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Linda and Robert read letters from All Things Considered listeners. (2:30) To contact All Things Considered, write to All Things Considered Letters, 635 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20001. The e-mail address is atc@npr.org.

Ford is announcing today that it will increase the average fuel economy of its sports utility vehicles by 25 percent over five years. As NPR's Jack Speer reports, the company said it was responding to environmentally-conscious consumers who want their vehicles to burn less gas. Ford, which pioneered the trend toward big, gas-guzzling SUVs, appears to be shifting course under the direction of chairman William Ford Jr., an avowed environmentalist. But Ford's move may be prompted by economics, too. SUVs are highly profitable and high gas prices could put that lucrative market at risk.

In the small town of Pahrump, Nevada, a group of newcomers want to outlaw the town's oldest legal profession: prostitution. They've started a petition drive to put a referendum on the fall ballot to outlaw prostitution. Old time residents don't see what all the fuss is about. NPR's Andy Bowers reports.

Robert talks with Paul Ferrara, Director of the Virginia Division of Forensic Science, about the practice of gathering DNA samples. Ferrara is attending the National Law Enforcement Summit on DNA Technology in Washington, DC.

Banning Eyre reports on the legacy of Nigerian bandleader and activist Fela Kuti. Kuti came from a talented and educated family. He was educated in England and spent time in America. In the 1970's, his jazz and funk-influenced music challenged the political and military leadership of Nigeria. His lifestyle reflected his sharp rejection of Western ideas. Kuti eventually died of complications from AIDS. But his life is attracting new attention here in the US as his son Femi tours with a band, and a new biography by Michael Veal details his life. (12:30) Please note, Fela: The Life & Times of an African Musical Icon, by Michael E. Veal is published by Temple University Press; ISBN# 1566397650, June 2000.

Host Lynn Neary talks to Sherrie Tucker author of Swing Shift: All-Girl Bands of the 1940's and former trumpet player Clora Bryant. The book gives the history and first hand accounts of the "all-girl" big bands of the World War II era. (7:19) Sherrie Tucker's book, Swing Shift: All-Girl Bands of the 1940's is published by Duke Univ Pr (Txt); ISBN: 08223

Sixty years ago today, Bugs Bunny debuted in A Wild Hare. Linda and Robert have a few notes about Bugs' creation and we hear clips from the cartoon.

Ten years ago this week, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. The law prohibits employers from discriminating against workers based on their physical or mental disabilities. Stephen Smith of American Radio Works reports on how well the law has worked for people who faced discrimination at work because of their mental disorders.

Robert talks to Charlie Pacas, an aquatic specialist at Banff National Park, about a plan to remove non-native fish from Moraine Lake. The lake is within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. The lake was stocked with non-native fish which are pushing out the indigenous bull trout.

Linda talks with Jere Longman about the U.S. Woman's Soccer Team, the challenges they faced and how the team's success influenced the way women in sports are viewed. Longman is a sports writer for The New York Times and author of Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How it Changed the World. (5:00) Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How it Changed the World, by Jere Longman is published by Harper Collins, July 2000.