May 8, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Microsoft and Justice -- NPR's John McChesney reports the Justice Department is preparing to file a sweeping antitrust case against Microsoft. A compromise settlement is now viewed as unlikely and the case could be filed as early as next week, according to sources in the Justice Department. (4:00)

Hubbell Enters Plea -- Webster Hubbell today pleaded innocent to the latest charges lodged against him by Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr. Meanwhile there have been charges and counter-charges flying between Starr's office and the White House. They are setoff by a White House court complaint that accused Starr of leaking a judge's secret ruling on executive privilege. The complaint asked that the prosecutors prove why they should not be held in contempt. NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports. (4:30)

George Polk Murder -- Robert Trout tells the story of journalist George Polk. Polk -- one of legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow's proteges -- was a correspondent for CBS in 1948, stationed in Greece. But fifty years ago, while covering the Greek civil war, George Polk was murdered. Trout talks about the conflict in Greece, the investigation into George Polk's murder, and the dangers still faced by journalists who can sometimes be caught in the line of fire while attempting to present a balanced view of a story. (8:00)

Cali Cartel Retrial -- NPR's Cheryl Devall reports on the retrial of two lawyers who represented the Cali drug cartel. Last year's trial of the two men on charges of witness tampering, money laundering and conspiracy ended in a mistrial. In this trial, prosecutors have narrowed their focus. They're charging the lawyers only with obstructing investigations of the cartel. But their case has lawyers groups concerned that this trial could lead to prosecutors charging attorneys for the crimes of their clients. (4:00)

The Rockefeller Law -- Today is the 25th anniversary of the passage of a series of drug laws proposed by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Critics say that the laws are far too harsh, and imprison far too many of the wrong people for far too long. But advocates say that the laws are necessary to keep drug dealing and drug usage in check. NPR's Melissa Block reports on the debate over who should be punished with regard to the drug trade, and the continuing calls for the repeal of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. (6:00)

Merger Satire -- Satire from the NPR Players concerning the recent wave of corporate mergers -- particularly the merger of the German auto maker Daimler-Benz with the Chrysler corporation. (2:30)

'A Widow for One Year' -- Alan Cheuse reviews the new novel from prolific American author John Irving, called "A Widow for One Year." The book follows a family of writers and the people touched by their lives. Cheuse says that reading the book is fun, and that Irving's sense for his characters should rank him alongside the giants of English-language fiction. A Widow for One Year by John Irving is published by Random House. (1:30)

Some Safe Place -- Writer Rick Bass reads his short story "Some Safe Place," which is about his mother's death from leukemia. Rick Bass's Some Safe Place was originally published in Doubletake Magazine in 1997. This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.

Minnesota Tobacco Settlement -- The state of Minnesota and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota have reached a settlement of their lawsuit against the tobacco companies. Sources say the cigarette-makers have agreed to pay the state $6 billion over 25 years. The deal comes just as lawyers for the state were to give their closing arguments and the case was to go to the jury. All Things Considered host Noah Adams talks with Laura McCallum of Minnesota Public Radio about the terms of the agreement. (3:30)

Minnesota Settlement: Analysis -- All Things Considered host Robert Siegel talks with NPR's Debbie Elliott about what today's announcement of a settlement in Minnesota's tobacco case means for future state lawsuits and legislation in Congress. Some experts believe that today's agreement will force the tobacco companies back to the table to negotiate a national settlement. (4:00)

Religious Conservatives on Capitol Hill -- Conservative religious leaders met with House Republicans on Capitol Hill today to mend election-year fences. They came out saying they agreed on opposing abortion, the so-called marriage tax penalty and funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. The congressional leaders said they are forming a "values action" group to shepherd the religious groups' priorities through the legislative process. NPR's Lynn Neary reports. (4:30)

Kosovo Today -- NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from the Serbian province of Kosovo on the Yugoslav army's effort to stem the flow of weapons to Albanian insurgents. In recent weeks, massive amounts of arms have crossed the border and are making their way into the hands of the Kosovo Liberation Army. (4:00)

Annan in Rwanda -- Chris Simpson reports from Kigali that United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today ended a harrowing visit to Rwanda. Annan said he regretted the United Nations did not do more to prevent the 1994 genocide, but his remarks only infuriated Rwandans, who wanted an apology. Annan headed the U.N. peacekeeping office during the genocide. In the course of his two-day visit, Annan was pilloried by the foreign minister in front of an applauding parliament, snubbed by the president and other top officials at a state dinner, and heckled when he visited a memorial to the massacre. (3:30)

Loston Harris -- Noah talks with jazz pianist and vocalist Loston Harris. In this performance chat, Harris talks about his new CD, which opens with a classic written by Ellis Marsalis, called "Swinging at the Haven." Harris also given a brief review of the other selections he chose for this CD, ranging from Duke Ellington to Rodgers & Hammerstein to Bernice Petkere. Loston Harris's new CD is called "Comes Love," and is available on Encoded Music, catalogue number N2K-10012. This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.

Friday Sports Talk -- Robert talks with Stefan Fatsis, a sportswriter for the Wall Street Journal and a regular contributor to All Things Considered. They'll discuss the Stanley Cup hockey playoffs. At this point in the season -- which should be the most exciting and successful in terms of drawing fans to watch hockey -- the playoffs are demonstrating some of the weaknesses in professional hockey. This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.

The Amazing Cheeseburger Diet -- Commentator Daniel Pinkwater talks about that staple of American culture, the cheeseburger. The problem is, it's basically high in calories and not considered something that people who want to lose weight can eat on a regular basis. In fact, Daniel thinks that the reason his diets have failed is because he ends up craving a cheeseburger. But using a little ingenuity, he's come up with a way to circumvent the high calorie potential of cheeseburgers. This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.