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NPR's Mary Ann Akers reports that Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater is assembling a federal task force to monitor airline performance after a summer travel season marred by thousands of flight delays.

Robert talks with Masha Lipman, Deputy Editor of Itogi Magazine -- Newsweek's Russian edition -- about public dissatisfaction with President Putin 's handling of the submarine crisis. Television footage of Putin riding on a water scooter at a resort during the crisis angered many people. But Lipman says it's too soon to tell whether this could be a problem for Putin politically.

New research suggests that transplanted brain cells can help some people whose brains have been damaged by a stroke. As NPR's Joanne Silberner reports the technique has been tried on only a few patients. But the results are promising.

A small development for gays and lesbians in Florida -- the first in the nation -- may be the edge of a new trend, retirement communities for gays where they don't have to stay "in the closet."

Leda Hartman reports on the lawsuit that Hoke County and four other rural counties in North Carolina have brought, against the state's method of disbursing money to school districts. The plaintiffs argue that poor school districts can't raise as much money for public education as wealthier districts, and that the inequality feeds a cycle of underachievement and poverty. The case is currently in North Carolina State Superior Court and is expected to go to the state supreme court.

Akiva Eldar, a political analyst for the newspaper Ha'aretz, joins Robert by phone from Jerusalem to talk about the Middle East peace process. A top Israeli negotiator returned today from a visit to Egypt, and signaled that Israel wants to "build on progress" made at the recent Camp David accords. Palestinians are also showing signs of flexibility in their positions, including the September 13 deadline for an independent Palestinian state.

Steven Dudley reports from Bogota that non-governmental relief agencies are worried that the newly approved American aid package for Colombia relies too heavily on military solutions to the drug problem. The NGO's say that the 1.3 billion-dollar program puts them in danger.

Host Renee Montagne talks to Judi Bailey, President of Northern Michigan University in Marquette about the Thinkpad Initiative, a new program that provides laptops to all students at the university.

Host Renee Montagne talks to Irish Times Reporter Chris Anderson about the latest developments in Northern Ireland. British troops and police have stepped up patrols in Belfast after three killings this week. Authorities suspect that all three killings are the result of sectarian feuding.

NPR's Mary Ann Akers reports on reactions of the victims' families as the investigation of the TWA 800 crash comes to a close.