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Commentator Judy Muller says there are similarities between Joseph Lieberman, the democrats' vice-presidential candidate, and his predecessor 16 years ago, Geraldine Ferraro. She says Lieberman will be scrutinized as a symbol of American Jews, just as Ferraro was seen as a symbol of American women.

Steven Dudley reports from Bogota that Colombia's President Andres Pastrana has ordered an investigation of the military's involvement in an attack that resulted in the deaths of six schoolchildren. It took place 40-miles from Medellin. The children, aged 6-to-12, were on a school hike when gunfire erupted. The regional army commander initially said the children had been caught in crossfire between military forces and guerrillas. But survivors said that there were no guerrillas in the area and the children were pinned down for 45 minutes by military fire. The killings occurred just two months after the U-S Congress approved one-point-three billion dollars of mostly military aid to help Colombia fight the drug trade and guerrilla movements.

Noah talks with Phil Whitten, the editor of Swimming World Magazine, who is in Indianapolis, at the Olympic swimming trials. Whitten describes some of the highlights of the trials, and the team that's going to Sydney, Australia in September.

Vice President Al Gore arrived in Los Angeles today, as the Democratic Party prepares to formally nominate him for president. We hear some of the rally. Then, Linda Wertheimer talks with William Daley, Gore's campaign chairman, about the task ahead, and what Gore needs to do to win the election. Daley says the convention has heard about issues from its speakers so-far. Now, he says, it's time for Gore to tell the delegates about himself. He also predicts a tough -- and negative -- campaign ahead.

Before coming to Los Angeles, Linda visited with several women in Ohio, outside Cleveland, to talk with them about the Democrats, and what they wanted to hear from the Democratic convention secure their votes for Gore and Lieberman. Today, Linda checks back with Linda Smith, from Shaker Heights, Ohio. She is a stay-at-home mom with two kids. So far, she says, she hasn't heard enough about gun control and the issue of violence. Smith WAS impressed with Bill Bradley's speech. It made her feel good about the party, and afterwards she found herself nodding her head.

The Linux computer operating system has moved from the computer world's fringe to the heart of corporate America. The free, decentralized system is being featured by big computer makers such as Dell and IBM. And it's running more and more high-end computer servers. But Linux is still hard to use and average computer users are unlikely to abandon Microsoft's Windows anytime soon. NPR's Chris Arnold reports from the Linux Expo in San Jose.

Co-Host Renee Montagne reports on the issue of family values and blues. Montagne talks with guitarist John Cephas, about the lascivious nature of blues music. Party leaders blocked a planned fund-rasier at the Playboy Mansion this week; instead, the Hispanic Unity event was moved to B.B. King's Blues Club in Universal City. Cephas says many blues songs don't seem to go well with the concept of "family values."

Noah talks to Natalia Yefimova, News Editor for the Moscow Times, about the reaction of the Russian public to the submarine crisis.

NPR's Mike Shuster reports that Russia today asked Britain and Norway for help in rescuing the crew of the submarine Kursk, which has been stranded for days at the bottom of the Barents Sea. Britain has airlifted a mini-sub to Norway, to be sent on to the crash site. The request for foreign help followed repeated, unsuccessful attempts by the Russians to dock a diving bell to the sub, to evacuate the more than 100 men on board.

Andy Meyer of member station WBGO reports on continued flooding after last weekend's storms in northern New Jersey. Homeowners and businesses are concerned about the cost of replacing at least three of the dams burst by the floods.