May 14, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Clinton in Europe -- NPR's Mara Liasson reports on President Clinton's visit to Germany. Today's events began with a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. The president later visited an Opel auto plant Eisenach, in the former East Germany, and addressed thousands of well-wishers in the city. The president arrives this evening in Birmingham, England for the annual G-8 summit. (4:00)

China Reaction -- NPR's Mary Kay Magistad reports that China today took a much stronger public stance against India's nuclear weapons tests. After an initially low-key reaction to the tests on Monday and Wednesday by its old regional rival, China called on the U.N. security Council to issue a strong condemnation of India. (3:30)

Starr and the Secret Service -- NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports that independent counsel Kenneth Starr and the Justice Department argued before a federal judge today over whether the Secret Service can be forced to testify before the Whitewater grand jury. (4:00)

Reno and the 7 Independent Counsels -- This week Attorney General Janet Reno requested yet another special prosecutor -- this one to investigate Labor Secretary Alexis Herman. Commentator Jacob Weisberg says that so far, none of the on-going investigations - 7 for this administration - have proved that any committed serious crimes since Clinton was elected. (3:00)

Helms and Cuba -- NPR's Tom Gjelten reports on separate efforts by the Clinton administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill to increase humanitarian aid to Cuba. Yesterday, the administration resumed direct flights to Cuba, relaxed rules for sending medicine, and permitted Cuban exiles to send cash remittances to relatives. Today, Senator Jesse Helms introduced legislation to provide one hundred million dollars in humanitarian aid to the people of Cuba over the next four years. The money would be given directly to the Cuban Catholic Church to distribute. But the church has said in the past it won't accept such an arrangement; currently, humanitarian aid distributed by the church is first channeled through Fidel Castro's government. (4:00)

Tobacco on the Hill -- NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Capitol Hill that tobacco legislation has undergone dramatic changes just a few days before it's due on the Senate floor. In a hastily-called and chaotic meeting, the Senate Finance committee today voted for a $1.50 per pack increase in the cost of cigarettes. That would add another 40 cents to the increase already approved by the Senate Commerce committee. The Finance panel also scrapped a number of the Commerce Committee's plans for spending tobacco money, including a tax break favored by Finance chairman William Roth. The meeting was seen as a preview of what some lawmakers feel will be a "free-for-all" over tobacco next week. (5:00)

Electronic Privacy -- Vice President Gore is calling for an "electronic bill of rights" to protect Americans' privacy. Gore points to the easy distribution of individuals' medical, financial and other information through computers, and says people should have the right to block that distribution. Gore says the government has a web page that informs people how to cut down on some uses of their name for marketing. But at least one privacy advocate says the protections Gore spoke about today were already in place and he's contributed nothing new. NPR's Larry Abramson reports. The URL for the government's Web page is www.consumer.gov. (3:30)

Seinfeld -- Tonight, the last original episode of the immensely popular situation comedy "Seinfeld" will be aired. The end of the "Seinfeld" years has been a topic for discussion among cultural analysts and commentators, trying to explain the show's appeal and what it's brought to popular culture. NPR's Brooke Gladstone reports. (7:30)

Indonesia Unrest -- NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that Indonesia's President Suharto has cut short a visit to Egypt and is headed home to confront growing violence that now has killed well over a dozen people. Thousands of Indonesians rioted in the streets of Jakarta today, looting, burning and challenging security forces who have opened fire on the mobs. Indonesia's capital is virtually paralyzed by the violence, and some foreign governments have begun to evacuate family members of embassy personnel. Indonesian newspapers suggest that President Suharto, the target of much of the public anger, might step down. But the Foreign Minister says Suharto could only be replaced through the constitutional process. (5:00)

Palestinian Protests -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Ramallah on Palestinian demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza marking the fiftieth anniversary of "al Nakba" -- the "Catastrophe" of Palestinian dispossession. Palestinians lost their homelands as a result of the foundation of Israel in 1948. Israeli troops responded reportedly fired today on demonstrators in Gaza and Hebron, killing nine and injuring hundreds. (4:00)

Netanyahu in Washington -- NPR's Ted Clark talks to All Things Considered host Linda Wertheimer about the continuing deadlock in the Middle East peace process. As Palestinians vented their frustrations in demonstrations in the Mideast, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was holding another meeting in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (3:00)

Oslo Negotiator -- All Things Considered host Robert Siegel talks with Uri Savir, the head of the Peres Center for Peace, about the stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Savir was Israel's chief negotiator from 1993 to 1996, and has just published The Process; 1,100 Days That Changed the Middle East, which is published by Random House. (4:30)

ATC Mailbag -- Linda and Robert read from listeners' comments. To contact the show, write to All Things Considered Letters, 635 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20001. To contact us via the Internet, the address is atc@npr.org. (3:00)

Drunk Driving and Teens -- New national statistics say the percentage of highway deaths in the United States associated with alcohol has dropped to an all time low. Preliminary figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released today say that, in 1997, 39 percent of the fatalities were linked to alcohol -- down from 50 percent in 1988. Fatalities among teenagers who drink and drive have also dropped significantly over the past ten years. NPR's Vicky Que reports on current strategies to curb underage drinking and further reduce the number of teens who drink and drive. (12:30)

Marjory Stoneman Douglas -- Environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who led the fight to preserve Florida's Everglades region, died today at age 108. She was considered an authority on the delicate Florida area, which dominates the southern third of the state. NPR's Cheryl Devall reports on Marjory Stoneman Douglas's life and environmental legacy. (7:15)