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NPR's Michele Kelemen reports from Moscow that Russian authorities are investigating several business tycoons for crimes ranging from tax evasion to embezzlements. Some see this as the beginning of a long-needed crackdown on the so-called oligarchs, moguls who have had cozy ties with the Kremlin. Other Russians worry these cases could be politically motivated.

NPR's David Kestenbaum reports on a new set of rules from the EPA that would reduce the amount of arsenic in drinking water tenfold below current limits. Arsenic usually comes from natural sources and doesn't occur in all parts of the country. But the new rules will require upgrades in water systems in thousands of small towns and rural areas.

Chris McCall reports that rescuers found 10 survivors over the weekend from a ferry disaster in which nearly 500 people, most of them Christian refugees, are feared to have died. Most of the passengers were Christians fleeing from religious violence in the Moluccas.

NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports that the largest health-care provider in Orange County will not accept any new HMO patients. St. Joseph Health System, which includes nearly 10 percent of the county's doctors, says it is losing millions of dollars on HMO contracts and can't afford to accept any more patients unless the health plans raise their rates.

NPR's Gerry Hadden reports from Mexico City on the future of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. In wake of Sunday's defeat at the polls, many PRI supporters are trying to re-establish their party as a player in the new realm of Mexican politics. But others say the victory of the National Action Party's presidential candidate, Vicente Fox, could be the end of the PRI.

Anne Sutton reports from western Alaska on the political debate that could determine whether a family is able to survive. Many families in rural Alaska live off of fish from the rivers, berries from the trees and game from the mountains. Some residents say subsisting off the land is a tradition that keeps them alive.

Still enjoying the lift provided by his speech at the Democratic national Convention, Vice President Al Gore campaigned through the Midwest this week in an open-collared shirt and an upbeat mood. NPR's Anthony Brooks reports that Gore is borrowing heavily from his father's populist campaign style and, for the moment at least, it seems to be working.

NPR's Phillip Davis reports Florida is offering motorists a new license plate featuring the slogan "choose life." Money from the sales of the new tags go to promote adoption. But abortion-rights groups say the message is inherently religious, and therefore unconstitutional. They've lost a round in court, but are still fighting against the plates.

NPR's Michele Kelemen has a report from Podolsk on Russian sports hero Alexander Karelin. This giant of the Greco-Roman wrestling scene is going for his fourth Olympic gold in Sydney next month. But he's not just an athlete; he's also a member of the Russian Duma. President Putin's party recruited Karelin last year to boost its public image.

Nearly a third of the American workforce works a temporary or part-time job, or hires on as an independent contractor. For many workers, these arrangements provide the flexibility and freedom they never had in traditional jobs. But many "free agents" struggle to obtain benefits and professional stability. As David Molpus reports, a new study finds that organizations are emerging to help workers cope with the change, but there are still lots of bumps in the system.