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NPR's Tom Goldman reports from Sydney, Australia that 21 extra meteorologists have been brought into the city to try to forecast the weather during the summer Olympics, which start Friday. Some athletes complain that the name should be changed to the early spring Olympics as summer has not arrived in Sydney and morning frost covers parts of the Olympic village. Olympic officials are sending in extra blankets but can do little to help the triathlon athletes. This weekend, they will be competing in the chilly waters of Sydney Harbor.

NPR's David Welna reports on mercury contamination in scores of suburban Chicago homes. Government officials are pressuring the Nicor Gas company to speed up its inspections of more homes that could be contaminated. The mercury was apparently spilled when the company and its subcontractors removed old-fashioned mercury-filled gas pressure regulators.

NPR's Barbara Bradley reports on new developments in the case of Wen Ho Lee, a former scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Lee was indicted and jailed last December for illegally copying files, and now has agreed to a plea bargain. Lee could walk free today if a judge approves the deal.

NPR's Adam Hochberg reports that anti-tobacco lawyers have asked a federal judge in Brooklyn to consolidate all punitive damage cases into a nationwide class-action suit. The Lawyers are scheduled to meet at a hearing today in New York.

Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr wonders if American intelligence didn't learn of former Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee's suspected espionage for China from the Chinese themselves.

The longest continuously running radio program in the world ended today. Rambling with Gambling was 75 years old. It had been on WOR in New York City since 1925 -- always hosted by someone named John Gambling: father, son and grandson. It was a morning program that started as an exercise show and became light talk, music, news and traffic & weather.

NPR's Gerry Hadden reports on the success of an Internet company named Novica.com that is talking technology to remote areas and helping to enrich local artisans by selling their wares on-line.

Host Bob Edwards talks with NPR's Cokie Roberts about the presidential race. Polls are forecasting a tight race between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush. After a summer slump, Gore has made significant gains, and is even ahead in some surveys...pushing Bush into a position he didn't expect.

Will Murphy from member station WFIU in Bloomington Indiana reports that Bobby Knight, Indiana University's head basketball coach, has been fired. He coached the Hoosiers for 29 years. Knight has a history of violent outbursts, and a recent incident between the coach and a student led IU officials to believe he violated a school policy designed to keep the coaches temper under control.

A Congressional primary in Brooklyn has brought longstanding distrust between African-American and Caribbean-American communities. Congressman Major Owens, who is black, is being challenged in tomorrow's primary by a Jamaican-born city council member, Una Clarke, who claims Owens has ignored the growing Caribbean influx in the district. Beth Fertig from member station WNYC reports.