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NPR's Andy Bowers reports on the less-than-obvious sponsors of tonight's presidential debate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It won't be broadcast from a hall sponsored by corporate America, and no logos will be seen in the background. But big business is still paying big bucks to support the show.

Fidgety financial markets continued their volatile swings today. As Jim Zarroli reports, the Nasdaq composite index lost more than 4 percent of its value early in the day before rebounding sharply. But the Nasdaq, home to most new economy stocks, is still off 20-percent for the year. There's a sense of unease about some of the high-tech stocks that have powered the market's remarkable performance. Earnings at many companies have disappointed, and with interest rates and energy costs up this year, investors see little to cheer about.

The end of the cold war could mean colder -- but shorter -- routes for international air traffic, as Arctic air space could be opened to passenger planes. Russia and Canada have been evaluating possible northern flight routes. Linda talks to Sidney Koslowe, Vice President of Engineering for NAV Canada, who is attending a Transportation Symposium meeting in Washington.

Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush may not be highlighting abortion or school prayer in his stump speeches, but he does talk a lot about themes of morality and ethics. He is especially likely to do so when addressing the challenges of parenting. Last week, campaigning in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Mr. Bush spoke about family values. We hear an excerpt, as part of All Things Considered's effort to air portions of the candidates' stump speeches.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today on two cases testing whether people can sue states for damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The cases, both from Alabama, involved a nurse with breast cancer and a security guard with asthma. They accuse state-owned institutions of discriminating against them based on their disabilities, although they were competent to do their jobs. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports that in recent years the Court has cut back on the power of Congress to subject the states to lawsuits.

We'll hear how drug lords try to keep their profits in the third part of a series on the illegal drug trade by reporter Deborah Amos. Dealers accept a certain amount of trouble with the law as a part of the business. It's keeping the money that counts, and that means finding ways to hide it and transport it. There's more at http://www.npr.org/news/specials/drugwars/.

NPR's Andy Bowers reports on the second debate between presidential candidates Al Gore and George Bush last night in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Seated together at a table talk-show-style, this debate took a friendlier tone than their first meeting.

This year's election has focused on many issues of concern to the elderly -- social security and prescription drug costs among them. Those topics came up again in last night's presidential debate. NPR's Eric Westervelt watched the debate with senior citizens at Pennswood Retirement Community outside of Philadelphia and got their reaction.

The major party candidates have spent the fall competing for the votes of the political center. That means concentrating on issues with broad appeal rather than on the more controversial positions of their respective parties. But it leaves activists on both the left and right feeling uninspired by the Democratic and Republican nominees, longing to hear more about their favorite subjects. NPR's Anthony Brooks reports.

Robert talks to two analysts of Presidential debates, Psychology professor Joseph Tecce of Boston College and Jeff Rubinstein of the Princeton Review in New York City. Each offers a rather unique perspective on the debates. Tecce says research into past presidential contests shows that the man who blinks less in debates wins. And Rubinstein's publication computed a verbal grade level for each candidate during their broadcast encounter.

NPR's John Ydstie reports that two Americans will share the Nobel Prize for Economics. James Heckman of the University of Chicago and Daniel McFadden of the University of California at Berkeley were cited for their work in microeconometrics, which combines economics and statistics. Heckman designed new methods for evaluating the effectiveness of various social programs from affirmative action to job training. McFadden was credited with developing statistical methods that transformed empirical research.

NPR's Pat Dowell profiles actress Ellen Burstyn, who's getting favorable reviews for her new television program, "That's Life," and her new movie, "Requiem for a Dream." Burstyn appears in another new movie, "The Yards," which opens tomorrow in New York and Los Angeles. She has several more projects in the works.