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NPR's Ted Clark reports the Mideast peace talks continued at Camp David today but without President Clinton who left for a few hours to attend to other matters including a visit to Congress.

NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports the U-S has announced that it ready to resume normal trade with Vietnam. The two countries almost had an agreement a year ago, but the Vietnamese government balked at the fine print. This time, the former combatants appear ready to do business. The motivation for the two sides? US investment in Vietnam lags far behind European countries and Japan. Despite tentative steps to open up to the world, Vietnam remains a very poor country.

Linda and Noah read letters from All Things Considered listeners.

NPR's Snigdha Prakash reports on a Massachusetts-based internet startup that plans to take the idea behind frequent flyer programs and apply it to an entirely new area: college savings. UPROMISE says it is signing up credit card companies, grocery chains, car companies and will take the rebates these companies offer and put them in a college savings investment account. Financial advisors are skeptical that such programs are a good idea for most people.

Noah checks in with Frankie Andreau, a domestique with the US Postal team, about racing in the Tour de France. Today riders cranked up Mount Ventoux, a climb of more than six-thousand feet. It's regarded as the toughest part of the race. Andreau's role on the team is to support to the leader, rider Lance Armstrong. Noah also talked with Andreau earlier this month.

NPR's Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem reports the ongoing peace summit at Camp David is prompting dueling demonstrations in Israel, with supporters and opponents of the peace process taking to the streets.

NPR's Jack Speer reports that corporate earnings are coming in strong, but are not strong enough to outweigh the fear of higher interest rates.

Host Madeleine Brand talks to NPR's Rob Gifford about today's meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen and China's President, Jiang Zemin. The issues they will be discussing include Taiwan, U.S. plans for a missile defense system, and arms proliferation.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that due to the cost of producing television shows, some networks are considering charging their affiliate stations for the use of their signal. Local stations, who used to be paid by the networks for access to their audiences, are fighting the move. They say if they are forced to pay to access the programming they rely on, many stations may go out of business.

Janet Heimlich reports from Austin, on the way public defenders in capital murder cases are chosen in Texas. County judges appoint private attorneys to represent indigent murder defendants. Critics say the system is flawed because there's no guarantee that a defendant will get a competent lawyer, or that the judge will approve funds to properly investigate the defendant's case.