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Linda talks with Washington Post Columnist and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow E.J. Dionne, and Weekly Standard Senior Editor David Brooks, who were both in Philadelphia for the Republican Convention.

We hear an excerpt from Vice President Al Gore's campaign appearance in Chicago today, where he responded to charges made by Republicans at their convention that the last eight years have been wasted by the Clinton-Gore administration.

Commentator Douglas Rushkoff says if the endless field of jokes, trivia and information on the Web is good for anything, it's good for starting conversations.

NPR's Michael Sullivan reports that the Taliban, which governs most of Afghanistan, has lost much of the goodwill it enjoyed when it came to power six years ago. The Afghan people initially thought the Taliban would bring peace and stability to a country engulfed by war. But the Taliban has continued to pursue an offensive against the military alliance that still controls the northern part of the country. The Taliban also has failed to address the problems that make life in Afghanistan a misery for most people. The economy is in shambles, opium production is rampant and the strict version of Islamic law enforced by the Taliban has greatly restricted the lives of women who previously had enjoyed wide freedom.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports on today's lavish celebrations of the 100th birthday of the Queen Mother. The Queen Mum is still adored by millions of Britons who remember her refusal to leave London during the blitz. But today's extravagant festivities have prompted more criticism of the royals and the institution of the monarchy.

Writer and essayist Beverly Donofrio made a pilgrimage to Mexico from Los Angeles last year and she found redemption in part by hearing a song by Aaron Neville on her car's cassette tape machine. Donofrio's latest book is Looking for Mary, or The Blessed Mother and Me.

Host Jacki Lyden talks with journalist Jim Robbins about the latest developments in the wildfires in Montana. Evacuation orders were lifted south of Helena and as many as 270 families can return home. FEMA director James Lee Witt toured fire damage yesterday and promised federal money. However, danger still looms for many families just outside of Helena including that of Jim Robbins. Robbins , who has been reporting on the fires for the New York Times. New fires are just eight miles from his door.

More and more people are leaving the suburbs behind for the conveniences of urban life in America's cities. The middle class return is having a negative effect, some say an inevitable effect on some of the people who never left. NPR's Byron Henderson reports.

A class action lawsuit was launched today against Bridgestone/Firestone. It's likely to be the first of many such suits following the recall last week of more than six-million tires. The tires are suspected of causing dozens of road deaths and NPR's Jackie Northam reports the recall is sparking a fusillade of blame-trading.

Noah talks with Andrew Schneider, Senior National Correspondent for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, about an asbestos company that allegedly knew it's products could cause cancer as long ago as the 1970's. The Public Health Service asked the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to issue an alert. The asbestos is found in vermiculite made by the W.R. Grace Co., which is used in everything from potting soil to insulation. The Health Service says even casual handling of the material could expose people to 150 times the amount of asbestos considered safe under federal regulations.

The drug has been intertwined with race and ethnicity since well before the word "marijuana" was coined. Turns out there's an awful lot we don't know about the recent history of the cannabis plant.

NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that when outgoing presidents pass the baton to their vice presidents, antipathy and ego have a history of complicating the hand-off.

Dick Cheney may befacing a bigger decision than that of accepting the other half of Governor Bush's ticket; if Cheney accepts the stock options given to him by the Haliburton Company as part of his retirement package, the potential Vice-President could be in a position to influence how much those options are worth. NPR's Peter Overby reports on Cheney's dilemma.

Anita Bugg from memberstation WPLN in Nashville reports on an annual joint yard sale that spreads for 450 miles along a southern highway.

Jacki Lyden talkswith Barbara Robinette Moss about her new book Change Me Into Zeus' Daughter. The memoir chronicles the extreme poverty her large family endured in rural Alabama during the 1950's, which led to serious physical deformities for Moss. (Published by Scribner 2000; ISDN: 074320218X) (

Noah Adams talks to Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Foley, Director of the United States Marine Band. The band is performing a concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington this weekend, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the return of the US Capitol to Washington from Philadelphia.

The submarine disaster has had repercussions for President Putin, who was vacationing during much of the crisis. From Moscow, journalist Yevgenia Albats tells us how the president's decision to remain on vacation angered Russian citizens.

Jacki Lyden speaks with Los Angeles Times reporter Davan Maharaj about the recent deaths attributed toover-stocked super stores like the Home Depot and Sam's Club. Merchandise piled high has fallen off shelves onto shoppers.

Commentator Madeline Hnatowich Dean recalls her recent summer vacations out West --sharing the woods with fire fighters.

NPR's Allison Aubrey reports on the use of cochlear implants -- medical implants used to bring a semblance of hearing to the deaf. Many patients benefit from the implants,but few insurers cover the full cost. Now a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association makes the case for long-term savings in health care when the implants are used.