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Brooklyn-based historian, author and playwright Charles Mee believes that the greatest plays in human history -- those by the ancient Greeks and Shakespeare -- would never have been written had copyright laws existed to keep the authors from borrowing from the culture around them. Mee puts his money where his mouth is. He makes the texts of his plays freely available on the Web, and forgoes royalties. NPR's Rick Karr reports.

NPR's Barbara Bradley covers wire reports that Independent Counsel Robert Ray has convened a new grand jury to hear evidence about the sex scandal involving President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Ray is concerned with whether the president committed perjury in his testimony about the matter. The White House is questioning the timing of the the news leaks about this new grand jury, which was reportedly seated in July, as they come on the same day Vice President Al Gore is to address the Democratic Convention.

Noah talks to Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Brands, a pilot with the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command, about the use of the C-130 transport plane in fighting western wildfires. Brands discusses why the C-130 aircraft is used, how it flies, and strategies for dropping fire retardant.

Host Madeleine Brand talks to Richard Nicholson, editor of the Bulletin of Medical Ethics about the British government efforts to increase the use of human embryos in research.

Noah has a brief note on some of the other stories on the program.

Before the Democratic Convention, Linda talked with several women from Ohio who are undecided voters and are looking to the conventions for signals as to how they should vote. We heard their conversation Monday. This week, Linda is checking back with them to hear their reactions as the Democratic convention progresses. Today we hear from Mary Curran about whether Joe Lieberman's speech helped persuade her one way or the other. She says yes ... and no.

Linda talks to Jacob Weisberg, Chief Political Correspondent for the on-line magazine "Slate," about the production values of the convention -- how the message is packaged and produced, with music and videos and other techniques designed for the television viewers. He says the Republicans offered a sleek production. The Democrats are always a little more chaotic. (4:30) The internet address for Slate is http://slate.msn.com/

Co-Host Renee Montagne talks to Bill Turque, Washington correspondent for Newsweek Magazine and author of Inventing Al Gore, about the vice president upcoming speech before the Democratic National Convention. (4:46) Inventing Al Gore (Biography Series) by Bill Turque is published by Thorndike Pr (Largeprint); ISBN: 07862

NPR's Linda Gradstein reports on rising tensions between Jews and Arabs in the West Bank town of Hebron. U.S. envoy Dennis Ross is expected to arrive in the region today to present new proposals for bridging the gaps.

NPR's Chris Arnold reports on a type of sharecropping that targets Hispanic farmers in California. The farmers sign contracts with vegetable brokers, who lend them money to go into business and then claim a large share of the crops as payment. The farmers tend to be former migrant workers, who are not fluent in English.