April 7, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Northern Ireland -- NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports from Belfast on the latest developments in the Northern Ireland peace talks. The Protestant Ulster Unionist Party has rejected the compromise document presented to the parties early this morning by mediator George Mitchell. But negotiations continue, with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern rushing to Belfast in hopes of breaking the deadlock before the April ninth deadline set by Mitchell. (4:15)

Yeltsin and Kiriyenko -- NPR's Andy Bowers reports on today's round-table meeting at the Kremlin between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and parliamentary opponents. Some deputies signaled their willingness to endorse Mr. Yeltsin's choice for Prime Minister, Sergei Kiriyenko. However, the leader of the Communist Party, the dominant party in the lower house, is determined to vote down the Kiriyenko nomination when it comes up for a vote on Friday. (2:45)

Cuba Threat -- NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that the Pentagon has delayed release of an assessment of the military threat Cuba presents to the United States. According to those who have seen it, the report concludes that Cuba's conventional military forces no longer seriously threaten U.S. security. Military officials say they are more concerned about the possibility of civil unrest in Cuba, a situation which could lead to an outflow of refugees and even require a U.S. military intervention. The Pentagon's conciliatory tone has angered Cuban-American members of Congress, and Administration officials are considering possible revisions to the report. (4:30)

Mexico and Drugs -- NPR's Phillip Davis reports from Mexico City on high-level talks between U.S. and Mexican authorities to combat drug smuggling. U.S. representatives at the talks have proposed new measures for tracking the success or failure of anti-drug efforts. (1:15)

The Masters -- All Things Considered host Robert Siegel talks with Curt Sampson, the author of The Masters: Golf, Money and Power in Augusta, Georgia. They discuss the inside story behind the Masters Golf Tournament, including some of the shadiest and most secretive deals brokered in the Augusta National Clubhouse. (Note: The Masters: Golf, Money and Power in Augusta, Georgia is published by Villard Books.) (7:00)

Bilingual Education -- NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports on a California ballot initiative that would put strict limits on bilingual education in the public schools. So far, the measure has strong support among Latinos --many of whom are frustrated that their children aren't learning English quickly enough. (5:30)

Boston Magazine -- Monica Brady of member station WBUR reports on angry reaction to a headline in the April issue of Boston Magazine. A long, generally flattering article about Harvard University's celebrity black scholar Henry Louis Gates is headlined "Head Negro In Charge." Some African American community leaders in Boston are accusing the magazine's editor of racism and demanding an apology. Others say Boston's black community has more important things to worry about. (5:00)

Ask a Policeman -- Alan Cheuse has a review of the new murder-mystery by Texas novelist Rolando Hinojosa. It's set on the border of Texas and Mexico, and mostly follows police procedure -- but Cheuse says there are gems of character and motive hidden in the mix. (Note: Ask a Policeman by Rolando Hinojosa is published by the Arte Publico Press.) (2:00)

Wild Hogs in the Smokies -- All Things Considered host Noah Adams talks with Rick Verner, a "Wildlife Biological Technician" with the National Park Service. He is a wildlife trapper. They talk about the "wild hogs" reduction program that is in place in the Great Smoky Mountains area. The program has existed for 15 years, and is designed to reduce the number of wild boar and feral hogs that roam the mountains. (7:45)

Clinton and Social Security -- NPR's John Ydstie reports President Clinton travelled to Kansas City today to open a "national dialogue" on the future of Social Security. The event was sponsored by the Concord Coalition and the American Association of Retired People and featured speakers from both political parties and people with a variety of positions on reforming the the nation's main retirement program. (5:00)

Growing Inequality -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that with all the good economic news, we tend to forget the majority of Americans who are not benefitting. Equality of opportunity may exist but the disparity between the advantaged and the disadvantaged grows. (3:00)

Gays in the Military -- A Defense Department report says more homosexuals are being discharged from the military today than when the Clinton Administration first adopted its "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Defense Secretary William Cohen says the increase might be due to an increasing number of voluntary statements to commanders by gays who want to leave the military. Gay rights advocates see those figures as evidence that homosexuals are being outed and ousted in increasing numbers. NPR's Martha Raddatz reports. (4:00)

Mars Face -- Noah talks with Mark Carlotto, a senior staff scientist at the Pacific Sierra Research Corporation. He specializes in image processing and satellite remote sensing. Carlotto is also a member of the Society for Planetary SETI Research, and talks about the pictures of a formation on Mars that had been widely published which resembled a human face. New pictures of the formation do not. The previous pictures had given hope to those wanting to find evidence of life on Mars. (3:45)

Nick Lowe -- Music critic Will Hermes has a review of the new CD "Dig My Mood" from British pop songwriter and producer Nick Lowe. He says it's a practically perfect American album. (Note: "Dig My Mood" is available on Upstart Records, catalog number 038.) (4:30)

China Water -- NPR's Mary Kay Magistad visits the Huai River basin in eastern China, where the government has ordered the cleanup of some of the country's worst water pollution. Small factories and businesses have dumped so many pollutants into the river that residents say even pigs sometimes won't drink the water. People living downstream have had to depend on trucks to bring them water each day because their own water supply is unusable. One problem with the cleanup is enforcing the edicts of the central government, but area residents are starting to report violations; they know what it's like to live with contaminated water. (7:00)

Indonesian Drought -- Belinda Caminada reports that prolonged drought, presumably due to El Niño, has resulted in famine and disease in remote highlands of Indonesia. Aid workers have been trying to reach the primitive hill people with food and medical supplies to combat malaria, but an estimated 1,000 people have died and thousands more are at risk. (5:30)

Burmese Piano Music -- Noah talks with Rick Heizman, who went to Burma to record music for an American label. The newly released "Sandaya: The Spellbinding Piano of Burma" showcases an unusual piano tradition that has developed in relative isolation there. (The CD is "Sandaya: The Spellbinding Piano of Burma", catalog number 66007 on Shanachie Records.) This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.