, 1996). They discuss why the civil trial agains O.J. Simpson is not in violation of the Consitution's "double jeopardy" clause, and the nuances between asking for punitive damages and other kinds of civil penalties.

Daniel talks with columnist and author Art Buchwald about his new book, "I'll Always Have Paris." Buchwald says it was an extraordinary time period (1940s, 50s, early 60s) when many writers lived there--and he and he was in the center of everything as the food and social critic for the Herald Tribune.

Researchers have greated the most detailed map yet of where genes are located on the 23 pairs of human chromosomes. Approximately 20% of the 100,000 genes in humans are now located on the map, and this should help other researchers figure out how these genes affect human health. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

NPR's Martha Raddatz reports that the State Department has issued a new warning to Iraq about its air defense systems within the Allied-patroled no-fly zones over Iraq, but military action seems increasingly unlikely despite the week's buildup of retaliatory forces around the Persian Gulf.

Researchers have detected a virus believed to cause Kaposi's sarcoma in the saliva of gay men. Kaposi's sarcoma is a form of cancer that usually only occurs in people with weakened immune systems, such as people with AIDS. Recently, researchers have found evidence that the cancer is caused by a type of herpes virus. In the new research, scientists detected the virus in the saliva of six of seven HIV-positive gay men with a current or previous history of Kaposi's sarcoma. NPR's Joe Neel reports.

The nation's fiercest and most protracted environmental battles in recent years have centered on endangered species and the Endangered Species Act. Efforts to protect the Snail Darter, the Northern Spotted Owl and dozens of other plants and animals which are dwindling in number have placed environmentalists in opposition with industrial interests and landowners. The result is often years of litigation and solutions that satisfy no one. Government officials in California are trying a new approach; they're using the Endangered Species Act to create a process that brings the parties in conflict into a negotiation over their differences.