June 24, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

AT&T & TCI -- NPR's John Ydstie reports that telecommunications giant AT&T is buying TCI, the nation's second largest cable company, in a deal valued at $48 billion. AT&T has been looking for a way to get into the market for local phone service and apparently decided to do it by acquiring a cable company. The deal is still subject to regulatory approval, but analysts said the proposed merger is unlikely to generate much opposition. (4:00)

Moscow Business -- NPR's Anne Garrels reports on the new Moscow -- a glitzy metropolis of foreign cars, luxury hotels, expensive restaurants and even a yacht club. Below the surface glitter, masses of Russians who haven't yet made it struggle to make ends meet --many of them illegal workers from the provinces. (5:30)

Russia Sanctions -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that while sanctions may be popular with Congress, they do not make for good U.S. foreign policy. (2:45)

Dissident Voices -- President Clinton is on his way to China -- the first visit there by a U.S. president since the Tiananmen Square massacre nine years ago. NPR's Mary Kay Magistad reports on how this historic return to Beijing is being viewed by dissidents within China. (5:00)

Secrets -- Alan Cheuse has a review of Secrets by Nuruddin Farah. It's set in Somalia, as the civil war in that country is getting underway. Cheuse says the characters are well-drawn and the book overall is a witty comedy of manners. (Note: Secrets is published by Arcade.) (2:00)

U.N. Inspection Report -- Chief United Nations arms inspector Richard Butler today reported to the Security Council that his team has confirmed that Iraq had armed missile warheads with deadly VX gas during the Gulf War. Butler said that proof had been discovered on some destroyed warheads found in Iraq that would be sent to experts from other nations to analyse to establish the veracity of his conclusions. NPR's Mike Shuster reports. (3:00)

Space Station Debate -- NPR's Richard Harris reports on new developments in the continuing controversy over the international space station. A study released in April charged that NASA had allowed project spending to get out of control. That resulted in cost overruns in the hundreds of millions of dollars and it delayed the launch of the station, the report said. Today, NASA administrator Dan Goldin said that it would be "devastating" to the U.S. space program if the project were cancelled. (3:30)

The Comet -- Commentator Rick Bass tells the story of a comet that is visible for a whole month -- from a tiny village in far northern Montana. The valley residents are totally taken by the miracle of its presence -- especially the children, who feel a "reckless" joy at the sight of it. (5:45)

Oregon Ballet Theater -- A love triangle, simulated sex on stage, and a murder. All three are incorporated in the Oregon Ballet Theater's rock ballet Revenge Poems. Artistic Director James Canfield says he wants ballet to evolve and he wants to attract a younger audience to ballet -- the MTV audience. His approach seems to be working; subscriptions are up for the past four years. But some in the community say his ballets should carry warning labels. And some critics say he's concentrating on style over substance. Naseem Rakha reports. (8:00)

School Violence Prevention Programs -- NPR's Anthony Brooks reports that a report on violence prevention programs in America's schools show that most of them are woefully inadequate. The study, one of the first ever, was conducted by Drug Strategies, a Washington-based non-profit organization. The report detailed 84 programs across the country. Only ten received an "A," while more than half were rated as "poor." (4:00)

Clinton & Minority Firms -- The Clinton administration has decided on a new plan for when to give minority-owned businesses preference in federal contracts. The new policy will be to give minority firms preferences if their share of federal business is less than the minority share of that field in the private sector. The administration intends the policy to meet the Supreme Court restriction that preferences can only be used to remedy past discrimination. NPR's Barbara Bradley reports. (4:00)

HMO Bill -- NPR's Brian Naylor reports from Capitol Hill on a House Republican plan unveiled today that would strengthen the rights of patients in dealing with Health Maintenance Organizations. The measure is expected to contain provisions allowing patients to appeal if their insurance carrier denied coverage of a treatment or proceedure, and guaranteed payment of emergency room expenses. The issue is expected to play a large role in the upcoming congressional elections, with Democrats and the White House advancing their own proposals in the face of widespread dissatisfaction with health insurance limitations. (4:00)

Workplace Rudeness -- NPR's David Molpus reports that rudeness, disrespect and outright bullying are become more common in the workplace. A study by researchers at the University of North Carolina attribute the rise in workplace incivility to intense competition, rapid change, and more aggressive social bahavior in general. Researchers say it leads to ineffeciency in the workplace. (7:00)

Hamas Suspect -- Jackie Northam of member station WBEZ in Chicago reports on the case of Mohammed Salah, a Palestinian American suspected of being a member of the terrorist organization Hamas, whose property and assets were seized by the federal government. The FBI says he channels funds to Hamas terrorist activities abroad, but have so far refused to charge him with a crime. Salah says he's involved with charitable organizations that help Palestianian people in the Middle East. And he says his due process rights as a U.S. citizen are being violated. (5:00)

Amish Drug Bust -- Noah talks with Brian Christopher, the police reporter for the Intelligencer Journal in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They talk about the two Amish youths who were arrested and indicted for distributing cocaine. The allegations are unusual in their severity, but Christopher says that Amish youths are known for "sowing their wild oats" before settling down to a sober, religious life. (4:30)

Pup Tent Orthodoxy -- Commentator Frederica Matthewes-Green talks about her church, which rents a space for its services. The congregation has to set up and tear down its decorations and utensils each week. She's looking forward to finding a permanent home for the church. (3:00)

Whitewater Dangers -- Noah talks with Hector Keeling, a river guide from California. They discuss the unusually high water levels in rivers and creeks throughout the state, stemming from this year's record melting of the California snow pack. Eleven people have lost their lives already this spring and summer season in mishaps during recreation on the state's waterways. Keeling says that although the death toll is high -- and one of the guides he works with was recently killed -- the water is for the most part safe when approached with caution and training. (5:00)

O'Sullivan Obituary -- We'll hear tape from one of the "Tarzan" movies that starred actress Maureen O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan died Monday at the age of 87. She first gained fame in some of the Tarzan movies playing the character Jane. (3:30)