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Robert interviews Matt Simmons, President of Simmons and Company International, an investment banking firm works exclusively with the energy business.

The 1957 musical "The Music Man" by Meredith Wilson is currently being revived on Broadway. A talk with two of the stars: CRAIG BIERKO (Be-AIR-co) who plays the lead role of traveling salesman and conman Harold Hill originated by Robert Preston. This is BIERKO's first Broadway show. Also co-star REBECCA LUKER who plays Marian the Librarian, the role originated by Barbara Cook. This is LUKER's fourth Broadway role. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW)12:28:30 FORWARD PROMO (:29)12:29:00 I.D. BREAK (:59)12:

MUSIC MAN interviews continued.The Republican National Convention convenes in Philadelphia in a week. A talk with FRANK PUNZO, Sales Manager for Verizon Communications which is the official local telecommunications provider for the convention. PUNZO is responsible for providing the infrastructure that supports telephone service, video conferencing, internet access and video streaming.Rock critic KEN TUCKER reviews "Transcendental Blues" the new recording by Steve Earle.12:58:30 NEXT SHOW PROMO (:29) PROMO COPY On the next fresh air. . .the Broadway revival of "The Music Man". . . A talk with stars CRAIG BIERKO (Be-AIR-co) who plays the role of con-man Harold Hill, and REBECCA LUKER who plays Marian the Librarian. Also . . .what it's like to make sure 45,000 people at the Republican National Convention have access to telephone, internet and other telecommunications. A talk with the man responsible for wiring the Convention. That's coming up on the next Fresh Air.

NPR's Peter Kenyon examines Capitol Hill's response to the selection of Dick Cheney as George W. Bush's running mate. Republican leaders expressed strong support for the former Defense Secretary and multiple-term Wyoming Congressman. Democrats immediately began attacking Cheney's voting record in Congress, characterizing him as extremely conservative.

Host Bob Edwards talks with author Tom Keneally about his recent visit to Eritrea. The country is suffering from the results of their two-year conflict with Ethiopia compounded by a drought. There are an estimated one million Eritreans uprooted, with many of them homeless and living in refugee camps.

NPR's Cheryl Corley reports from Chicago on the questions being raised about the way the 2000 Census was conducted. Republican Congressman Dan Miller of Florida chairs the House Subcommittee on the Census. He says that irregular procedures and fraud may have increased the head count in several cities, where there was initial resistance to the Census. The cities include Chicago, West Atlanta, Las Vegas, Florence, Alabama, and Hialeah, Florida.

Linda Wertheimer speaks with sportswriter Stefan Fatsis about professional football. The NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and the first pre-season games of the year take place this weekend. Stefan also talks about changes in the network TV contract. Networks can now broadcast both of their doubleheader games on Sunday opposite another network's broadcast of a local team's home game. The league hopes more games on TV will translate into more interest in the NFL. Also, NFL owners have a vested interest in President Clinton signing the repeal of estate taxes. Stefan explains why.

{LOST AND FOUND SOUND: "VOICES OF THE DUSTBOWL"} -- Today we hear the latest installment the "Lost and Found Sound," series: "Voices of the Dustbowl." In the 1930s, hundreds of thousands of people from Oklahoma and Arkansas traveled to California, in search of better living. Depression-related poverty and a massive drought and subsequent dust storms had made life impossible for them back home. There were no jobs, and the fields were fallow. California held the promise of work and wages, harvesting fruit and vegetables year-round. Sixty years ago, in the summer of 1940, Charles Todd was hired by the Library of Congress to visit the federal camps where many of these migrants lived, to create an audio oral history of their stories, and to document the success of the camp program to the Roosevelt administration back in Washington. Todd carried a 50-pound Presto recorder from camp to camp that summer, interviewing the migrant workers. He made hundreds of hours of recordings on acetate and cardboard discs. Todd was there at the same time that writer John Steinbeck was interviewing many of the same people in these camps, for research on a new novel called "The Grapes of Wrath." Producer Barrett Golding went though this massive collection of Todd's recordings. Together, they bring us this story, narrated by Charles Todd.

United Nations arms inspector Scott Ritter is returning to Baghdad this Saturday at the invitation of Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi leader has agreed to provide Ritter and a documentary film crew access to weapons facilities throughout the country. Ritter will attempt to judge whether Iraq has rebuilt its arsenal since U.N. inspectors left the country 19 months ago. Linda talks to Colum Lynch, United Nations Reporter for The Washington Post, about Ritter's trip.

NPR's Eric Weiner reports that US Secretary of State Albright met with her North Korean counterpart today in the highest level talks between the US and North Korea since the end of the Korean War half a century ago. The meeting, which took place in Bangkok, comes after a series of moves by North Korea to end its long isolation.