April 22, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Earth Day -- Today President Clinton spoke from Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, about his proposals for new environmental projects. (1:00)

Nitrification -- NPR's John Nielsen reports on a growing environmental problem that's begun to worry scientists and policymakers -- nitrification of America's waterways. Different types of nitrogen have been increasing dramatically for decades, from auto exhaust, industrial practices, and especially from fertilizers and sewage. The nitrogen causes harmful microorganisms to blossom and kill valuable plants and animals. Curtailing nitrogen may be necessary, but the expense of doing so already has farm and industrial groups worried. (7:00)

Needle Exchange -- Commentator Joe Loconte thinks that this week's decision by the Clinton administration to support needle exchange programs is wrong. He says needle exchange programs encourage illegal drug use, even if clean needles do help slow the spread of HIV. (3:00)

Rwandan Executions Set -- Chris Simpson reports from Kigali, Rwanda, that the government announced today it will begin to hold mass executions of people convicted of participating in 1994's genocidal massacres. (2:30)

Duma Watch -- NPR's Andy Bowers reports from Moscow that President Yeltsin and members of the lower house of parliament will make an eleventh-hour effort to head off a showdown over Mr. Yeltsin's nominee for prime minister. But if talks scheduled for tomorrow fail to produce a compromise, the Duma will likely reject nominee Sergei Kiriyenko for a third and final time, and Mr. Yeltsin will call new elections. (1:30)

NATO Expansion -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that debate over NATO expansion must include whether or not Russia will pose a future threat. With a fragile democracy and no prime minister, Russia may be far more politically erratic than U.S. leaders believe. (3:00)

Bank of New York and Mellon Bank -- NPR's Jim Zarroli reports Bank of New York offered to buy Mellon Bank for $23.6 billion in stock. Mellon Bank's chairman rejected the unsolicited offer and said the prosposed combination "would be contrary" to Mellon's interests. Bank of New York executives will now have to decide whether to pursue their offer anyway. (3:00)

American Buddhism -- NPR's Lynn Neary has a profile of the Columbia University scholar, Robert Thurman, who was the first American to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk. As a protege and friend of the Dalai Lama, Robert Thurman is a passionate voice for Tibetan Buddhism in the West and against China's continuing domination of Tibet. Thurman, father of actress Uma Thurman, has become a celebrity in his own right and he is spearheading the development of Tibet House in New York, a center dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan culture. Thurman's latest book is called Inner Revolution. (9:00)

Grasshoppers -- All Things Considered host Linda Wertheimer talks to Jerry Sibley, a mechanic at Kenyon Tire and Auto in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, about the grasshoppers that have overrun the town. Sibley says they were trying to get rid of the grasshoppers with snowshovels and they had to close down some intersections beacuse there were so many grasshoppers on the road. (3:00)

Worms -- All Things Considered host Noah Adamstalks with cartoonist Gary Larson about his new book, There's a Hair in My Dirt: A Worm's Story, (Harper Collins). Larson has created an illustrated book about a worm who laments his lot in life. Larson used to produce the syndicated cartoon, The Far Side. (4:30)

Quid Pro Quo -- The Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case about sexual harassment in which the victim never reported the abuse and never suffered any financial harm. The case involves a former employee of Burlington Industries whose supervisor allegedly harassed her many times. She says she resisted his advances, and ultimately felt she had to quit. The woman is suing Burlington Industries, although she acknowledges the supervisor never retaliated and she never reported him to his bosses. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports. (7:30)

Tobacco Documents -- NPR's Richard Harris reports on the release today of nearly 39,000 documents from the tobacco industry. The industry had fought the release of these documents all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but lost that fight. The documents were posted on the web, making it difficult for the public to search through the documents. Each document takes anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes to download, even with the fastest internet connection. Many say the release, made by the House Commerce Committee, was merely a public relations ploy designed to give the appearance of full disclosure. Four hundred documents not released today are still under review by the committee. (4:30)

Not About Nightingales -- Note: Some listeners may find language in this piece unsettling. Kevin Byrne reports on a play, "Not About Nightingales," written 60 years ago by Tennessee Williams, but never performed. The play was known to scholars, but it was actress Vanessa Redgrave who brought it to the attention of the theatre community when she gave a script she found to Trevor Nunn of London's National Theatre. It's on stage there now and soon heads for the Alley Theatre of Houston. (7:00)

Campaign Finance Reform -- House Republican leaders have agreed to allow a floor vote this year on campaign finance reform after supporters gathered almost enough signatures to force a vote anyway. The House did vote on some versions of campaign finance reform earlier this year, but not on a major plan to restrict soft money. NPR's Brian Naylor reports. (4:00)

Texas School Vouchers -- NPR's Anthony Brooks reports that a foundation is planning to give $50 million to students in San Antonio to go to private schools. The Children's Education Opportunity Foundation will underwrite vouchers for as many as 13,000 students in the Edgewood School District. (3:30)

Sanford Funeral -- NPR's Adam Hochberg reports funeral services were held today in North Carolina for former presidential candidate Terry Sanford. Sanford, who also served in the U.S. Senate and as Governor of North Carolina, died Saturday of cancer. During his political career, Sanford was hailed as a new breed of southern politician who helped the region move beyond its history of poverty and racial strife. (4:00)

Starting a CD -- Noah talks with singer-songwriter Martin Sexton on the his first day in a new studio, recording a CD. He started as a performer in the Boston subway about 10 years ago and has established himself as a charismatic live performer who is known for engaging his audience. The CD he's working on now will probably be out in October. He has two other CDs, the most recent called Black Sheep. (Eastern Front Records, catalogue #111) This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.