May 12, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Raloxifene -- NPR's Joe Palca reports on a study showing that a new treatment for the bone disorder osteoporosis -- usually occuring in women -- also lowers a certain harmful kind of cholesterol. The drug, known as raloxifene, appears to have many benefits in women who've already undergone menopause. It's also being studied for its possible role in preventing breast cancer. The study appears in tomorrow's Journal of the American Medical Association. (4:00)

NYC Domestic Partner Law -- New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani proposed legislation yesterday that would require the city government to treat unmarried couples in the same way as those who are married. That proposal is expected to pass. Robert talks with New York Times reporter Dan Barry about what this legislation would mean, and which unmarried couples would qualify. (3:30)

Clinton on Crime -- At the White House this morning, prior to his departure for Europe, President Clinton unveiled a new strategy to fight international crime. We'll hear an excerpt from his statement. (1:30)

Berlin Airlift -- NPR's Edward Lifson reports on the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. While the generation that lived through the 1948 Soviet blockade feels gratitude toward Americans, young Germans may not even know a great deal about those early days of the Cold War. (6:00)

Immigrants and Hi-Tech Jobs -- NPR's John Ydstie reports that both the House and the Senate this week take up measures which, if passed, would allow more highly-skilled foreign workers to enter the U.S. under a visa program called the H-1B. The computer industry is lobbying hard for the increase because it says there is a serious shortage of information technology workers in America. But older computer engineers dispute claims of a shortage and say the industry is just trying to hold down wages. (12:30)

San Francisco Rain -- Robert talks with some people living and working in San Francisco about the non-stop rain there. Today sets a record for consecutive days of rain in the area -- 109 days. Robert talks with a landscape architect, a bike courier, a clinical psychiatrist, and a restaurateur on Fisherman's Wharf, about how the rain is affecting their lives. (5:30)

Yeltsin Online -- We hear excerpts read from today's online interview with Boris Yeltsin on the MSNBC cable and Internet service. (2:00)

Nuclear Test Reaction -- NPR's Mike Shuster reports that President Clinton says he will proceed with tough sanctions against India, as required by U.S. law, in response to India's three nuclear weapons tests this week. (4:30)

Nuclear Devices -- Robert talks with Frank Von Hippel, a physicist and Professor of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Von Hippel explains the difference between the three different nuclear devices that the Prime Minister of India claims were tested yesterday. (4:30)

THAAD Goes Thud -- The Pentagon says an expensive missile defense system failed an important test for the fifth time today. The THAAD system failed to intercept a target missile in a flight test in New Mexico. The THAAD system is supposed to protect U.S. forces in the field from Scuds and similar missiles. Today's failure could influence whether Congress agrees to President Clinton's request for $822 million dollars for the program next year. NPR's Martha Raddatz reports.

Los Angeles Subway -- NPR's Mandalit DelBarco reports from Los Angeles on the controversy surrounding the Los Angeles subway system, which is currently under construction. The city has spent billions of dollars and more than 25 years building the subway -- yet the entire project is still less than 6 miles long. (8:00)

Indonesia Clashes -- Four or more people were shot and killed today by Indonesian security forces during a student-led demonstration in Jakarta. Robert talks with NPR's Julie McCarthy about how violence between student demonstrators and the security forces has been increasing since last week, when Indonesia's President Suharto said there would be no political reform until after his current term of office. (4:30)

Colombia Kidnappings -- Quil Lawrence reports the recent kidnapping of four American bird watchers in Colombia served as a reminder of the seriousness of the problem in that South American nation. Colombia is the kidnapping capital of the world: about five people are abducted every day by leftist rebels or common criminals. The authorities' inability to stop the wave of abductions has spawned new businesses, such as a company that makes bullet-proof designer leather jackets. (4:30)

Jez Lowe Review -- Charles de Ledesma reviews a new CD called "The Parish Notices" by Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies. The CD is "The Parish Notices" by Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies" on Green Linnet, catalog number GLCD 1192. (3:00)

Food Stamps -- NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Capitol Hill that the Senate today passed legislation providing food stamps for legal immigrants who entered the United States before the 1996 Welfare Reform Law was adopted. The allocation was included in the omnibus five-year Agriculture Reauthorization Bill passed by the Senate today. The measure now moves to the House for final action. (3:00)

Welfare Mother -- Commentator Annie Downey spent more than five years on welfare. She's a single mom who grew up in Burlington, Vermont, and she talks about struggling against welfare. She eventually comes to realize that without welfare, she would have nothing. (4:30)