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Glenn Mitchell of member station KERA in Dallas reports on one of the most under-appreciated jobs in journalism, writing obituaries. Writing obits can be challenging and rewarding, according to those who apply creativity. The work also can be informative and even amusing.

NPR's John Ydstie visits a town in Ohio that suffered the loss of a big employer two years ago. Huffy Bicycles shut down operations and hundreds lost their jobs. Many suffered and are resentful, but surprisingly, some people are doing better and seeking new careers or enjoying a new lifestyle. A measure of how personal change results from economic change -- as the bicycle maker now imports bike parts from China. (12:30) Next, NPR's Rob Gifford goes to the town in China where Huffy Bicycles are now made. The U.S. National Labor Committee accuses this plant of horrific working conditions, but Gifford finds happy workers. Although the wages paid here vastly undercut those that were paid to Huffy workers in Celina, Ohio, the salaries are above average for China.

Larry Abramson of NPR News covers a report by the Federal Trade Commission on the marketing of violent entertainment products to minors. The FTC says violent movies and video games are aggressively marketed to young teens that aren't supposed to have them. Many companies already have stated policies prohibiting the marketing of such products to minors. The agency is calling on entertainment companies to live up to those policies.

Today is the 10th Anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act. While many are celebrating it's accomplishments, others say we still have a long way to go before disabled people are fully accepted in society. Margot Adler reports on how some attitudes about disabled people have changed in the past ten years, and how some have not.

NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the National Urban League's annual assessment of African American progress. The "State of Black America" report shows home ownership at record highs, unemployment at all-time lows and surging college enrollment, especially among black women. But a disproportionate number of African American children live in poverty, more black men are imprisoned, and more black people die of AIDS, cancer and other diseases. Conversely, the reports says the black middle class continues to grow and the educated young experience fewer barriers than earlier generations.

Republican George Bush may not have chosen a rock star for his runningmate, but with former defense secretary Richard Cheney, he's found a man with rock solid Washington credentials. While even Democrats praise for Cheney for his calm and competence, they say the choice presents Democrat Al Gore with many opportunities. NPR's Anthony Brooks reports.

NPR's Ina Jaffe has the second of three Changing Face of America stories this week on how technology is changing education. With hundreds of colleges and universities now offering advanced degree programs on-line, a new kind of student has been created. We visit two of these students...enrolled in one of the country's oldest and most popular online degree programs.

Host Bob Edwards talks with NPR's Don Gonyea live on the Al Gore 24-hour tour, in Tampa at a dawn rally.

NPR News Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr speaks with Bill Ballenger, editor of the newsletter Inside Michigan Politics, and Eric Rademacher, co-director of the independent Ohio Poll at the University of Cincinnati about the presidential campaign in battleground states.

NPR's Andy Bowers reports from Idaho, where the civil trial of a white separatist leader begins today. Richard Butler of Aryan Nation is accused of provoking a physical assault; he claims he's an advocate of nonviolence and isn't responsible.