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An index of the day's stories: EU & ALGERIA -- Sarah Chayes reports that a European Union fact-finding mission to Algeria was frustrated in its attempt to discover what lies behind the savage violence against civilians, including women and children, that have been occurring with frightening regularity. The mission was politely received by Algerian officials, but their contacts were closely curtailed, and the delegation was not allowed to visit sites of recent massacres or talk to witnesses or survivors. (3:00) AMB. SEZ... -- Robert talks with Abdallah Baali, the Algerian ambassador to the United Nations. They discuss the recent violence in Algeria, which has left nearly a thousand civilians dead since the end of 1997. Baali will also assess recent European Union efforts aimed at curtailing this violence. (4:54) ARCHER TAXES -- The chairman of the chief tax writing committee of the House today called for a major tax cut. Congressman Bill Archer, chairman of the Ways and Means committee, proposes capping the federal tax burden at 19 percent, down from the current 19.9 percent, of the gross domestic product. Archer also says federal spending should be cut. NPR's Brian Naylor reports. (3:30) DAWSON'S CREEK -- Screenwriter Kevin Williamson is riding a wave of popularity in Hollywood because of his scripts for the hit films "Scream" and "Scream 2." Williamson is now turning to television with "Dawson's Creek," a soap opera aimed at teenagers that begins tonight on the WB network. Unlike his films, the teenagers in Williamson's tv show don't get killed, but critic Ken Tucker thinks watching Dawson's Creek is a bad way to kill time. (4:00) VATICAN'S VIEW OF TRIP -- NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome on what Pope John Paul the Second hopes to accomplish on this week's historic trip to Communist Cuba. Many of Fidel Castro's opponents hope the pontiff's five-day visit, which begins tomorrow, will spark the same sort of upheaval he contributed to in eastern Europe. But the Pope does not want to see a sudden, possibly violent revolution topple Castro. Instead, he wants to carve out more space for the Catholic Church as a force in civil society, so that it might play a role in fostering a slow, peaceful transition to democracy. (6:25) AUSTRALIAN OPEN -- Linda talks with Robin Roberts, a sports analyst for the ESPN cable network, about the American tennis star sisters Venus and Serena Williams. They will face each other Wednesday in the Australian Open. This contest is not only for advancement in the tournament...it's for a place in the women's international tennis rankings' top ten. 17-year-old Venus is already unofficially considered to be in the international top ten...and her sister Serena is not far behind. (For more information on the Australian Open, there is an Internet site with schedules, biographies of players, and information on the tournament. On the World Wide Web, the address is http://www.ausopen.org/) (4:30) MIND YOUR Z'S AND Q'S -- Robert and Linda look into a report by the Detroit News today stating that there's a new trend in the world of telecommunications...the addition of the letters Q and Z to the telephone dial. (2:00) ROE V. WADE -- In the first of a series of commentaries running this week, the 25th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade SCOTUS decision, David Cole says that Roe v. Wade was not a victory for either side of the abortion issue, but a compromise that recognizes part of the "pro-life" position...that the fetus is a person and deserves protection at some point in the pregnancy---and the "pro-choice" position that a woman has a right to choose abortion for some period during the pregnancy. In rejecting the extremes of both sides, the court had to compromise on issues that many feel brooks no compromise. (3:30) KNOWN SOLDIER -- The Pentagon is considering reopening the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery to test whether the remains of an officially unidentified Vietnam veteran are those of a 24-year-old fighter pilot shot down in 1972. Some evidence suggests that the remains ceremonially laid to rest by President Reagan 14 years ago belong to 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, a decorated flier still officially listed as missing in action. NPR's Martha Raddatz reports. (4:04) CLINTON & NETANYAHU -- NPR's Mara Liasson reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Clinton today to discuss the stalled Middle East peace process. Though both Israeli and White House officials said the talks had been positive, there was no evidence that any real progress had been made to jump start the peace talks. (5:00) HOLOCAUST MUSEUM -- The U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. has reversed an earlier decision and now says it WILL welcome Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat with a special invitation when he visits the capitol this week. Museum officials had originally said Arafat could come to the museum as an ordinary visitor but they would not give him an official welcome out of fear of offending some members of the Jewish community. NPR's Dean Olsher reports. (2:25) GENE BIAS -- NPR's Richard Harris reports on a new White House proposal to restrict the release of genetic test information. Such tests are increasingly valuable tools for determining who will get what disease. The administration wants to prohibit misuse of the information by employers against employees who may have -- or develop -- expensive diseases. (4:00) MODEMS -- NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that some of the biggest companies in the computer and telephone industries have agreed on a common standard for the next generation of the computer modem. The modem the companies hope to bring to market by the end of the year is being presented as an alternative to the cable modem, which the telephone industry has viewed as a potential threat. (4:00) DOG PACKS -- Commentator Donald McCaig talks about the behavior of the pack of dogs with which he lives. (3:30) CUBA PREP -- NPR's Phillip Davis reports from Havana on the last-minute preparations for Pope John Paul the Second's long-anticipated visit to Cuba. The pontiff arrives in Havana tomorrow to begin a five-day tour, which will include masses in four different cities. While the Catholic Church is urging the faithful to turn out in force, Fidel Castro has told Communist Party members to attend the masses as well. On Sunday, the Pope will conduct mass in Havana's famed Revolution Square, with Castro in attendance. (2:30) PABLO -- Commentator Andrei Codrescu goes to Havana and falls into the world of a young teenaged hustler named Pablo. Pablo is a jinatero ...literally, "a jockey," but idiomatically, "a guy looking for dollars." Pablo is a charmer, ready to supply any sort of service or goods. He offers pithy anti-regime remarks one second, a box of cigars swiped from a factory the next, and a full-scale Santeria service the moment after that. Andrei guides us through the experience many visitors to Cuba may have as a result of becoming affiliated with jinateros, with tips on the pros and cons of traveling through the country. (10:00) INDONESIA -- NPR's Mary Kay Magistad reports that Indonesia's ethnic Chinese minority, which has a big stake in the business community, fears reprisals for rising prices and continuing economic turmoil. Last week, shops in East Java were targeted by mobs of people enraged by price hikes on essential goods. Despite last week's economic reform agreement between Indonesia's President Suharto and the International Monetary Fund, the local currency, the rupiah, today came close to a new low against the US dollar. Authorities and analysts predict more social unrest in the face of impending corporate bankruptcies and massive layoffs. (4:00) RECOMBINANT MOVIE TITLES II - THE SEQUEL -- Robert and Linda revisit an idea for Hollywood film developers and for cineplex managers pressed for space on the marquee...combining film titles for maximum effect. (3:00) |
