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Commentator Joe Loconte warns that supporters of religious freedom and supporters of abortion right are on a collision course over laws that require contraception be included on health insurance policies for state or federal employees. These laws pit a belief opposing contraception and abortion against a requirement to provide means to both. Loconte argues that these new laws are a violation of basic civil liberties.

Noah is joined by best-selling novelist, Barbara Kingsolver, author of Prodigal Summer. They discuss how Kingsolver researches the settings and characters of her novels. This one is set in southern Appalachia - a place that the novelist knows well. Kingsolver says she must spend a considerable amount of time getting to know the character and rhythm of a location before writing about it. Kingsolver has also written The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, Animal Dreams, and Pigs in Heaven. (7:45) Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver, is published by Harper Collins, October 2000, ISBN # 0-06-019965-2.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports in the past 3 presidential elections, the Pacific Northwest has voted Democratic. This year however, the region is up for grabs. Both Al Gore and George W. Bush have made numerous stops in both Oregon and Washington, and more are planned.

In the fourth part of Morning Edition's Leadership series Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg talks to basketball coach Roy Williams. Williams has consistently led the University of Kansas into the NCAA playoffs but it hasn't been easy.

Linda talks to Birger Haraldseid, a spokesperson for the Norwegian subsidiary of the Haliburton Corporation about his company's salvage efforts on the sunken Russian submarine, Kursk. The bodies of Russian sailors have been trapped inside the Kursk since it sank in August. The plan is for Haliburton divers to begin bringing the bodies to the surface this week, but bad weather has been complicating the operation.

NPR's Kenneth Walker in Abidjan reports an opposition candidate is claiming a surprise victory in Sunday's presidential election in Ivory Coast. Laurent Gbagbo says he has defeated Retired General Robert Guei who came to power in last year's military coup.

South Carolinians vote November 7th on whether to have a state lottery. The idea is touted by Democratic Governor Jim Hodges as a boost for education. Thirty-seven states have lotteries. But the idea gets a mixed response in the Bible Belt: Georgia and Florida have one. Alabama defeated a proposal last year. In South Carolina, lottery proponents face opposition from church groups and black leaders. NPR's Adam Hochberg has the story.

NPR's Eric Westervelt reports on the efforts by the gun lobby to mobilize voters who oppose gun control. Charleton Heston is urging the three-and-a-half million members of The National Rifle Association to vote for George W. Bush and other Republican candidates. The NRA and The National Shooting Sports Foundation are concentrating on critical swing states, such as Pennsylvania and Florida. Groups that support gun control also are trying to get out the vote for their candidates.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates has established an international scholarship at Cambridge University in London. Gates' scholarship is open to students of all nationalities including Americans. William Gates, Senior announced the endowment and says his son's motive is entirely altruistic.

Chris Morris reports from Ankara on Turkish anger over a resolution before the U.S. House of Representatives to acknowledge that Armenians were victims of genocide during the First World War. If the resolution passes, the Turkish government may consider revoking airspace permission for the U.S. planes on their way to patrol northern Iraq.