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NPR's Peter Overby reports on the relationship between the auto industry and the government. Much has changed from the early 1950's, when auto companies could be antagonistic in their dealings with Washington over safety issues. Today, they're operating a more flexible way of lobbying.

NPR's Chris Arnold reports on the high cost of rental property in the San Francisco Bay area. One Internet company that is laying off workers and planning to move out of Silicon Valley to escape the high cost of doing business there.

The House of Representatives today approved a bill that would raise the amount that certain savers can contribute to their tax-deferred retirement accounts. The current annual limit on these contributions is $2,000 but the new legislation, if passed by the Senate and signed by President Clinton, would raise that limit to $5,000. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports that kids are attending summer schools in record numbers. In St. Louis, about half of all students are enrolled in summer classes. Parents, teachers and police are pleased with the trend. And lots of kids seem to enjoy summer school, too. But the evidence is mixed on whether it improves academic performance.

NPR's Anne Sutton reports on the shortfall in salmon returns in Western Alaskan waters for the second year in a row. State Governor Tony Knowles has already started the paperwork to provide state aid; now the state is seeking federal assistance too.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports the Internet music site CDNow has been purchased by Germany's Bertelsmann conglomerate. The company is one of the most popular retailing sites on the web. But due to costly advertising campaigns and small profit margins, CDNow has lost more than 200-million dollars since it was created.

NPR's Linda Gradstein reports thousands of Israeli settlers in the West Bank could face a tough decision if the ongoing summit talks at Camp David produce a final peace accord. Some of the settlers could well have to choose between finding new homes inside Israel or staying where they are, as Jews in an independent Palestinian state.

NPR's Joanne Silberner reports that use of a more extensive screening test for colon cancer could greatly improve doctors ability to catch the disease in its early stages. But some health experts say it's not clear yet that the test is worth the cost and effort. The research appears in this week's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

NPR's Michele Kelemen reports from Moscow that the lower house of the Russian parliament, or Duma, approved legislation today giving the president more control over the country's powerful regional governors. Also today, tycoon Boris Berezovsky officially quit the Duma, to protest Kremlin moves to rein in the governors and big business.

At the World Exposition in Hannover, Germany, organizers are disappointed at the number of visitors. NPR's Guy Raz reports that the failure to draw large crowds could be in part due to globalization and modern technology that makes travel to World's Fairs seem less remarkable. The poor turnout may also be due to bad press and high prices.