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- Daniel speaks with reporter Virginia Biggar about the other political convention that opens today, that of Ross Perot's Reform, Party. Biggar explains that today's event in Dallas, where Perot and his rival, former Colorado Gov. Richard Lamm will deliver speeches, is only the first part of a two-phase convention. The second phase, she says, will include voting by mail and e-mail and the announcement of the party's candidate next Sunday.

NPR'S Richard Gonzales reports on the fizzling fate of the California Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI), which would ban state affirmative action programs. It was expected to provoke lots of political debate, but except for professional pundits, most organizations that could be affected aren't very interested. And the number of voters who are undecided on the issue has grown.

Former O.J. Simpson criminal defense attorney JOHNNIE COCHRAN JR talks with Terry Gross about his new book "Journey to Justice." It is published by One World Ballantine Books. The book is co-written by Los Angeles Times reporter Tim Rutten. Cochran discusses his role in winning Mr Simpson a not-guilty verdict in the slayings of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Turkey on that country's concerns about the fighting between Kurdish factions in neighboring northern Iraq. The Turks have a Kurdish problem of their own, fighting a nationalist group they say is using the north of Iraq to launch attacks on Turkish targets. While Turkey wants a resolution to the Kurdish fighting, it doesn't necessarily back United States efforts to mediate an end to the conflict.

Congressman Wes Cooley was indicted for making false statements about his military record in Oregon state voters' pamphlets. The indictment says that congressman - who was elected in 1994 and didn't run again this year - lied when he said that he was a member of the Army Special Forces in Korea. From Portland, Colin Fogarty reports.

- NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Jerusalem on a real estate trend in that city which some say could endanger hopes of a lasting peace there. Traditionally, Jewish Israelis have lived on the west side of the city and Palestinians have lived on the east side. But recently a private Jewish group has begun buying properties on the east side and renting them to Jewish families. And critics warn that the trend is only adding to tensions between Arabs and Israelis.

China has passed a new law making aging parents the responsibility of their children. The problem of how to care for the elderly is particularly acute in China, where life expectancy is long and where there are not government-funded services for their support. Many Chinese complain that the burden of caring for their aging parents is too great. Anthony Kuhn has this report.

One of the Republicans' promises to congressional office workers, the right to unionize, may be slipping away. The law passed at the beginning of the 104th Congress allowing aides to organize specifies a deadline of October first for a final approval vote. But NPR's Barbara Bradley reports that Congress has not been able to work out which staffers should be allowed to unionize and under what terms.

NPR's David Welna reports on the tensions in Nicaragua growing out of a dispute over the results of last month's presidential election. Even though Nicaragua's electoral council today finally confirmed the victory of the conservative former mayor of Managua, Sandinista candidate Daniel Ortega refuses to concede, saying there was fraud. The conflict is making the business community and foreign investors increasingly nervous.

The corporate battle for control of the Conrail railroad moved to federal court in Philadelphia today. Conrail agreed to a merger with CSX last month, but another railroad, Norfolk Southern, quickly countered with a higher bid. Whoever wins the merger fight will have a dominant position in the eastern United States. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports that many Conrail workers are worried that their jobs will be lost when the merger goes through.