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With the presidential election up for grabs in many big states, the candidates and their supporters are flooding the airwaves with political commercials designed to rev up their supporters and convert the undecided. The ad war is particularly fierce in several Midwestern states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Missouri. NPR's Steve Inskeep spent much of this week watching television in suburban St. Louis to get a flavor of what voters there are seeing each day.

Danny Perez is a 29-year-old centerfielder with the Aberdeen Arsenal of the independent Atlantic League. He remembers being a Little League phenom as kid in El Paso, Texas.

Jon Miller reports from Lima that concern over the country's political crisis has abated somewhat now that the military has issued a statement. In the communiqui, the leaders of the armed forces said they still support the government of President Alberto Fujimori. The crisis was precipitated by release of a videotape showing Fujimori's intelligence chief handing a wad of money to an opposition member of Congress. In response to the bribery scandal, Fujimori has announced plans to step down and call for new elections. He also has announced the de-activation of the intelligence service.

Robert talks to Laurie Mason, a reporter for the Bucks County Courier-Times in Levittown, Pennsylvania, who is covering the trial of a man charged with damaging more than 7-thousand dollars worth of baked goods at a supermarket. Confronted with videotaped evidence of the incidents, Samuel Feldman admits he did touch the bread, cookies, bagels, rolls at the store in Lower Makefield, Pennsylvania. But he says he was only testing the freshness of the goods.

NPR's Philip Martin reports on the release of a study on the U.S compliance with the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The report details inequities between the races in the criminal justice system, educational opportunities, and the weakening of voting rights and affirmative action.

Host Bob Edwards talks to former Morning Edition commentator Tim Green about his latest novel The Letter of the Law. Green's been holding down three jobs since he retired as a player for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League. He's a sports analyst for Fox Television, an attorney with a law firm in New York State, and a best selling author. (7:27) Tim Green's new book The Letter of the Law, is published by Warner Books; ISBN: 04465

Steve Tripoli of member station WBUR reports that the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston suggests that African Americans seek help from their churches when they are rebuilding the local economies.

BBC's Adam Brimelow reports that today a British court will rule on whether doctors can separate six-week old Siamese twins in an operation in which one will die.

Robert talks to Jacob Weisberg, Chief Political correspondent for the online magazine Slate, about the presidential candidates' appearances on TV shows aimed at a female audience. Bush appeared on Live with Regis today, and was on Oprah Tuesday. Gore appeared on Oprah last week. (5:00) Slate magazine is at http://slate.msn.com

NPR's Michael Sullivan reports from Katmandu that an undeclared war in the south Asian mountain kingdom of Nepal has killed at least two-thousand people since it began four years ago. People there have become disillusioned by the country's transition to a constitutional monarchy, a change they had thought would result in a higher living standard in one of the world's poorest countries. Maoist rebels have found growing support among disgruntled civilians, although the government says civilians are coerced into helping the rebels. The government has earmarked millions of dollars for a paramilitary police force to take on the rebels. But analysts say what's really needed is good government and a serious plan to address economic problems.

Aileen LeBlanc of member station WYSO reports on the Southwest Ohio town of Xenia that was struck by a tornado last night which killed one resident and injured more than one-hundred. Xenia has been hit by tornadoes before, including one in 1974 that devastated the small town.

Immigration officials have cleared the way for nine Cubans to seek residency in the U.S. The refugees survived a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this week. NPR's Philip Davis reports this has angered Cuban officials, who say the refugees stole the state owned plane, and they should be returned to Cuba.