April 28, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Theocracy or Democracy? -- Israel celebrates its 50th year this week, but there are deep divisions within the Jews of Israel over the future of Israeli society. Israel is largely a secular Western-style democracy, but its Orthodox groups believe in God's law as the ultimate law: good enough for God, and therefore good enough for the state. NPR's Mike Shuster reports. (8:30)

Russians -- All Things Considered host Robert Seigel talks to Robert Weinberg, author of Stalin's Forgotten Zion: Birobidzhan and the Making of a Soviet Jewish Homeland: An Illustrated History, 1928-1996. Birobidzhan is a small region in Far East Russia that was an attempt to get Jews in the Soviet Union to do "useful work" on the land, rather than be merchants. It was also supposed to preserve Jewish culture. Weinberg tells us why it failed, although it was considered a real alternative to Israel up until right after the end of the Second World War. One problem: the land was swampy, and the region is far from any center of Jewish life. (Note: Stalin's Forgotten Zion: Birobidzhan and the Making of a Soviet Jewish Homeland: An Illustrated History, 1928-1996" is published by the University of California Press/Judah L. Magnes Museum.) (5:30)

Nigerian Sentencing -- The BBC's Hillary Anderson reports from Jos, Nigeria, that the former number two official in the country's junta was sentenced to death today for plotting to overthrow Nigeria's ruler, General Sani Abacha. A total of six officers and civilians were sentenced to death, and four others were given life sentences. The sentencing culminated a secret, two-month trial. Nigeria is preparing for an August election which has been denounced as a sham, since General Abacha is the sole approved candidate. (2:00)

Tulips -- Robert talks with Robert Dunn, a professor of economics at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., about a speculative frenzy on tulip bulbs in 17th century Netherlands. Tulips arrived in the Netherlands from Turkey in 1593, and by 1637 the bulb market had burst, which sent the Netherlands into a recession. Dunn has examples of current day speculation frenzies. (4:30)

Beanie Babies -- NPR's Margot Adler reports on the community that has grown up around the Beanie Baby craze, little stuffed toys that have become the object of affection and even addiction around the country. Children love them, parents are fanatical about getting them and certain prized editions are now worth far more than their original retail price. (8:15)

Poetry Chat -- All Things Considered host Noah Adams talks to our poet guide, Catherine Bowman, about poet Yusef Komunyakaa. The Nobel Prize-winning poet has said that his best teacher was his father, and his poems reflect that. His new book is called Thieves of Paradise. (Note: Thieves of Paradise is published by Wesleyan University Press.) (8:00)

IRS Hearing -- The Senate opened a new round of hearings today on abuses committed by the Internal Revenue Service. A senior IRS executive testified that the agency retaliates against whistleblowers who go public with charges against their superiors. A tax lawyer testified that his own tax returns were targeted by the IRS as punishment for pursuing his clients' cases. Also in Washington today, the Clinton administration announced that former FBI and CIA director William Webster will review the practices of the IRS's criminal investigative division. NPR's Larry Abramson reports. (4:00)

Tobacco -- NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports that the tobacco company Liggett and Myers has agreed to cooperate with a Justice Department probe into what the tobacco industry knew about the health risks involved with smoking. (2:00)

OSHA Rules -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today recommended new safety measures to help protect retail clerks, whose jobs are among the most dangerous in the country. Half of the 1,000 workers killed during robberies each year are retail workers. OSHA is recommending such establishments use bulletproof glass and employ more than one worker at night. The industry has been fighting these recommendations, arguing that they represent unnecessary government intrusion and paperwork. NPR's Barbara Bradley reports. (3:30)

Social Security -- NPR's John Ydstie reports the strong economy has pushed back the point at which the Social Security system is expected to slip into insolvency. The retirement system's Board of Trustees says a growing economy, reduced unemployment and low inflation will keep the program solvent until 2032, three years longer than the previous estimate. While good news, the extension doesn't change the long-term problem of providing full benefits to the baby-boom generation. (2:00)

Guatemalan Bishop -- Mike Lanchin reports from Guatemala City on the calls for an investigation into the murder of a bishop who had been a prominent human rights activist. Bishop Juan Gerardi was bludgeoned to death with a cement block on Sunday, two days after his office released a report blaming the army and paramilitary groups for most of the tens of thousands of killings during Guatemala's civil war. The war officially ended more than a year ago, and Gerardi's killing has raised fears of a return to the abuses of the past. (2:30)

Kubrick Reshooting -- Noah talks with Vincent Lobrutto, the author of Stanley Kubrick: A Biography, about Stanley Kubrick's new film, Eyes Wide Shut. It took 15 months to shoot the film in England, and the story has been a tightly kept secret by all involved in the production, so much so that even the heads of the film studio fronting the film don't know the story. Now, after the filming had wrapped, Kubrick is calling Tom Cruise, who stars in the film with his wife Nicole Kidman, back to England for more shooting. And Jennifer Jason Leigh's part -- though it's a small one -- will have to be recast and reshot, since prior commitments prevent her from returning to England. (Note: Stanley Kubrick: A Biography is published by Donald I. Fine.) (4:30)

Human Speech -- NPR's Richard Harris reports on a new study suggesting that human-like creatures may have very sophisticated language abilities at least 400,000 years ago. That's much earlier than had been supposed. It suggests primitive human species didn't just grunt. Scientists argue that finding the moment of origin of human languages will help determine when the species Homo sapiens started. The study appears in today's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (4:00)

Basic Rock Language -- Mel Brooks, as the "2000-Year-Old Man," had already told audiences what language ancient people spoke. In light of the Richard Harris story on human speech, we'll hear a clip from his comedy routine. (1:30) This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.

Fundraiser -- Most of the thousands of candidates running for office around the country this year are busy doing one thing right now -- raising money. Without it, they'll be at a great disadvantage as the election season heats up. Many of these candidates need professional fundraisers to help them along and we look at one in California. NPR's Steven Rosenfeld reports. (6:00)

Man or Mango -- Alan Cheuse has a review of the new book from Lucy Ellmann called Man or Mango. It's about a woman who endlessly makes lists to escape her vague sense of anxiety about life and romance. Cheuse says that it's a perfectly charming, if quirky, piece of fiction. (Note: Man or Mango by Lucy Ellmann is published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.) (2:00)

Philip Johnson -- The latest project from the celebrated 91 year-old architect Philip Johnson is the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas -- the largest predominantly gay and lesbian church in the world. In fact, it was a church -- the great cathedral at Chartres -- that made Johnson want to become an architect. Bill Zeeble, of member station KERA, reports. (6:00)