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Commentator Don Eberly says this summit comes at a time when America's reputation for volunterrism is in doubt---and he offers several suggestions for making the summit worth the effort. For example: We have to see volunteerism as something more than just a way of filling the gap--giving is an essential part of being human, the call to volunteer must be a call to join voluntary associations, volunteers are no substitute for family.

-- NPR's Eric Westervelt reports on the summit on volunteerism continuing today in Philadelphia. Yesterday President Clinton, two of his predecessors, Vice President Gore, and six thousand other volunteers cleaned up an inner city neighborhood...today delegates begin working on developing ways to get people more involved in their communities. Meanwhile, protesters and observers don't believe that volunteers can perform all the tasks set out for them.

Linda Wertheimer talks with Elizabeth Drew about her new book "Whatever It Takes: The Real Struggle for Political Power in America." In her book Drew takes a look at what happened in the 1996 election from the perspective of the fight for control of the Republican party. The fight was waged in part by the Leave Us Alone coalition... whose members ranged from people from the Christian Coalition, the Beer Wholesalers to interest groups seeking reduced taxes. (Station Note: The book is published by Viking)

a former senior official at the Department of Health and Human Services, about the welfare reforms enacted last summer. A friend of President Clinton's, Edelman resigned in protest when the bill was signed into law. He's written an article critical of the new welfare rules. Edelman agrees with the aim of the reforms...to get people off welfare and back to work...but he says the changes don't provide enough help.

Commentator Alan Cheuse reviews "Payback," a debut novel by Thomas Kelly about two Irish brothers caught up in the struggle between honest labor and mob corruption. Publisher is Knopf.

NPR's Laurie Neff reports that a decision by Israel's cabinet to transfer a portion of West Bank territory to Palestinian control has further enraged the Palestinian people. They say Israel is not handing over enough territory. The Palestinians already were angry over Israel's decision to expand Jewish neighborhoods in Arab East Jerusalem.

NPR's Don Gonyea reports on this morning's reopening of a main bridge linking Grand Forks, North Dakota with East Grand Forks, Minnesota. The bridge had been closed since April 18 and its closing meant a drive of more than 150 miles just to get across the Red River. Many people who had been trapped on one side of the river were reunited with their families and co-workers today.

Dutch fashion designer and engineer Anouk Wipprecht distinctive "fashion tech" designs combine couture, interactive technology and artificial intelligence.

As Shanghai's World Expo readies to open May 1, the final countdown is on. And after an eight-year build-up, Shanghai is suffering from the tyranny of high expectations.

James Rebanks' new book Pastoral Song urgently conveys how the drive for cheap, mass-produced food has impoverished both small farmers and the soil, threatening humanity's future.