June 10, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Southern Baptists -- All Things Considered host Linda Wertheimer talks to Dr. Anthony Jordan, the chair of the Baptist Faith and Message Study Committee on the Family, about the amendments made to the essential statement of beliefs of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination. The new statement, which deals with family relationships, says in part, "A wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ." It is based on a literal interpretation of Biblical passages that are seldom interpreted so strictly by most Protestants and Roman Catholics. (5:00)

Schorr on Nigeria -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that Nigeria has a long road ahead to democracy, even with the death of strongman General Sani Abacha, because military regimes are always slow to relinquish power. (3:00)

Elmhurst, Queens -- NPR's Chris Arnold travels to Queens, New York, to visit the Elmhurst neighborhood, which has been called the most entrepreneurial community in America. A study suggests Elmhurst has more immigrants from more places than any other zip-code in the United States. Over the past two decades these immigrant entrepreneurs have transformed Elmhurst into a bustling neighborhood with all kinds of businesses. (7:30)

Belarus Embassy Standoff -- NPR's Tom Gjelten reports from Washington on the diplomatic standoff between the United States and Belarus. The government of Alexander Lukashenko is insisting that the American and several other ambassadors leave their residences in Minsk, to allow workers to make repairs. The ambassadors say the eviction order violates the Vienna convention on diplomatic residences. Today, the Belarussian government gave the diplomats an extra week to vacate the premises. (3:30)

Divorce in Chile -- Marie-Armelle Lafaury reports on a move to legalize divorce in Chile, the only nation in Latin America where divorce is still against the law. The powerful Roman Catholic Church is leading the charge against legislation that would make divorce possible. Although eighty percent of Chileans are Catholic, polls show a majority favors ending the ban on divorce. Currently the only way to legally separate is through a hard-to-obtain Church annulment, or a prohibitively expensive civil annulment. (4:30)

D-Day Gaffe -- In light of last Friday's false announcement of the death of Bob Hope on the floor of Congress, commentator Robert Trout tell us about HIS big journalistic gaffe in 1944. The AP wire erroneously sent notice that the Allied landing in France had begun. Trout went on the CBS network before a retraction was sent. (4:30)

Internet Phone Tax -- NPR's Larry Abramson reports that the Federal Communications Commission today signalled it's willing to make some changes in the "e-rate," a program that supplies subsidies to schools trying to hook up to the Internet. Members of Congress have been attacking the fund as wasteful and inefficient, but today the FCC told a Congressional subcommittee it's important to save the fund, even if it means making some changes in how the fund is run. (3:45)

Carvel Ice Cream -- Commentator Leon Wynter remembers growing up in Baychester, on the outskirts of New York, and the joys of Carvel brand ice cream in the summertime. (3:30)

Greenspan Speaks -- NPR's John Ydstie reports Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told lawmakers today that Fed policy makers don't see a need to raise interest rates right now. Greenspan did not throw caution to the wind, though. The Federal Reserve Chairman pointed out that an increase might be necessary if domestic demand doesn't slow. (4:30)

Florida Tobacco Trial -- Linda talks with NPR's Debbie Elliott about today's verdict in a product-liability case in Jacksonville, Florida. The jury found in favor of a family of a cigarette smoker, ruling that the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation was negligent and must pay at least $500,000 in compensatory damages for the man's death, and an additional $450,000 in punitive damages. The case has provided a very rare victory for smoking victims. (4:00)

Texas Dragging Death -- Debra Fraser of member station KUHF in Houston reports on the murder of a black man near Jasper, Texas. 49-year-old James Byrd was picked up by three white men, who allegedly beat him, tied him to the back of a pickup truck and dragged him to his death. Police are calling the attack racially motivated. Two of the suspects wore racist tattoos and allegedly have ties to the Ku Klux Klan. (4:00)

Indian Gaming -- NPR's Barbara Bradley reports on today's meeting between Attorney General Janet Reno and leaders of several California gaming tribes. The tribes are butting heads with California's governor over the use of video slot machines and want Reno to intervene in the dispute--something the Attorney General is reluctant to do. (4:00)

Philadelphia Transit Strike -- NPR's Eric Westervelt reports on Day 10 of the Philadelphia transit workers' strike. Commuters are angry, but adapting to life without trains, subways and buses. There are no talks scheduled, and settlement seems far away. (4:00)

Curfews and Crime -- All Things Considered host Robert Siegel talks with Mike Males, the co-author of a study called "The Impact of Juvenile Curfew laws in California" which was published by the Justice Policy Institute. Males's research showed that, in the sample he used in California, curfew enforcement has not driven down crimes committed by youths, as the proponents of curfews had hoped. (4:30)

Working Teens -- Nancy Cohen reports that with the unemployment rate at a record low, teenagers are finding it easier than ever to find jobs. Many educators, though, are concerned that employed teens are concentrating more on jobs and making money than they are on their schoolwork. (5:15)

'Dusk' -- Alan Cheuse has a review of the new translation of the novel Dusk by F. Sionil Jose . It's a dramatization of the first stirrings of the Filipino nationalist movement. Cheuse says that in the descriptions of the protagonists of the book, the author captures the terror -- and the poetry -- of the time. Note: Dusk by F. Sionil Jose is published by Modern Library Paperback Originals. (2:15)

Robert Sims Reid -- Reporter William Marcus profiles Robert Sims Reid, a respected crime writer who has an edge over the competition. He's a real-life detective with the Missoula, Montana, police department. (7:30)