March 17, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

AIDS Council -- NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports on a resolution passed today by the President's Council on AIDS condemning the administration's efforts at AIDS prevention. The council -- which was created and appointed by President Clinton -- was particularly critical of the administration's refusal to fund needle-exchange programs. Members pointed to the many scientific studies that have shown that needle exchange significantly reduces the spread of HIV. But administration officials say they'll continue to block federal funding of such programs until there is proof that needle exchange doesn't increase illegal drug use. (4:00)

Substance Abuse -- NPR's Richard Harris reports on a group of leading doctors that is championing an effort to have addiction treated like any other chronic disease. At a Washington news conference today they complained that insurance policies and government programs often relegate these conditions to second class status -- and don't pay for treatment. The nation's drug problems could be addressed more effectively, they say, if substance abuse were treated as a disease. (4:30)

Addicted to Gambling -- Commentator Joe Loconte says that gambling is an addiction that hurts a lot of people, and the growth of lotteries, off-track betting, and casinos is turning more and more lives upside down. He says that lotteries in particular are hurting the poor -- and by relying on lottery income, state treasuries are acting in a way that's not morally responsible. (3:00)

Crime on Reservations I -- NPR's John Biewen has the first in a two-part series of reports on the rise in crime on Indian Reservations. Today's segment sets out the general cause of the rise in violent crime. The major factor seems to be the development of gangs on the reservations. Biewen visits two Navajo reservations in Arizona for a closer look. The second part of this series will be available on Wednesday, 18 March. (8:00)

Training Indonesia's Army -- Noah talks with Allan Nairn, the author of an article in the March 30th issue of The Nation, which reveals that funding for training of the Indonesian military is being supplied by the United States government. Nairn discusses how the Clinton Administration has been providing money to train the Indonesian military as part of a preparation for social upheavals in that country. As of right now, though, the actual costs of the program are not public information -- and neither the Pentagon nor Congress are talking about the rationale behind spending the money for this training. (5:00)

State Responds -- We'll hear tape of State Department spokesman Jamie Rubin responding to reports of U.S. funding of Indonesian military exercises. (1:00)

China Nukes -- NPR's Mary Kay Magistad reports that China has big plans to expand its nuclear power program, and U.S. firms are eager to help, just as soon as the U.S. government lifts its ban on the export of nuclear technology to China. Safety experts worry that China's program is growing too quickly, perhaps without adequate safeguards, and nuclear non-proliferation activists question whether China's record on proliferation warrants the trust of Washington. (6:45)

Popcorn Behavior -- Noah talks with the dance band Popcorn Behavior, hailing from Brattleboro, Vermont. The two principal members, pianist Thomas Bartlett and fiddler Sam Amidon, are 16 years old. Stefan Amidon, the group's percussionist, is 13. Their music draws heavily on Irish and Celtic musical traditions -- but there's more to the band than meets the eye immediately. The band members talk about the songs on their second album, called "Journeywork." (NOTE: "Journeywork" is available on CD and cassette tape. To order a copy, call 802-257-1006 or mail inquiries to Popcorn Behavior, 6 Willow Street, Brattleboro VT, 05301. You can also contact the band via the Internet: write to peteram@sover.net or bartlett@sover.net ) This item is not available due to copyright issues.

Ireland -- Robert talks with Dr. Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam, the Northern Ireland Secretary for the United Kingdom. Mowlam discusses the progress of the Northern Ireland peace process, and the purpose of her visit to Washington. They also talk about the prospects for peace in the near future, and what's on the table in current negotiations. (8:00)

Robin Cook in Trouble -- NPR's Linda Gradstein reports British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook's insistence on visiting a controversial new Jewish settlement on the edge of Jerusalem has caused a diplomatic incident between Britain and Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu snubbed the Foreign Secretary by cancelling an official dinner after Cook viewed the settlement site in the company of Palestinian officials. Jewish settlers demonstrating near the site called Cook an "anti-Semite." (3:30)

Budget Talks -- Senate Republicans today unveiled a $1.73 trillion budget for 1999 that eliminates many increases President Clinton wants in domestic programs and claims $147 billion in surplus over the next five years. The plan, presented by Senate Budget Committee Pete Domenici, also cuts taxes less than many conservatives want. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports. (4:30)

From Subversion to Whimsy -- Commentator Andrei Codrescu says that just about everyone in the USA is feeling pretty good these days. He says that even acts of dissent are still good-natured. (3:00)

Sovereignty Commission -- NPR's Debbie Elliott reports that Mississippi confronted a dark part of the state's past by releasing 132,000 long-sealed documents from its Sovereignty Commission. The commission, which functioned as a segregation agency, was set up in 1956 and worked in secret for almost 20 years. It used a network of spies to keep tabs on civil rights activists and funneled the information to employers, law enforcement agencies and the KKK. (5:00)

Leaving the Race Box Empty -- Robert talks with Manuel Gomez, the vice-chancellor of student services at the University of California at Irvine. Gomez says that despite the 12 percent increase in the number of applications the university received this year, it's difficult for university officials to assess the racial makeup of the potential student body because so many students are now choosing not to state their race on their application forms. (4:30)

Identity -- Commentator Dana King talks about identity and her relationship with her grandfather. He was Irish-American, and she is the product of a mixed marriage. When she was a young child and they were together, race was not an issue -- in his eyes, she was pure Irish. As she got older, she realized his acceptance of her was so complete, he had forgotten that she was part African-American. (2:30)

Saddam's Portrait Painters -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Baghdad that Iraq's once-rich regional artistic tradition has survived, in a way, in painting portraits of Saddam Hussein. The portraits, which are part of the Iraqi leader's cult of personality, are everywhere in Baghdad -- on billboards, government offices, painted on the sides of buildings. The artists who paint them maintain it isn't monotonous to paint the same man because they can always paint him in different attire. (3:45)

Deep Forest -- Charles de Ledesma reviews the latest CD from duo Deep Forest. The music is inspired by sound recordings from Madagascar, Belize, and Mexico, and mixed with modern digital beats and sampling. (NOTE: The CD is "Comparsa", and is available from Sony Records.) (2:45)