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Alan Cheuse reviews Eater, a new novel by Gregory Benford, a physics professor at the University of California's Irvine campus. Benford is one of the country's most prolific and successful writers of science-fiction. (2:00) Eater, by Gregory Benford is published by Avon.

NPR's Tovia Smith reports on the ruling by a federal appeals court that upholds most of Massachusetts' restrictions on tobacco advertising. The court ruled that the restrictions do not violate the First Amendment.

NPR's Larry Abramson reports on Congress's struggle with a couple of communications issues: whether to require cable systems to open their lines to outside Internet providers, and whether local phone companies will be allowed to offer long distance data transfer. These issues are becoming a major target for industry lobbyists on all sides of the issue, and the result has been a stalemate as to the best way to speed deployment of hi-speed Internet access.

Inflation remained in check last month as consumer prices rose at the same pace as in five of the past six months. As NPR's Jack Speer reports, core prices rose just two-tenths of a percent last month, when food and energy prices are NOT taken into account. Even though gas prices escalated sharply in June, many economists see inflation remaining tame and believe the Federal Reserve is successfully engineering a "soft landing" for the booming economy.

Robert talks with Robert Reischauer, President of the Urban Institute in Washington D.C., about the way the government makes its surplus projections. He says it's tricky to agree on a certain number assumption to be used in making calculations. One assumption is based on changing demographics, and the other is based on projections for the economy.

NPR's Wendy Schmelzer reports that even young men need to worry about their cholesterol levels. A study in this week's Journal of The American Medical Association finds that men who had high cholesterol in their 20s and 30s were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease later in life.

Massachussetts has long been one of the most generous states for students with special needs. A 26-year old law has required school districts to give students the "maximum feasible benefits" to keep them on track in public schools. But lawmakers have recently limited those services, and that has parents of special needs kids worried. From Member Station WBUR, Toni Randolph reports.

Host David Wright speaks with Dr. Fred Luskin of the Stanford Medical Center about the science of forgiveness.

Host David Wright speaks with political analyst Stuart Rothenberg about what a Republican vice presidential nominee must bring to a Bush ticket. Governor Bush is expected to name his running mate in the next few days.

Host David Wright talks with ethnobotanist Mark J. Plotkin, Ph.D, about his new book Medicine Quest. Plotkin has done extensive research throughout the rainforests of South America to explore the healing secrets of the natural world. Plotkin says we have a lot to learn from the biodiversity of the rainforest, especially from unlikely sources such as spiders, snakes and tree bark.