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Edward C. Walker, the inventor of the Lava Lamp, has died. Noah talks with Cressida Granger about Walker and his creation. She is the managing director and owner of Mathmos, which now owns and sells Lava Lamps.

The Toronto International Film Fest is usually mobbed with over a thousand industry types from all over the world. But this year the partially-online festival has been bleak and deserted.

High School student Melanie Thomasson says when she hears the kids she used to baby-sit playing baseball outside on a summer night, she realizes she's lost her summers to obligations and activities.

Akiva Eldar, a political analyst for the newspaper Ha'aretz, joins Robert by phone from Jerusalem to talk about the Middle East peace process. A top Israeli negotiator returned today from a visit to Egypt, and signaled that Israel wants to "build on progress" made at the recent Camp David accords. Palestinians are also showing signs of flexibility in their positions, including the September 13 deadline for an independent Palestinian state.

Claudio Sanchez reports on the latest results of a 30-year survey of nine, thirteen, and 17-year old American students. The report, which looks at reading, math and science scores, shows today's students are doing better in math than students did 30 years ago. Performance is mixed in reading and science. The survey finds the academic gap between boys and girls has virtually disappeared. It says the gap between white and minority students closed for a while, but has started to open up again. The report also says a much greater percentage of today's students are taking tough courses, such as calculus, than students did 30 years ago.

Amy Tardif of member station WGCU in Fort Myers reports on changes in Florida's fire inspection laws. Schools are now required to be inspected by fire marshals, but there's not been enough time to get all schools up to code.

Host Renee Montagne talks to reporter Richard Galpin about the resurgence of violence in East Timor. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees suspended operations in West Timor after three of its workers were severely injured in an attack by pro-Indonesian militias.

Doug McLennan reviews the two CD set entitled "Serenity" by the Bobo Stenson Trio. (4:00) Serenity by the Bobo Stenson Trio is on the ECM label, http://www.ecmrecords.com

Robert talks to California Attorney General Bill Lockyer about settlement in the state's lawsuit against Publishers Clearing House. Lockyer says this is just the beginning -- that he's been talking with other state Attorneys General about closing a similar settlement deal with another major sweepstakes company.

Writer Samuel Freedman. Hes just written a book about the state of the American Jewish Community called –Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for the soul of American Jewry." (Simon & Schuster) Freedman believes that three fundamental questions are rending the American Jewish community today: "What is the definition of Jewish identity? Who decides what is authentic and legitimate Judaism? And what is the Jewish compact with America?" We talk with Freedman following the recent nomination of the first Jewish vice presidential candidate, Democrat Joe Lieberman. Freedman is also the author of –The Inheritance: How three families and America moved from Roosevelt to Reagan and Beyond,— which was a finalist for the 1997 Pulitzer prize.12:28:30 FORWARD PROMO (:29)12:29:00 I.D. BREAK (:59)12:

NPR's Gerry Hadden reports from Mexico City on the visit of Mexico's President-elect Vicente Fox to the United States. Fox meets in Washington today with Vice President Al Gore and later with President Clinton, and then tomorrow in Dallas with Republican Presidential nominee George W. Bush.

Host Renee Montagne talks to Irish Times Reporter Chris Anderson about the latest developments in Northern Ireland. British troops and police have stepped up patrols in Belfast after three killings this week. Authorities suspect that all three killings are the result of sectarian feuding.