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NPR's Michele Kelemen reports that American Edmond Pope went on trial in a Moscow court today, accused of trying to buy Russian military secrets. Pope's supporters deny he's a spy, insisting he's a businessman who was buying declassified Russian technology. Members of the U.S. Congress have urged the Clinton administration to hold up aid to Russia if Pope is convicted. The trial is expected to last several weeks.

Satirist Harry Shearer was recently struck by a thought about the A & E program Biography. What would happen if the show ran out of famous people to profile?

The major party candidates for president returned to campaigning in swing states today after holding their third and final debate last night in St. Louis. Both camps treated today's events as victory rallies, claiming their man had the upper hand last night. NPR's Anthony Brooks has the latest on the Gore camp, and NPR's Steve Inskeep reports on the Bush campaign.

NPR's Mike Shuster in Jerusalem reports the violence in the Palestinian territories abated Friday, but tensions remain high. Prospects for a peace summit involving Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat remain unclear.

Robert talks with Salameh Nematt, Amman Bureau Chief of Al Hayat newspaper, about Arab reaction to the crisis between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

NPR's Margot Adler reports that American Jewish leaders are expressing shock, and American Arabs anger, over the latest violence in the Middle East. At least one Jewish group says Israel no longer has a "partner for peace" in Yasser Arafat. American Arab leaders say they feel betrayed by the U.S. government and media, whom they say are taking Israeli deaths more seriously than Arab deaths. Both groups say support for peace has dropped over the past two weeks.

NPR's Ina Jaffe reports on the first day of testimony in the trial of four Los Angeles policemen charged in connection with the corruption and abuse scandal at the L.A.P.D.'s Rampart Division.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports on problems that have surfaced in the big U.S. program designed to fight trafficking in Colombia. Neither the Colombian government nor other countries have come up with their share of the funding. A Congressional report highlights mismanagement in implementation of the program, known as Plan Colombia.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden in Gaza reports the violence of the past two weeks has hardened attitudes among Palestinians, with growing numbers saying they no longer support the peace process.

Robert talks to Patrick Clawson, Director for Research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and then with Ze'ev Schiff, a military analyst for the daily Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, about a call by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak for a "unilateral separation" of Israelis and Palestinians. They discuss the pros and cons of the proposal. Clawson says separating Israelis and Palestinians would bring stability to the region, while Schiff says separating the two peoples is practically impossible, and might not end the violence.