|
 |
|
|
An index of the day's stories: MORAL LEADERSHIP? -- NPR's Martha Raddatz reports on why these latest allegations of presidential misconduct are receiving so much scrunity. She examines look at how President Clinton phrases his answers to allegations brought against him...from comments on alleged affairs to smoking marijuana... very narrowly and specfically. (5:00) BOTHA -- NPR's Charlayne Hunter-Gault reports from George, South Africa that former apartheid-era President PW Botha appeared in court today to face charges of contempt for refusing to testify before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The judge postponed the trial until April. Botha broke his public silence in an impromptu, defiant news conference, where he defended apartheid as "good neighborliness." The Truth Commission wants Botha to answer questions about widespread human rights abuses committed during his presidency in the mid-1980's. (4:00) BUTLER & UNSC -- Chief UN arms inspector Richard Butler told the Security Council that new Iraqi conditions on inspections for weapons of mass destruction could prevent the UN from ever learning the truth about Iraq's arms programs. US ambassador Bill Richardson termed Iraq's newest resistence to the Security Council unacceptable, but the Council itself remained divided over what action to take and it might be days before it decides how to respond to Saddam Hussein. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports from the United Nations. (3:45) P.M.S. -- At least 2.5% of women in the United States suffer from premenstrual syndrome -- PMS -- which is characterized by dramatic shifts in mood, bloating, headaches and depression that can interfere with their lives in the days before their period. Resarchers are now closer to understanding why this happens. NPR's Wendy Schmelzer reports that the reproductive hormonal cycles of women with PMS appear normal, but the changes seem to set off a response in the brain. (4:00) S.A.D. -- NPR's Michelle Trudeau reports that psychiatrists are having success in treating children who suffer from seasonal affective disorder with simple light therapy-- exposure to lots of artificial light in the hours before sunrise. The dark winter months can induce lethargy and depression, that left untreated, persists. (4:00) WHO GETS TO DECIDE -- In the last of a series of commentaries on the issue of when life begins, Rabbi Richard Shapiro says that it's a question that should only be answered by indviduals---not dictated by one religious belief or by a government or court. (4:30) SAY IT MAY BE SO, JOE -- A campaign is underway to make "Shoeless" Joe Jackson eligible for baseball's Hall of Fame. Moviegoers will remember him as the first player to take his glove to Kevin Costner's field of dreams, but he is better known as one of the central characters in the infamous "Black Sox" scandal. Various players for the Chicago White Sox were accused of taking money to "throw" the 1919 World Series...among them, outfielder Joe Jackson, one of the greatest players in the history of the game. All of the men involved were ultimately banned from baseball by the commissioner who was appointed to oversee the game in the wake of the scandal. But recently, Hall of Fame members Ted Williams and Bob Feller have petitioned the commissioner's office to have the ban against Joe Jackson lifted, and make him eligible for election to the Hall of Fame. A former Commissioner of Baseball and a baseball historian talk with NPR's Neal Conan about whether it's now time to "say it ain't so, Joe." Listeners are encouraged to vote on whether they think Jackson should be reinstated, by writing via e-mail to ATC@NPR.ORG, placing the word "SHOELESS" in the subject header. We'll announce the results of this informal poll on Monday, and will forward the resulting ballots to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. (8:00) INVESTIGATION -- The attorney for Monica Lewinsky said today the former White House intern is a target of the Whitewater criminal investigation. William Ginsburg says prosecutors oppose any deal for immunity as they probe whether she had an affair with President Clinton and that he and a friend advised her to lie about it. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports. (4:30) WHITE HOUSE TODAY -- NPR's Mara Liasson reports on some of the unanswered questions in the Lewinsky scandal. They include conversations the President or friends may have had with Monica Lewinsky...what kinds of gifts (if any) were given to her, and the extent of the President's relationship with Ms. Lewinsky. (3:30) KIDS & THIS STORY -- Linda talks with Linda Ellerbee, the president of Lucky Duck Productions; executive producer, writer and host of Nick News on the Nickelodeon Cable Network; and a former reporter and writer for NBC News. Ellerbee talks about how to produce a news show aimed at children when the big news of the week regards the allegations that the President of the U.S. has been involved in sexual impropriety. Ellerbee is not completely sure that her show will cover this story. (4:00) KACZYNSKI -- NPR's John McChesney reports from Sacramento on reaction to Theodore Kaczynski's guilty pleas to 13 charges related to bombings that left three dead and 29 injured over a 17-year spree. Kaczynski admitted his guilt yesterday in exchange for federal prosecutors dropping efforts to have him sentenced to death. (5:00) MAKES NO SENSE -- Psychologist and commentator Drew Weston...although he is relieved that we know the identity of the Unabomber...is concerned about the idea of a paranoid schizophrenic spending his life in jail. He notes that paranoid schizphrenia is one of the most treatable mental disorders, and that it is a brain disease that in effect makes Kaczynski less culpable for his actions. (3:00) POPE IN CUBA -- NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that tens of thousands of Cubans heard Pope John Paul the Second exhort the nation's youth to turn to Christianity for a life of dignity and freedom. The Pope delivered his message during a mass celebrated in the central city of Camaguey. In a written message handed to a delegation of young Catholics during the mass, the Pope repeated his criticism of the US economic embargo against Cuba, calling it "deplorable." (5:00) SUPER BOWL SETUP -- Linda talks with Stephen Fatsis, who writes about sports for the Wall Street Journal. They discuss preparations in San Diego for this weekend's Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos will play the Green Bay Packers in this championship match. But the real story is the extensive pre-game festivities and buildup to what has consistently been the most-watched television broadcast of the year. (4:30) BRONCOS FANS -- NPR's Mark Roberts reports that despite four past Superbowl losses, Denver Broncos fans are confident this year, they'll be the victors. (3:00) CHEESEHEAD ECONOMICS -- Commentator Michael Shuman is fascinated by the economics of the ownership of the Green Bay Packers football team. He talks about the mechanics of team ownership, and the revenues generated by professional football. (3:30) TITANIC REVENUES -- Movie critic Bob Mondello talks about the downside of the success of James Cameron's film "Titanic." Costing more than 200 million dollars to produce, there was concern in the industry that the movie would not recoup its costs. But now, it appears the film will turn a profit. Mondello says that though it's a good deal for the movie studios that backed the film, megabudget films could ultimately be detrimental to the movie industry. (4:00) |
