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President George Bush and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry went toe to toe in Miami yesterday in the first of three planned presidential debates. Guest host Tony Cox gets analysis from Terry Neal, chief political correspondent for WashingtonPost.com and Rochelle Riley, columnist with The Detroit Free Press.

David Greenberger reviews a new CD called "Rigging the Toplights" by a Chicago trio called Pinetop Seven. While many of the lyrics onthis album are dark and fearsome, Greenberger hears a strangely hopeful message in them. ("Rigging the Toplights" is released by Self-Help/Atavistic(ALP310). For more information, visit www.atavistic.com.

Phrenology, the latest release by The Roots, mixes funk, hip-hop, jazz and soul. Critic Tom Moon says the album proves that hip-hop can be provocative without aggressive, in-your-face rapping. It's on the MCA label. See http://www.mcarecords.com/artistMain.asp?artistid=49

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Tony Vena, inventor of the Pet2Ring(tm) Doorbell. Mr. Vena developed the doorbell for his cat, Phoenix, who learned how to use the device over the course of one weekend. More information about Mr. Vena's pet doorbell is available at http://www.pet2ring.com.

Liane talks with Mark Zandi , chief economist at the business consulting website Economy.com, about the recent spate of bad economic news. Many companies announced major layoffs this past week, and the unemployment has risen to 4.2%. Still, Zandi remains confident that the economy will rebound. (4:30) (http://www.econom

Liane Hansen speaks with Victoria Brooks, editor of Literary Trips: Following in the Footsteps of Fame (GreatestEscapes.com Publishing). With a forward by the late Paul Bowles, the book features essays and offers travel tips to those interested in the places made famous by the likes of Bowles, Ernest Hemingway, Noel Coward, Sinclair Lewis and others.

Bob Edwards talks with Paul Eisenstein, publisher of TheCarConnection.com about Ford's new plans for their historic Rouge manufacturing plant in Dearborne, Michigan. William Clay Ford, great-grandson of Henry Ford, wants to turn what has become a toxic waste dump into an environmental success story.

Leni Stern is considered one of the most original jazz guitar composers of her time. Her new CD is her first in three years. It's called Kindness of Strangers. Reuben Jackson has the review. (4:00) Kindness of Strangers, by Leni Stern is available on Leni Stern Recordings, http://www.lenistern.com.

Elysa Gardner reviews the self-titled debut CD of the band Caviar. Their first single is on the soundtrack of the movie Charlie's Angels. But Elysa says that it might be more suited to an Austin Powers sequel - it has a kitschy, neo-60s sound. (4:00) Caviar's self titled CD is distributed by Island Records. See http://www.caviarmy.com

Stocks were trading sharply lower this afternoon following a disappointing earnings report from technology leader Hewlett-Packard and continued uncertainty over the presidential election. As NPR's Jim Zarroli reports, the Nasdaq composite index has fallen especially hard in recent days, with shares of highly profitable, dominant companies tumbling, a situation more worrying to many investors than the decline of the dot-coms.