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NPR's Michele Kelemen reports from Moscow on concerns about freedom of speech in Russia. Following last month's submarine crisis, President Vladimir Putin's advisors have drawn up a 46 page document insisting that Russians and the international community have a right to "truthful" information about state policy. But some newspapers suggest that the document's language is too vague to be of any use. Meanwhile, other legal developments have solidified protection for environmental whistle-blowers.

NPR's Rob Gifford talks to ATC host Robert Siegel about today's execution of a high-level Chinese government official on charges of accepting bribes. Cheng Kejie, a vice chairman of the legislature, is the most senior official to be put to death in a widening anti-corruption campaign that now involves trials in five southeastern cities. Increasing public anger over official corruption is considered a major threat to domestic security and the government pledges to do something about it. But it's unclear whether the government is willing to take action against any and all officials, no matter their rank or connections.

The purchase "is the latest reprehensible choice from a company that has profited from addicting users to its deadly products," the American Lung Association said.

It has not been an easy campaign so-far for Dick Cheney, the Republican nominee for vice president. Cheney has been White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of Defense, as well as a member of Congress. But this is his first exposure to the special scrutiny and pressure of a national campaign. NPR's Nina Totenberg traveled with Cheney and filed this report.

NPR's Mandalit Del Barco reports on an ordinance before the West Hollywood City Council allowing landlords to ban smoking in their rental properties.

NPR's Michelle Kelemen profiles Anatoly Mironenko, a Russian who says he has a special kinship with Native Americans.

Commentator T.R. Reid, tells host Bob Edwards about his latest outdoor excursion- climbing Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Britain. At just over 4,400 feet, "The Ben" is a far cry from the 14 26,000 foot plus peaks mountaineers usually brag about, but Reid says the day long climb is well worth the effort.

Renee Montagne talks with the pronunciation editor for American Heritage dictionary about the different ways people are pronouncing words these days.

Linda reports on one of the big publishing events of the fall: the release of The Mark - the eighth novel in the Left Behind series, published by Tyndale press. It's a huge crossover success which began selling in Christian bookstores but can be found in airport bookstores and on the New York Times bestseller list. The story is the Biblical prophecy of the End Times, set in the near future.

Host Bob Edwards talks to Clarence Wyatt, co-chair of the debate steering committee at Center College in Danville, Kentucky, about the possibility that his college and town won't be the site of a Vice-Presidential debate after all. The bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates had scheduled one for October 5th, but the Bush- Cheney campaign omitted Danville from its list of approved venues. The town has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours in preparing for the event.

NPR's Brian Naylor reports on the failure of House Republicans to override President Clinton's veto of the bill that would have completely repealed the estate tax. They fell 14 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed for an override. Thirteen Democrats who previously had voted for the bill, voted to sustain the President's veto.

NPR's Eric Westervelt reports from Philadelphia that newly unsealed police documents show that Pennsylvania State troopers posed as union carpenters to infiltrate groups of protesters at last month's Republican National Convention. During the convention, Philadelphia police repeatedly denied any such infiltration. But city and state police worked together to contain the protests, so it's improbable that city police didn't know what the state police were doing.