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NPR's Ina Jaffe has the second of three Changing Face of America stories this week on how technology is changing education. With hundreds of colleges and universities now offering advanced degree programs on-line, a new kind of student has been created. We visit two of these students...enrolled in one of the country's oldest and most popular online degree programs.

In the second part of her Mafia series, NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports on a civic campaign to rebuild the old city of Palermo, capital of the Italian island of Sicily. Palermo is a living museum, with architectural styles ranging from the ancient to art nouveau. But under the influence of corrupt politicians and their friends in the Mafia, it fell into ruin. Citizens have now begun to take back their city from the mob, restoring its architectural treasures. (8:00) Music after story was "Costumi Siciliani" from the CD "Italian String Virtuosi", copyright 1995, Rounder Records.

NPR's Peter Kenyon reports on today's opening of the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. Several tense confrontations erupted between police and smaller groups of protesters but they were negotiated with no arrests.

Host Howard Berkes talks to NPR's Anthony Brooks about Democratic candidate Vice President Al Gore decision on his running mate. Sources say it will be Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman. Gore hopes to try to break free from President Clinton's shadow in order to narrow the gap between Gore and Republican nominee George W. Bush.

Russia produced some of the world's great theoretical physicists, and some have made their home in Minnesota. 'Moscow on the Mississippi', they call it. NPR's David Kestenbaum looks at why physics bloomed in the Soviet Union -- and how things have changed for the scientists who came west.

NPR's Eric Westervelt reports on the continuing protests in Philadelphia this week during the Republican National Convention. On the first day of the convention, thousands of protesters wound their way along city streets to the convention site. Few arrests were made and city police say they would accommodate the protesters as long as they remained non-violent. (5:05

NPR's Richard Knox reports that snakebite antidote supplies are running very low this summer. In many areas, doctors have run out of the crucial medicine before patients have completed treatment. So far, no deaths are blamed on the shortage, but antivenom experts say it's only a matter of time. The shortfall arose when the manufacturer of the main antidote cut back production.

In his summer series, Play-by-Play, NPR's Neal Conan profiles Perry Barber, one of the few women who work as umpires in professional baseball. Barber works in the Atlantic League.

Scott reads mail from listeners.

Host Howard Berkes talks to NPR's Julie McCarthy about today's court hearing in Warsaw on whether Lech Walesa (LEKH wah-WEN-suh), former President of Poland worked for communist-era secret police.