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Steve Tripoli of member station WBUR reports that the town of New Bedford, Mass. has lost 10,000 jobs in recent years to plant closings. Now, the town is trying a radical approach to preventing the new out-of-town owner of a plant from shutting it down: the city wants to use its power of eminent domain to seize the plant and sell it to local bidders.

2: Author and journalist, MARSHALL FRADY. His new book is "Jesse: The Life and Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson (Random House). The book tells the story of Jackson's ambitious life, from his illegitimate birth in poverty stricken South Carolina through his years working with Martin Luther King and his unprecedented runs for the presidency. FRADY writes about political figures and social and racial tensions in the United States for the New Yorker. His first two biographies were about George Wallace and Billy Graham.

Commentator David Brooks says that Robert Dole's presidential campaign has slowed down in the past few weeks, and he wishes the Dole camp were more invigorated. Brooks thinks more focus on substantial issues like taxes and race quotas would stir up the campaign.

Noah and Robert talk about different festivals around the country that mark the beginning of summer.

Senate minority leader Tom Daschle said today that no one should expect Congress to reach a deal anytime soon on passing health insurance reform that would make insurance portable from job to job. GOP amendments to the Kennedy-Kassebaum bill are the main obstacle to any agreement.

Robert Siegel speaks with Javier Solana (HA-vee-air soh-LAH-nah), Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, about NATO expansion in Central Europe. Solana says that moral and security concerns compel NATO to admit democratic countries in Central Europe that want to join the organization. He also says that despite Russian anxiety over NATO expansion, new countries should be admitted as full members, with all NATO benefits and obligations.

That's the title of a new CD from CRI Records, a label noted for serious releases of contemporary classical music. Is this a marketing ploy or is there a gay aesthetic that informs the work of these composers...something that can be captured or anthologized on disc? Dean Olsher talks to two of those represented on the CD: David Del Tredici (dell-TREH-dih-chee) and Ned Rorem who take different views on the merits of this project, a la "Point Counterpoint." John Corigliano (koh-RIG-lee-AH-noh), one of the most in-demand classical composers working today, was originally supposed to take part, but he withdrew after he saw the suggestive cover art. (8:00) (IN S

Commentator Joyce Maynard talks about redoing her address book and discovering the names of lost friends and loves-- and being heartened by the thought that new names will replace the old.

A beautiful, ethereal soprano voice backed by two acoustic guitars, accordion, and synthesizer has captured huge audiences in Europe playing music that is the antithesis of the electro-dance bands that usually top the charts there. The band, Madredeus (mah-dre-DAY-oos), is also REALLY big in Japan, despite the fact that all of the songs are in Portuguese. The band has just released its first album in this country, has just started its first U.S. tour, and can be heard in Wim Wenders' latest film, "Lisbon Story." From Spain, Emilio San Pedro reports. (8:00) (IN S

- NPR's Lynn Neary travels to South Carolina and visits two predominately black churches that were burned last year. One has been re-built, the other is nothing but rubble. Neary examines past history and the current climate in South Carolina with Blacks and Whites who were affected by the church burnings.

NPR's Eric Westervelt reports from Philadelphia that today marks the eleventh anniversary of the police dropping a bomb on the headquarters of the group 'MOVE'. The ensuing fire killed eleven members of the gourp and burned down an entire city block. This anniversary is being marked as a civil trial is underway by a survivor of the incident who is suing the city.

NPR's Richard Harris reports that the Food and Drug Adminstration today approved a new HIV test. The test allows people take their own blood at home and mail it to a laboratory for analysis. They can then call for the results by telephone. The test's maker, and the FDA, say the test will make it easier for people to find out their HIV status. Some public health experts worry about how the results will be handled.