January 28, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

ILLINOIS CROWD -- NPR's Cheryl Corley spoke to members of the audience at the University of Illinois. Those she spoke to were generally pleased with President Clinton's education and Social Security proposals. And most said they didn't think the controversy over sex and ethics allegations would hamper his agenda. (3:06)

BUYING TIME -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that while the President continues to face allegations of a sexual affair, the State of the Union has shown that public opinion is focusing less on scandal and more on policy. (2:49)

COMPETING CHILD CARE PLANS -- In the State of the Union address, President Clinton reiterated his promise to provide child care assistance for a million more children to help parents balance the challenge of work and home. But Republicans are offering their own plan, contending that the administration is discriminating against mothers who choose to stay at home. Parents say they'll take any help they can get. NPR's Vicky Que reports. (6:07)

THE UNSPEAKABLE -- Reviewer Alan Cheuse says that "The Unspeakable"...the first novel from Charles Laird Calia...is an intriguing bit of fiction, revolving around two priests...one of whom only communicates in sign language. He says that it's a meditation on the mysteries of friendship, faith, and time. (1:54)

INVESTIGATION -- NPR's Nina Totenberg reports that the Whitewater grand jury took more testimony today in its investigation into allegations that President Clinton lied about an affair with a White house intern and may have tried to cover it up. The grand jury heard from former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta, who first hired the intern, Monica Lewinsky. (2:54)

LOCAL TV -- NPR's Brooke Gladstone reports on how local television newscasts are handling the story of President Clinton's crisis over allegations involving a White House intern. A sampling reveals that some local stations are playing fast and loose with the facts but, apparently, no more so than many other news operations. (3:58)

AUSTRALIAN OPEN -- Linda talks with Robin Roberts, an anchor and reporter for the ESPN cable sports network and ABC's Wide World of Sports. They talk about the latest news from the world of tennis, where Slovak tennis player Karol Kucera beat American Pete Sampras in the semifinals of the Australian Open. In women's action, Lindsay Davenport defeated teenaged tennis sensation Venus Williams. Today, the talk at the championships revolves around the upcoming match between Czech player Petr Korda and Kucera. Though formerly countrymen, the two have never competed against each other. (4:33)

NAGANO PREP -- NPR's Julie McCarthy reports on the preparations underway in and around Nagano, Japan, where the Winter Olympics will begin on February 6th. There's a lack of hotel space, concerns about the relative lack of snow for the sports, and overall concern that visitors may feel uncomfortable with Japanese customs and food. But all in all, as the Games draw closer, local merchants are anticipating the events, the crush of athletes and spectators, and a business windfall. (5:17)

IRAQ -- The Iraqi foreign minister has denounced US threats of military action against Iraq. Foreign Minister Mohamed Said al-Salah said the US was acting unilaterally and outside of United Nations resolutions. The Foreign Minister also denounced the chief UN arms inspector, Ambassador Richard Butler, for claiming Iraq was in posession still of enough biological weapons and delivery sysems to blow Tel Aviv away. Al Salah said these claims were all "lies" and that the UN should reprimand Butler. NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Baghdad. (8:53)

IRS HEARING -- The Internal Revenue Service today presented Congress with some plans to overhaul the agency. Commissioner Charles Rosotti told the Senate Finanace committee he's working on reorganizing the IRS into separate units for dealing with individuals, small businesses, large businesses and tax-exempt organizations. That would allow taxpayers to deal with one division through any stage of a case, from audit through appeal. NPR's Barbara Bradley reports. (3:27)

KARLA FAYE TUCKER -- NPR's John Burnett reports on the case of Karla Faye Tucker, who is scheduled to be executed next week by the state of Texas. Tucker's case has drawn an unusual amount of attention because of her gender. But her supporters say there are more compelling reasons to save her life. They say Tucker has truly changed while in prison, becoming a Christian and an example for other inmates. But the clemency rules in Texas do not allow for rehabilitation as a reason for overturning a death sentence. (8:09)

SOCIAL SECURITY -- President Clinton talked more about Social Security today in a speech to college students at the University of Illinois. Last night in the State of the Union address the President said he wanted to use any surpluses in the federal budget to shore up Social Security. (4:07)

STUDENTS REACT -- As part of our special coverage of the State of the Union address last night, we spoke to a group of students from the George Washington University about their reaction to the President's speech. Social security, lower taxes, and the size of the government were among the topics that caught their attention. Students also praised the President's focus on policy rather than on accusations of sexual misconduct. (3:50)

KAISER NURSES -- NPR's Richard Gonzales reports that some 7500 registered nurses from Kaiser hospitals in northern California began a 2-day strike today. They are protesting the closure of a hospital emergency room and other managed care changes in the system. (2:52)