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Commentator Kristine Holmgren tells a story about her Thanksgiving in 1965, at a particularly dark time in her life...and about the kindness of a stranger on a bus.

Commentator Daniel Pinkwater recently had a nice long conversation with a wolf named "Miranda", much to the dismay of Daniel's own dogs.

Danny speaks with NPR's Elizabeth Arnold about tonight's debate between President Clinton and Republican challenger Bob Dole. Arnold says the debate is Dole's last best chance to reach American voters and reverse his electoral fortunes.

Commentator Marion Winik wonders how someone like her - a bonafide nerd who would have done anything to stay away from gym class - is now the mother of a young blond athletic master of the universe. She tells a story about her son's final soccer game this year.

NPR's Margot Adler reports that an industry is springing from the premise that teenagers are dangerous. There are gadgets that beep if your teen drives over the speed limit; machines to prevent your car from starting if the driver has alcohol on his breath; hair analysis kits that will let you perform drug tests on your kids. All of these products of parents' fears are invasive, and a few may be unconstitutional, but they're proliferating.

U.S. officials who are hoping to strengthen some international environmental treaties are watching a fishing conference in Spain very closely, where diplomats are trying to crack down on nations that are ignoring the treaty protecting the giant bluefin tuna. The numbers of bluefin tuna have been reduced by ninety percent since the 1970's, mostly due to overfishing by fleets from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The debates over the treaty could have far-reaching implications for other international wildlife protection agreements. NPR's John Nielsen reports.

Elissa Ely's Grandmother Rebecca was a fantastic baker, but she never ate her own cookies. As she grew older and her arthritis grew worse, she no longer had the dexterity to bake. Soon Elissa's baby will be born, and Elissa is looking forward to naming her new daughter Rebecca and teaching her to bake.

Linda talks with Michael Mandel, Economics Editor for Business Week Magazine and the author of High Risk Society: Peril & Promise in the New Economy . They discuss how 1996 was a record year for mergers, and they talks about the pros and cons of having a highly concentrated marketplace for certain goods and services.

In an interview first aired on December 31st, 1991, Robert talks to Hugh McDonald, head of music for BBC Radio Scotland, about the correct pronunciation of the phrase "Auld Lang Syne." McDonald says that the majority of people who will sing that song as the old year passes away will pronounce the word "syne" as "zyne," which is incorrect; the correct pronunciation is "sine" (as in cosine and tangent). We also hear a performance of the song by Irish singer Susan McKeown (muh-KEEN) and bassist Lindsey Horner to a melody different from the one we are used to hearing. They also perform the song on a cassette, "Through the Bitter Frost and Snow."

Noah talks with Cheryl Wheeler about travelling as a singer-songwriter, listening to great songs on the radio like "Memphis" and "Kansas City," and the difficulties of being a professional musician when you're expected to sing at Thanksgiving gatherings. She sings for us "Mrs. Pinocci's Guitar" and a new song, "Sylvia Hotel."

Bailey White's story concludes.

Commentator Elissa Ely is teaching her husband to play the piano-- his inspiration for practicing is keeping an eye on the Red Sox game. She wishes he could have the inspiration she had when she learned-- her teacher's houseful of Russian wolfhounds.

Tess Vigeland of member station WBUR reports that the Boston Latin School has settled out of court with a family that sued the school to protest a special entrance provision for minority students. As part of the settlement, the city's school board will drop special racial admissions categories for the city's prestigious Boston Latin School, and for two other top schools. The student and her family sued after she was denied admission despite receiving higher test scores than some minority students who were admitted.

The FCC today took the first step in a series of actions commissioners say will eventually save consumers billions of dollars in international telephone fees. Today's order will allow American phone companies to negotiate rates directly with foreign carriers. In the weeks ahead, the FCC is expected to announce another policy change that would limit the fees U.S. companies pay their foreign counterparts. NPR's Phillip Davis reports.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold talks with Robert about the year ahead for the 105th Congress. This new Congress is expected to have more willingness to compromise with the White House. The Senate is also expected to play a greater role in achieving Republican political goals, now that the House membership has become more bipartisan.

Robert talks about Wall Street slang, and what it really means...from a "downturn" to a "dip" to "the c-word."

NPR's Debbie Elliott reports that oyster harvesting along parts of the Gulf of Mexico, from South Florida to Texas, is in danger because of a large algal bloom, usually called "red tide." The algae can be toxic to fish and other sea creatures...and that toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking, so the area's entire seafood harvest could be destroyed along parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.

NPR'S Mary Kay Magistad reports that the rate of HIV infection is increasing rapidly in Cambodia, especially among prostitutes. The increase in AIDS in Cambodia has created a boom in prostitution among young girls, many of whom are being forced into the job because of the AIDS scare...since many people believe that younger girls are less likely to be HIV positive. Health care officials in Cambodia say that these young girls are actually most at risk for contracting the disease.

Robert talks with Hirsh Goodman, editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Report, about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's defiant statement today that Jewish settlements will continue to grow. Netanyahu said this while visiting Ariel, a large settlement on the West Bank, also pledging that no settlement would be uprooted to satisfy Arab demands. Goodman says the Prime Minister is placating right-wing voters who were instrumental in getting him elected earlier this year.

Tonight, public television will air "A Strong, Clear Vision," a documentary about Maya Lin, creator of the design for the Vietnam War Memorial. In conjunction with the broadcast, PBS has created a site on the World Wide Web to enable people to share their thoughts and experiences on the war. Like the wall of names on the Washington mall, the site is meant to serve as a kind of "blank space" where people can insert their own thoughts and feelings about a seminal event. NPR's Margot Adler has this report.