May 1, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Leipzig Rally -- NPR's Edward Lifson reports that thousands of extreme rightists staged a May Day march in Leipzig today -- the biggest demonstration of right-wing Germans in many years. Police used water cannon against a rival crowd of leftists, to keep them away from the black-shirted right-wingers. The German right -- angered over high unemployment in the East -- has been buoyed by a strong election showing last weekend in Saxony-Anhalt. (4:00)

Russia's Cabinet -- NPR'S Andy Bowers reports from Moscow that President Yeltsin has appointed a new cabinet dominated by young reformers, to be headed by 35 year old Sergei Kiriyenko. Although it was expected the president might have to include some conservatives as the price for winning parliamentary confirmation of his prime minister, it seems that market-oriented liberals will have the upper hand in questions of the economy. (3:30)

Tony Blair's First Year -- NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports that Tony Blair is marking his first anniversary as British Prime Minister. While it's been an active year, both domestically and internationally, and his popularity is high, some critics say Mr. Blair may be better on style than substance. (5:30)

Helen Ward Obituary -- Singer Helen Ward died earlier this week in Arlington Virginia at the age of 82. The singer performed with the Benny Goodman band from 1934 to 1936, and again after World War Two. We hear her sing "Let's Put Two and Two Together" with a studio band. This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.

Celebrity Sex Sites -- NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports on two lawsuits filed earlier this week against several online computer firms. The companies are accused of selling nude pictures of movie and tv stars without the celebrities' permission. (5:15)

Netscape -- NPR's Dan Charles looks at the aftermath of a bold move made by the Netscape Corporation three weeks ago. Facing intense competition from Microsoft, the company made public the raw programming instructions for its most popular software -- the Netscape Navigator. There's just one problem -- how can a company give away the secrets to its success and still make money? (8:00)

World Cup -- Noah talks with Stefan Fatsis, who covers sports for the Wall Street Journal, in our regular Friday sports roundup. This week, they discuss the World Cup soccer tournament and this weekend's Kentucky Derby. The World Cup is a phenomenally popular event that will be held in June this year...and Stefan talks about the revelation this week that the host country, France, has run into problems with ticket sales and distribution. He and Noah also talk about the United States team's chances for advancement past the first round. Concerning the Kentucky Derby, they discuss its status as an All-American event and the hoopla leading up to "the most exciting two minutes in all of sports." (4:15)

Derby Season -- The annual running of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky, is more than just a horse race. Commentator Louis Guida has spent a lot of time at Churchill Downs, assessing the horses -- and the spectators. (3:30)

IRS Hearings -- IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti has made it through his second round of hearings before the Senate Finance Committee. As he did last fall, Rossotti promised Senators today that he would work to change IRS procedures to protect taxpayers, as well as agency employees who complain about injustices. Rossotti said he wants to streamline the IRS to make management more accountable. NPR's Larry Abramson reports. (4:30)

Bankruptcy Legislation -- Congress is working on legislation to reform bankruptcy laws and make it harder for individuals to walk away from their debts. The House version of the bill favors credit companies, who say it's immoral not to meet one's obligations. Consumer groups, who blame banks and others for giving too much credit to people who can't handle it, don't have the money and lobbying power to have much clout in the debate. NPR's Peter Overby reports. (7:30)

Expanding Universe -- NPR's Richard Harris takes a look at a meeting taking place in Chicago over the weekend. Physicists and astronomers are gathered to debate the hottest topic in the skies in years. A force that counters gravity was detected earlier this year -- turning some fundamental laws of physics upside down. Einstein had theorized that the force exists -- but he later called it the biggest mistake he'd ever made. Now it looks like he was right. (7:30)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- NPR's Kathy Lohr reports a judge has ordered the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to reveal the law enforcement sources who wrongly implicated Richard Jewell in the 1996 Olympic Park bombing. Jewell, who was a security guard at the Olympics, is suing the newspaper for libel over stories that identified him as the focus of an FBI investigation into the attack. The judge ruled that Georgia law does not grant reporters the privilege against identifying their sources when they are being sued for libel. Lawyers for the Journal-Constitution say they will challenge the judge's decision. (3:30)

Freeway Suicide -- Robert talks to Larry Perret, news director at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles and Joe Saltzman, a professor of journalism at the Annenberg School for Communication at The University of Southern California. They discuss the live coverage of an incident on the Los Angeles freeway yesterday, which resulted in viewers seeing a man commit suicide live on television. (9:00)

Eldridge Cleaver Obituary -- Eldridge Cleaver, a former leader of the Black Panthers, died today in California at the age of 62. Cleaver's book "Soul On Ice," which he wrote while in prison, became one of the most important works for the Black Power movement in the Sixties and Seventies. Cleaver was one of the original Black Panthers, a group formed in 1966 in Oakland by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale -- but had recently denounced his past political stance. NPR's Cheryl Devall reports. (2:30)

Oscar Wilde -- Movie reviewer Bob Mondello says that "Wilde," the new bio-pic on Oscar Wilde, is a perfect illustration of Wilde's own oft-quoted remark that "in this world there are only two tragedies: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." Stephen Fry plays Wilde, and newcomer Jude Law is Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas. (5:00)