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Alan Cheuse reviews a new novel by J.D. Landis called Longing. It's about nineteenth century Europe's most romantic musical couple, composer Robert and performer Clara Schumann. (1:45) Longing, by J.D. Landis is published by Harcourt Brace; ISBN # 0151004536.

Noah talks with Richard Ben Cramer, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the new book Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life, about two personalities of the man known as The Yankee Clipper, Joltin' Joe DiMaggio: the elegant athlete and national icon, and the intensely private man, distant and eaten up by resentments of Mickey Mantle and others. (7:45) Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life, by Richard Ben Cramer is published by Simon and Schuster, ISBN # 0-684-85391-4.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports from Camp Zeist that a special Scottish court reconvened today in the Netherlands -- only to announce another recess in the trial of two Libyans accused of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Prosecutors told the court they needed more time to investigate what they termed "sensitive" information from a foreign government. This latest recess follows a poor performance by the prosecution's star witness. There is a growing feeling the prosecution case may not be strong enough to convict the two Libyans.

NPR's Mandalit Del Barco reports that both sides have reached a tentative agreement in the month-long public transit strike in Los Angeles. If the union and transit authority ratify the accord, buses could be back on the road tomorrow.

NPR's Linda Gradstein in Ramallah, West Bank, reports many Palestinians are dismissing the results of the Middle East peace summit in Egypt, saying the uprising against Israel must continue.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden in Jerusalem reports it is too early to tell whether the latest Israeli-Palestinian agreement will put an end to the bloody clashes in the West Bank and Gaza. The two sides have sharply intensified their propaganda war over the past two-and-a-half weeks.

Satirist Harry Shearer was recently struck by a thought about the A & E program Biography. What would happen if the show ran out of famous people to profile?

NPR's Michele Kelemen reports that American Edmond Pope went on trial in a Moscow court today, accused of trying to buy Russian military secrets. Pope's supporters deny he's a spy, insisting he's a businessman who was buying declassified Russian technology. Members of the U.S. Congress have urged the Clinton administration to hold up aid to Russia if Pope is convicted. The trial is expected to last several weeks.

All Things Considered Host Linda Wertheimer traveled to Missouri to talk to voters about their views on the candidates. Today she talks to a group of older white men about their thoughts on the last debate. The encounter doesn't seem to have swayed their support for George W. Bush.

NPR's Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem reports there were sporadic clashes in the West Bank and Gaza today, the day after the Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to work toward ending the violence. But in a development that could re-ignite the unrest, Israel Radio reports security forces have arrested some of the Palestinians suspected of taking part in the mob killing of two Israeli soldiers in Ramallah last week.

As part of an effort to air stump speeches on Wednesdays this election season, All Things Considered plays a portion of Democrat Al Gore's speech in Cedar Rapids, Iowa last week. Gore said that even though we are living in a time of great prosperity, more needs to be done for those left behind -- to help improve education for all children, to provide good health care coverage for all people, to ensure that seniors can afford their prescription drugs. Gore said under his administration, he would use the prosperity to help everyone, not just the wealthy.

The major party candidates for president returned to campaigning in swing states today after holding their third and final debate last night in St. Louis. Both camps treated today's events as victory rallies, claiming their man had the upper hand last night. NPR's Anthony Brooks has the latest on the Gore camp, and NPR's Steve Inskeep reports on the Bush campaign.

NPR's Pam Fessler reports President Clinton, survivors of the U.S.S. Cole explosion, victims' families, and military officials gathered for a memorial service in Norfolk, Virginia, today. Attendees cheered the survivors, who arrived by ambulance. The president said service members like those on the Cole, prevent war by "standing guard for peace." He said the U.S. will find the terrorists who bombed the Cole, and justice will be done.

Kentucky's governor has declared a state of emergency in the eastern part of the state, where sludge from a coal mine spilled into two streams last week. Two-hundred-million gallons of toxic slurry -- a byproduct of coal washing with the consistency of wet cement -- have made the usual sources of drinking water in ten county area unfit for use. Noah interviews Larry Priest, a resident of Martin County, Kentucky, with a mobile home next to Cold Water Creek. Priest calls the spill the biggest black milkshake you've ever seen in your life.

NPR's Ted Clark reports the Clinton Administration is disputing assertions that the 7-year-old framework for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks is no longer viable. But a growing number of Palestinians and some Israelis say the violence of the past three weeks has irrevocably altered the situation.

In the third and final debate last night, presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore presented radically different cures for the issues that ail America. For Democrat Gore, the answers lie in policy, and on issue after issue Gore said he disagreed with his opponent. Republican George W. Bush took different tack. He argued that the real difference was who could be trusted, who could get things done, and he pointed to his record in Texas. In marshalling evidence to support their divergent views, both candidates occasionally stretched the truth. NPR's Peter Kenyon sets the record straight.

Researchers from Yale and Brown Universities report in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association that they have measured the actual brain volume of children who were born prematurely, using M.R.I. scans once the children reached eight years of age. They found that the earlier the premature birth, the more insult to the brain, resulting in a related decrease in I.Q. test scores. It's a first step towards quantifying how much delayed brain development affects intelligence. NPR's Michelle Trudeau has the story.

NPR's Martin Kaste reports that prosecutors in Argentina are trying to bring to trial members of the former military government who participated in kidnapping the children of "the disappeared." The disappeared were political dissidents who were taken away and later killed during the era known as the "dirty war." Grandmothers of the kidnapped children have conducted an exhaustive campaign to identify kidnap victims and re-unite them with their blood relatives. Prosecutors cannot file murder charges against former military leaders because of a general amnesty, but the amnesty does not cover wide-scale kidnapping of children.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell below 10,000 today for the first time since mid-March. As NPR's Jim Zarroli reports, investors had lots of economic developments to fret over. Consumer prices in September rose at their fastest pace in six months. IBM earnings missed forecasts. And a new batch of high-tech companies reported disappointing sales. All the major averages plummeted sharply after the opening bell, but gained ground later in the day.

Linda speaks with Preston Gralla, executive editor for the Downloads area of ZDNet's Website, about how to read electronic books. They compare the Palm Pilot, Compaq's new IPAC handheld, and the Rocket e-book reader. The Rocket reader is soon to be replaced by a new generation of e-book reading devices manufactured by RCA. Gralla says that now might not be the right time to buy the devices. (8:00) The ZDNet Website can be found athttp://www.zdnet.com