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Nearly a third of the American workforce works a temporary or part-time job, or hires on as an independent contractor. For many workers, these arrangements provide the flexibility and freedom they never had in traditional jobs. But many "free agents" struggle to obtain benefits and professional stability. As David Molpus reports, a new study finds that organizations are emerging to help workers cope with the change, but there are still lots of bumps in the system.

Working cop and writer Richard Rosenthal. For 20 years, Rosenthal was a detective for the New York Police Department where he dealt with homicide, narcotics, and armed robbery. Now he is the chief of Police in a small village on Cape Cod. He'll talk about the differences between the two kinds of police work. Rosenthal is the author of two books about police work called Sky Cops and K-9 Cops. He also wrote a novel called The Murder of Old Comrades. His new book, Rookie Cop(Leapfrog Press), is a memoir about his time undercover in the Jewish Defense League.

NPR's Michele Kelemen has a report from Podolsk on Russian sports hero Alexander Karelin. This giant of the Greco-Roman wrestling scene is going for his fourth Olympic gold in Sydney next month. But he's not just an athlete; he's also a member of the Russian Duma. President Putin's party recruited Karelin last year to boost its public image.

NPR's John Burnett reports from the Mexico border, where, over the last six years, the United States has substantially increased efforts to stop illegal aliens from entering. Burnett accompanies some Border Agents on their rounds, and talks to some of the Patrol's critics. Ranchers in Arizona and Texas are among those who say the thousands of new agents and new technology have done little to stem the flow of illegals.

NPR's Tovia Smith reports on a California court ruling that an anonymous sperm donor must come forward to testify in a case involving the sperm bank and the parents of a child who now suffers from a genetic kidney disorder.

A team of four California rock climbers were taken hostage for six days this summer by Islamic rebels in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan before managing to escape. Noah talks to Beth Rodden, a 20-year-old world-class climber from Davis, California, who was a member of the team, about the harrowing adventure.

French law had set a Sept. 15 deadline for the country's 2.7 million health care workers to get vaccinated. The ones who didn't get a jab were suspended, the country's health minister says.

Noah Adams speaks with John Powers, who covers the Olympics for the Boston Globe. Powers has been following the series of arbitration cases by American athletes who say they should not have been passed over for the US Olympic team. Major cases include athletes in wrestling, cycling, and softball. Powers says a lot of the cases involve the way in which athletes are chosen for the teams.

The Elements - Satirist Tom Lehrer's recitation of all the names of the chemical elements to the tune of I am a Very Model of a Modern Major General. (1:00) The song The Elements is from the CD The Remains of Tom Lehrer, on Rhino Records, www.Rhino.com.

Heavy fighting between Indian and Pakistani forces in the disputed border area of Kashmir broke a cease-fire today. Zaphar Abash, of the BBC, reported from Islamabad that both sides are accusing the other of starting the clash.

All Things Considered offers a work song for temporary workers that might need an outlet for their pain at having an insecure status in the workforce.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg contemplates the finer points of punctuation.