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NPR's John Burnett reports that as the bottom falls out of the Texas ranch economy, ranchers are turning to economic diversification -- such as ranch tourism -- to preserve their holdings. Tourism includes hosting mountain bike events or charging for admission to the bat cave. Some put a twist on the Tom Sawyer story by charging visitors to help with the ranch work.

David Greenberger reviews a new CD by Dave Alvin, titled Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land. The tracks are all traditional folk songs, like "Shenandoah,' and "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down."

Two stories on the Presidential campaign: NPR's Anthony Brooks reports on Democratic nominee Al Gore's appearance last night on MTV's Choose or Lose program, where he answered questions from college students. NPR's Andy Bowers reports on Republican nominee George W. Bush's appearance on CNN with Larry King. Host Larry King interviewed Governor Bush and his wife, Laura.

NPR's Peter Kenyon has a roundup of the legislative activity in Congress, as members try to conclude business, so they can return home and campaign for the election.

NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports that lawmakers on Capitol Hill are holding another hearing today on violence in TV and video games. Earlier this month the Federal Trade Commission, issued a report stating that the entertainment industry was peddling inappropriate materials to children. The FTC also said it was encouraged to see the industry was paying attention to the call for improved self-regulation.

NPR's Cheryl Corley reports on the beginning of televised Presidential debates. In 1960, then Vice-President Richard Nixon faced off with Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy at CBS affiliate WBBM in Chicago. Some of the people involved in the debate, including moderator Howard K. Smith and debate director Don Hewitt, spoke last night in Chicago about the event.

A note on the life of Lee Erwin, a silent film organist who composed music for Charlie Chaplin, and classic films like "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Erwin died last week at the age of 92.

Noah talks to Witold Rybczynski, the author of One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw. His book traces the screwdriver to medieval times, and highlights the contributions of inventors who have improved upon the tool, and the tools for making screws.

The Kaiser Family Foundation releases a major survey on the views of parents, teachers, and students about sex education. As NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports, there are some surprising findings -- notably that parents say they want schools to give their children more, not less, detailed information about such topics as AIDS, birth control, and sexual orientation.

Page two of the New York Times today contains an article acknowledging that the paper could have improved its coverage of the Wen Ho Lee case. Among its admissions: the Times says it made the mistake of taking on the tone of some of the government's positions in the investigation of Wen Ho Lee. Robert Siegel discusses the article with Sandy Padwe, Former Deputy Sports Editor for the New York Times, now a professor at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.