February 20, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Naval Campaign -- Linda talks with retired four-star Navy Admiral Leighton Smith. They talk about the technological advances in weapons since the last engagement with Iraq -- and his concerns about the collateral damage to civilians that always follows even the most carefully planned "surgical strikes." (4:30)

Commentary: Support the U.N. -- Commentator Iain Guest says that the Clinton administration should leave the decision to use force against Iraq to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. (3:00)

Tobacco Trial -- Laura McCallum of Minnesota Public Radio reports on this week's testimony at the Minnesota tobacco trial. (3:30)

High Llamas -- Reviewer Mark Jenkins talks about the new album from the British band The High Llamas, which is called "Cold and Bouncy." (3:30)

St. Louis Hospital Sale -- Since the 1930s, the poor in St. Louis have received medical treatment at the Saint Louis University Hospital -- a Catholic, non-profit teaching facility founded by the Jesuits. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports that the university now wants to sell the hospital to a for-profit company, the Tenet Healthcare Corporation. That has some in the city worried about the hospital's mission to provide healthcare to disadvantaged populations. (13:00)

Obituary: 'Grandpa' Jones -- All Things Considered host Noah Adams has a remembrance of country music legend Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones, who died yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 84. He was a staple at the Grand Old Opry and a featured player on the popular country-music variety program "Hee Haw." (3:30)

Annan in Iraq -- U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived in Baghdad today on a last minute mission to try to negotiate a peaceful way out of the current crisis between the United States and Iraq. We'll hear tape from his arrival today. (1:00)

Jordanian Protests -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports that one person died and three others were wounded when Jordanian police put down a pro-Iraqi demonstration in the city of Ma'an. (3:00)

Who Is Leavitt? -- Reporter Carrie Kahn of member station KPBS in San Diego reports from Las Vegas about William Leavitt, Jr., one of the men arrested Thursday on accusations of illegal possession of suspected toxic chemicals. (4:00)

Aquiring Anthrax -- NPR's Dan Charles reports on regulations put in place two years ago to restrict access to biological agents. The rules were crafted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after Larry Wayne Harris purchased bubonic plague bacteria from an biological supply house. Harris was arrested yesterday in Nevada on charges that he and William Leavitt, Jr., possessed a biological agent for use as a weapon. (4:30)

Judge Duffy -- NPR's Melissa Block interviews U.S. District Judge Kevin Duffy, who has just taken senior status after 25 years on the federal bench. (7:45)

Skating Upset -- NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that 15-year old U.S. figure skater Tara Lipinski won the gold medal in women's figure skating today at the Olympics in Nagano, Japan. (5:30)

NBA Contracts -- Linda talks with Stephan Fatsis, sports reporter for the Wall St. Journal and a regular contributor to All Things Considered, about odd power relationships created by the current collective bargaining agreement in the National Basketball Association. (5:00)

'Barry Polan's Game' -- Reviewer Alan Cheuse reviews "Barney Polan's Game," a novel about the college basketball scandal of 1950 and 1951. (2:00)

Texas Evacuation -- Noah talks with Ruby Vera, the mayor of Natalia, Texas. The 1400 residents of the small Texas town were evacuated yesterday afternoon after an explosion and fire at the National Foam Company, which manufactures carpet padding there. (3:30)

Review: Mrs. Dalloway -- Movie critic Bob Mondello has a review of the new film "Mrs. Dalloway," adapted from British author Virginia Woolf's novel. (4:30)