February 10, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Economic Report -- The Clinton Administration today called the U.S. economy fundamentally sound and well-positioned to withstand Asia's financial turmoil. The report, from the Council of Economic Advisors, projects economic growth to slow to 2.2% this year and predicts unemployment will not change much from its present 24 year low. NPR's John Ydstie reports. (3:00)

Iraq Strategy -- NPR's Ted Clark reports that while many analysts talk of the need to have an Iraq without a Saddam Hussein, no one really has a clear picture of what the options really are. They range from a benign military dictatorship run by a Sunni general to outright disaster and the breakup of Iraq. Analyzing the real situation shows that there is no viable opposition on which to build a viable government. (4:00)

Black and Blue -- All Things Considered host Linda Wertheimer talks to columnist-turned-novelist Anna Quindlen about her new novel, called "Black and Blue." It is the story of a woman whose marriage turns violent. (7:45)

Auto Safety -- NPR's Don Gonyea reports from Detroit on how the big three automakers are responding to a call for redesigning their popular sport utility vehicles and light trucks to increase the safety of people riding in smaller automobiles. (4:00)

Golf Lawsuit -- Allison Frost from member station KLCC reports on the lawsuit by pro golfer Casey Martin against the Professional Golfers' Association. Martin suffers from a condition that makes it difficult to walk and is suing for the right to use a golf cart during tournaments. The PGA maintains that this would give him an unfair competitive advantage over other players. (3:00)

Alternative Valentines -- Commentator Brett Leveridge thinks that he has figured out how to make it Valentine's Day a special day not just for couples, but for singles -- especially singles who wish they were in relationships. (3:15)

Amistad Settlement -- NPR's Renee Montagne reports that Dreamworks SKG has settled a contentious legal case with author Barbara Chase-Riboud, who alleges the film company plagiarized her writing in the movie "Amistad". (2:30)

Best Boy -- Susan Stamberg reports on the people behind that curious eye-catching title in the closing credits -- Best Boy. Best Boys are responsible for getting electrical power to the set, and the electrical equipment inventory for each day's shoot. We'll find out why they're called Best Boys, and what kind of person it takes to be a Best Boy. (8:00)

Campaign Fund-Raising Report -- A Senate committee is due soon to release its report on fund-raising abuses in the 1996 presidential elections. Drafts of the report have been leaked to the press. Those drafts suggest Vice President Al Gore and some top campaign advisers misstated their fund-raising activities, and that several Democratic "money men" were connected with the Chinese government. NPR's Peter Overby reports.(4:30)

Surgeon General Satcher -- The Senate has voted 63-35 to approve Doctor David Satcher as the nation's Surgeon General. The job has been empty for more than three years, and Satcher's nomination has been pending since President Clinton sent up his name in September. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports. (4:00)

Tap Water Study -- NPR's Richard Harris reports on a study that suggests that a common contaminant of tap water may increase the risk of miscarriages. The study found that pregnant women who drink more than five glasses of contaminated tap water a day during the first trimester are at greatest risk. But critics say the study -- while provocative -- is far from definitive. (3:00)

Olympics Coverage -- All Things Considered host Noah Adams talks with various sports commentators to find out how the Olympics are being covered in Europe. He also talks with Michael Hiestand, who writes for USA Today about television and business, and how the two relate to sports. They discuss the CBS television network and its Olympic coverage. (8:00)

Israel Debates Conversions -- NPR's Linda Gradstein reports on the escalating battle in Israel between the Orthodox and non-Orthodox branches of Judaism over "who is a Jew." (4:00)

Fighting in Sierra Leone -- The BBC's Mark Doyle reports from Freetown, Sierra Leone, that thousands of people are fighting in the streets of the capital. Dozens are known to have been killed in five days of fighting. Heavy shelling is also being reported in Freetown and its eastern suburbs. (2:00)

Public Housing -- Three South Boston families are poised to be evicted from public housing, because their children have been accused -- not convicted -- of a crime. It's a controversial use of a new federal law aimed at "cleaning up" public housing. As Monica Brady of member station WBUR in Boston reports, there are also sticky issues of race involved. (6:30)

Brecht Anniversary -- Today marks the 100th anniversary of playwright Bertolt Brecht's birth. A recent book claims that he may have borrowed some of his ideas from his lovers. Other critics are reevaluating his work as well -- asking if he was just a socialist playwright whose artistic vision doesn't inform audiences as much as it did when the Cold War was being waged. NPR's Dean Olsher reports. (8:00)