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An index of the day's stories: ALGERIA -- Hundreds of people are reported to be fleeing an area in northwestern Algeria which has been targeted in a series of massacres attributed to the Armed Islamic Group. Algerian newspapers say that in one village, at least one hundred and seventeen people were killed over the weekend. The BBC's Jim Muir reports. (1:30) DEFENDING -- Robert talks with Ronald Kuby, a criminal defense attorney. They discuss his experiences as the legal advisor to Colin Ferguson, who was convicted of shooting and killing passengers on a Long Island commuter train. Ferguson insisted upon defending himself, even though people considered him insane. Kuby compares that case with the Kaczynski case. (6:20) TO THE MOON, NASA -- Jacki talks about the Lunar Prospector mission, which will mark the first NASA return to the moon in more than 20 years. The mission, which was aborted last night, is scheduled to take off tonight at 9:38 p.m. EDT. (1:24) FISH IN DIET -- NPR's David Baron reports on a new study of the health benefits of eating fish, which seems to resolve contradictions in previous studies. The new research by scientists at Harvard University finds that eating fish at least once a week can help prevent heart disease deaths, but eating fish more often confers no additional benefits. (2:30) DETROIT AUTO SHOW -- Robert talks with Jim Healey, an automotive reporter for USA Today. They talk about the annual Detroit Auto Show, where automakers show off their latest products. The two most important...and contradictory...trends of the show this year seem to be a focus on the popular (though gas-guzzling) sport utility vehicles, and an emphasis on environmentally-sound vehicles. (4:30) BALLOONS -- NPR's Dan Charles looks at why high-tech balloonists keep running out of hot air. One attempt to circle the globe ended prematurely yesterday... while another balloonist delayed today's planned launch of an even more sophisticated hot-air contraption. Unmanned balloons have circled the globe for years at a time. Why are humans so unsuccessful? (5:30) MAZE PRISON -- NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports on how the peace process for Northern Ireland is being influenced by the prisoners inside the Maze prison. Their role has taken on a new significance following the murder of a Protestant paramilitary leader inside the prison. (4:00) COPENHAGEN'S MERMAID -- Vandals have cut off the head of a statue of The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark. The bronze statue is one of Denmark's most famous and beloved landmarks, drawing half a million tourists a year. This is the second time in the history of the statue that such an act has taken place. Julian Isherwood filed this report for the BBC. (1:20) THREE KINGS PARADE -- For Western Christian Churches, today is the Epiphany -- the commemoration of the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus, and a traditional day for gift-giving in many cultures. We'll hear a few moments from the parade in New York City today -- and the visit of the 3 Kings to El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem. (1:30) MEDICARE -- President Clinton today outlined a plan to let 62-, 63- and 64-year-olds get Medicare coverage by paying about $300 a month. He also proposed coverage options for those above 55 who are laid off or lose workplace health insurance. The president says working Americans often lose coverage just when they become most vulnerable. Clinton says his plan is self-financing. NPR's Mara Liasson reports. (4:30) SOUTH KOREA & BANKS -- NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports that international bankers are continuing to meet with South Korean officials as the two parties try to work out a plan to solve South Korea's foreign debt crisis. Meanwhile, as the size of the international bailout for South Korea has grown, so has the criticism of the Korean government's reliance on industrial policy as as a tool for economic growth. (7:00) OTHER STORIES -- In other stories we're following today: Human Cloning. (:30) ANIMORPHS -- NPR's Margot Adler reports on a new series of children's books called "Animorphs" that have more than ten million copies in print. The series features a group of children who gain the power to transform themselves into the animals they touch. It's not Aristotle, but the author says some teachers are using the books to discuss philosophical issues of responsibility and freedom. (7:30) ROSS & ISRAEL -- U.S. Middle East envoy Dennis Ross today met separately with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Ross's visit to the region came despite a coalition crisis in Israel, sparked by the resignation of the foreign minister, David Levy. The U.S. insisted that Ross's trip go forward. The U.S. wants assurances from both Netanyahu and Arafat that they'll be ready to deal when they come to Washington later this month for a meeting with President Clinton. At issue is an upcoming Israeli withdrawal from parts of the West Bank. The U.S. wants Israel to give up far more land than the Israelis have offered in the past. But if Netanyahu agrees, he's likely to lose the support of hardliners in his coalition--which means his government will fall and new elections will have to be called. NPR's Linda Gradstein reports. (3:00) WAR CRIMES -- Gillian Sharpe reports from The Hague, where the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal began proceedings against the eighth individual to be tried for war crimes in Bosnia. A Bosnian Croat, Zlatko Aleksovski, is accused of mistreating prisoners while he was in command of a prison camp in central Bosnia in 1993. Aleksovski has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. (3:00) MEXICO CITY KILLING -- NPR's Phillip Davis reports from Mexico City that the freeing of a man accused of killing an American businessman has angered the Clinton administration. Last week, a Mexican judge freed Alonso Gonzalez Sanchez, who police said shot and killed US citizen Peter Zarate during a robbery in Mexico City last month. Local media quoted the judge as calling the suspected killer "a modern Robin Hood." The U-S embassy has called for an official explanation of the judge's decision. (3:00) HK CHICKENS -- Hong Kong and China are discussing a crackdown on the poultry industry on both sides of the border- a response to a rare outbreak of bird flu, which has killed four people and made a dozen others ill. China provides most of the chicken consumed in Hong Kong, where the flu cases have been confirmed. The flu virus has weakened the new Hong Kong government which took control last July. Government leaders have admitted publicly they made mistakes in their handling of the flu problem, but labor and the political opposition are on the attack. NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports from Hong Kong. (3:00) |
