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Tea Party conservatives and some liberals agree on key criticisms as the new education standards roll out in 45 states: that they're a one-size-fits-all approach, create a de facto national curriculum, put too much emphasis on standardized tests and undermine teacher autonomy.

NRA's executive vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre addressed the annual gathering of conservatives in the wake of the Parkland school shooting. His message included a call to have arms in schools and an admonishment of those calling for stricter regulations on guns. LaPierre said those people are exploiting the moment for political gain.

More than 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. now comes from abroad. And fishermen in other parts of the world continue to kill not just dolphins but seals and even whales. So conservation groups are calling for tougher import rules to protect sea animals at risk from fishing.

Audie Cornish talks to Marcus Owens, former director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The division is the same one under scrutiny for targeting conservative groups. He talks about the IRS's vetting process in determining tax exempt status and where they may have gone wrong.

Noah talks to Esther Siegfried, Chief Conservator for the Laboratory of Fine Arts in San Antonio, Texas, about statues stolen from the San Juan Capistrano Mission. Other statues in San Antonio Missions National Historical Park have been removed until a way is devised to secure them safely.

Linda Werthiemer met with a group of conservative women who live in Rocky River, a mostly white, middle-upper class suburb of Cleveland. They are all planning on voting for Dole, but as we heard from the businessmen, they aren't excited about it, and are disappointed in their candidate. They are already resigned that Clinton will be re-relected.

Vice President Dick Cheney will formally accept the Republican Party's nomination for a second term as President Bush's running mate Wednesday night. Over the last four years, Cheney has been Bush's most influential adviser, an emissary to conservatives and a lightning rod for critics. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

Another day of record-breaking heat puts more stress on California's already stressed power grid. Even as businesses and the public try to conserve, there's still a chance that power regulators will be forced to call for rolling blackouts. California has suffered through more than a week of triple-digit temperatures.

The reversal of a conservation law court decision to protect Michigan's Au Sable River is an unintended outcome from large donations by anonymous funders funneled through tax-exempt organizations. Known as 501(c)(4)s, these groups are becoming a vehicle of choice for big donors to hide large political donations.

Linda talks with Carl Ander (AHN-dur), the founder of "Gratistelefon" (GRAH-tiss-TELL-eh-fahn), a Swedish ad company that offers free long-distance phone service to customers willing to have their conversations interrupted occasionally by commercials. They talk about how this service yworks, whether a similar system could work here, and its phenomenal popularity in Sweden.

Jacki Lyden talks politics with editors of three national newspapers. Bob Kittle with the San Diego-Union Tribune, Mindy Cameron with hte Seattle Times, and Tom Bray with the Detroit News. Bob Dole is the focal point of this conversation, and most of these editors say their readers feel Dole made the right move when he announced his resignation from the Senate this week.

Korva talks with Fred Hay about his new book, Goin' Back to Sweet Memphis: Conversations with the Blues. As a college student in the early '70s, Hay recorded the stories and songs of several Memphis blues legends. All of them have passed on, but their stories remain in Hay's book. (Goin' Back to Sweet Memphis University of Georgia Press; ISBN: 0820323012)

Youth Radio commentator Nishat Kurwa visits her family's ancestral home in India's Gujarat State to attend her cousin's wedding. It's an arranged marriage, an idea that had long made American-born Kurwa uncomfortable. But the rich wedding festivities and conversations with her cousin about the benefits of arranged marriage have made her more open to the idea.

Like all good things, so too must end Luke Gorski's pilgrimage to visit all 66 Minnesota State Parks this summer. Luke joins Heidi Holtan and John Latimer one final time to recap the final five parks on Luke's voyage, and provide a peek at his "Parks by the Numbers". To hear the full conversation, click the "Listen" player above.

The House today took up legislation to avoid a third shutdown of the federal government. Temporary funding runs out at midnight tomorrow. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports that Republican efforts to include measures to satisfy their conservative members brought warnings from Democrats that this bill could force thousands of federal workers to be furloughed.

NPR's Linda Gradstein reports that the new Israeli transportation minister has announced plans to shut down one of Jerusalem's major thoroughfares during prayer hours on the Jewish Shabbat. The act has triggered concern among many Israelis that it is a sign of growing Jewish Orthodox power in Israel's new conservative government.

Recent Republican conventions have given new visibility to religious conservatives, who were finding a home and a power base as never before in the GOP. The role of religious activists has been far less prominent in Philadelphia this week. But that does not mean the Christian right has disappeared. NPR's Lynn Neary reports.

Massachusetts lawmakers begin debate on a constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to heterosexuals, following a ruling by the state's highest court giving same-sex couples the right to wed. In 12 other states, conservatives worried by the Massachusetts ruling are pushing for similar constitutional bans on gay marriage. NPR's Tovia Smith reports.

A new liberal radio network is scheduled to take to the airwaves Wednesday, March 31. Headlined by comedian Al Franken's new show "The O'Franken Factor," the Air America network aspires to offer an alternative to conservative talkers like Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh. Hear NPR's Robert Smith.