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Host Bob Edwards talks to Paul Eisenstein, editor of The Car Connection.Com, about a new car buying concept called, Build to Order. Using the Internet, car buyers will be able to specify which options they want on their new car, and to get delivery in a reasonably short time, perhaps as little as a week. Presently, the dealership has to order a customized car from the factory, and it can take months to deliver.

NPR's Rick Karr reports that attorneys representing journalist Eric Corley will ask an appellate court to remove Judge Lewis A. Kaplan from the federal case. Corley is being sued by eight motion picture companies in federal court for copyright infringement. The defense claims Judge Kaplan has a conflict of interest, since he once worked at a New York law firm that represented Warner Brothers studio, which is one of the plaintiff in the case. Earlier the attorneys asked the judge to recuse himself, but Kaplan refused.

Inflation remained in check last month as consumer prices rose at the same pace as in five of the past six months. As NPR's Jack Speer reports, core prices rose just two-tenths of a percent last month, when food and energy prices are NOT taken into account. Even though gas prices escalated sharply in June, many economists see inflation remaining tame and believe the Federal Reserve is successfully engineering a "soft landing" for the booming economy.

At union halls around the country, Texas workers are talking about conditions in the Lone Star State and their relationship with GOP Gov. George Bush. The roadshow is sponsored by AFL-CIO leaders, who promise an all out campaign for Bush's Democratic rival, Al Gore. Persuading rank-and-file voters to oppose Bush is but challenge one. Next they must convince workers to vote for Gore. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

NPR's Mary Ann Akers reports on what has become the most controversial party scheduled before next month's Democratic National Convention -- a fundraiser for a Hispanic vote political action committee to be held at the Playboy Mansion. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat, defends the event as a way of obtaining money for her cause. The money will go to her PAC, not the Democratic National Committee. Vice President Al Gore insists he will not attend. But some Democrats are still grumbling at what the fundraiser may say about their party.

Commentator Elissa Ely talks about the barber that comes to the hospital where she works. The patients look forward to his visits. The barber connects with one particular patient in a way that Elissa -- a psychiatrist -- was never able.

Husband and wife song writing team, BARRY MANN and CYNTHIA WEIL, the duo responsible for such songs as –Youve Lost that Loving Feeling,— –On Broadway,— –We Gotta Get Out of This Place,— –Here You Come Again,— –Dont Know Much,— and more. The two met when they were both working in the famous songwriting landmark, the Brill Building MANN as a composer and WEIL as a lyricist. The two have been writing ever since. In edition to their many pop hits, MANN and WEIL have also written songs for films. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW.) 12:28:30 FORWARD PROMO (:29)12:29:00 I.D. BREAK (:59)12:

Host Bob Edwards talks to reporter Barnaby Phillips about the recurring pipeline explosions in Nigeria, in which hundreds of people have died.

Commentator Mary Swander bought an abandoned Amish schoolhouse and turned it into a home. When the students returned for a reunion, she found it served as common ground between them.

Tim Crowley of North Carolina Public Radio reports North Carolina like several other states is rethinking the effectiveness of private prisons. The state department of corrections recently cancelled a contract with the private Corrections Corporation of America allowing the company to run two medium security prisons. State officials say they were concerned with the quality of staff CCA provided. The company blames its staffing problems on the rural setting of the prisons and says it didn't mismanage the state's prisons.