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NPR's David Molpus reports that one of the major issues facing this country, racial division, has rarely been addressed in this year's presidential election. Although the candidates touch upon the issue in oblique ways, through discussions of affirmative action, immigration and jobs, neither has talked directly about how to bring together the nation's diverse population.

It's been a bad year in California's wine country - bad weather has plagued grape growers, causing a small harvest. Prices for quality grapes are way up. Vintners are now importing medium-quality wine from South America and France to make up the difference. Ancel Martinez reports.

- 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.