July 1, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Japan Banks -- Stung by recession and international concern over their over-extended banking system, Japan is creating "bridge banks" modeled after the those the U.S. created during the savings and loan crisis. These new bridge banks will put failed banks under government supervision. It is the first major sign that Japan's politicians are trying to do something about the sad state of the Japanese economy. NPR's Julie McCarthy reports. (5:00)

Russia Economy -- David McGuffin reports from Moscow that Russian Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko pleaded with lawmakers today to adopt the government's emergency package of economic reforms. Mr. Kiriyenko argued that the reforms must be made if Russia is to secure additional financial aid from abroad -- and avert economic collapse. The communist-dominated State Duma proved remarkably cooperative -- and approved several measures on their first reading. (3:00)

Chinese Homeowners -- NPR's Mary Kay Magistad reports from Shanghai where President Clinton has wrapped up the third leg of his nine-day visit. The Shanghai visit focused on commericial relations between the U.S. and China. Mr. Clinton met with several groups to talk about free enterprise, free trade, free speech and affordable housing. (4:15)

Hong Kong Anniversary -- Robert talks to Rachel Clark, a columnist for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. She says everyday life hasn't changed drastically since the former British colony became part of the People's Republic of China -- one year ago, today. Obviously, the economic downturn in the region has affected things, but it has also gotten harder for journalists to get information from the government. (5:00)

Movies -- Critics can be nasty; but when they are, they are also at their wittiest. A new movie about the Earth being endangered by a Texas-sized chunk of rock hurtling toward it has drawn a round of slams from critics. We sample some of the most vitriolic reviews. (3:00)

Civil War Widows -- Daisy Anderson and Alberta Martin are Civil War widows. How can it be? Both were in their early 20's when they married octagenarian veterans. Daisy's husband was an ex-slave who fought for the Union; Alberta's man fought for the Confederacy. A portrait of two women reflecting on history and looking back at their lives -- on the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Producer Joe Richman brings us their story. (12:30)

Stroke Treatment -- NPR's Richard Harris reports that University of Pittsburgh researchers have performed the world's first transplant of a nerve cell into the brain of a stroke victim. The transplant was performed last week and announced in a teleconference with reporters today. Based on earlier success in animal studies, such transplants may reverse the brain damage caused by a stroke. The Pittsburgh experiment is the first of its kind to be performed in humans -- but it is too soon to tell if the transplant is working. (4:00)

Photo Album -- Commentator David Greenberger talks about his realization that family history can be an ephemeral thing -- and that the situations surrounding pictures and mementos really mean more than the artifacts themselves. (3:30)

Hubbell Case Dropped -- The tax evasion charges brought against former Justice Department official Webster Hubbell by Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr were dropped today by a Washington, DC, judge. The judge's decision means that all related charges brought by Starr against Hubbell's wife, his accountant, and his tax lawyer will also be dropped. The judge ruled that Starr built his case against Hubbell by using records that Hubbell supplied under subpoena. That means that Starr's use of those documents in creating the case against Webster Hubbell violated the limited grant of immunity that Hubbell was granted by a federal judge in Arkansas. NPR's Nina Totenberg talks with Robert about what today's developments mean for the future of the Whitewater investigation. (4:15)

Welfare Changes -- NPR's Ina Jaffe reports that as many as 8,000 people in Los Angeles County are losing their welfare benefits today as county officials impose a time limit on how long they can receive General Relief. General Relief is the welfare program of last resort for adults who don't qualify for any other program. The program pays recipients $221 a month. Approximately 50,000 people could ultimately be affected by the new limits. (6:00)

Economic News -- NPR's John Ydstie reports Federal Reserve policymakers decided today to leave short-term interest rates where they are after a two-day meeting in Washington. The decision to keep rates steady comes amid signs that U.S. economic growth may be slowing. (2:00)

GM & UAW -- NPR's Don Gonyea reports from Detroit that General Motors has already lost $1.2 billion as a result of the strikes by the United Auto Workers at plants in Flint, Michigan. Despite the loss in revenue, and the threat that the strikes could erode GM's shrinking market share, the company is determined to hold out for an agreement with the union that allows GM to become more competitive. The UAW has time on its side, as GM will likely feel more and more pressure to settle as the strikes drag on, or even multiply, in the weeks ahead. (4:00)

Kosovo -- NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports that the area around the Belacevac mine in Kosovo province is now deserted after this week's fierce fighting. The ethnic Albanian insurgents who seized the mine last week -- and were routed yesterday -- are nowhere to be seen. Nor are the thousands of civilians who lived in the nearby village of Hade. (4:30)

Internet Indecency -- NPR's Larry Abramson reports on the blocking of a New Mexico law designed to keep indecent material off the Internet. A federal judge struck down the law, saying it was overly broad and impossible to enforce given the fact that the state could never prove that specific Internet sites were "targeted" at minors. Since a federal law barring indecency on the Internet failed last year, state and federal lawmakers have tried other ways to address the issue, but so far, they've run into the same constitutional problems. (4:30)

Media Scandals -- It's been a sad month for the media. The New Republic and the Boston Globe each had to explain a writer's fantasies presented as facts; CNN and Time magazine launched investigations of their own investigative story about the alleged military use of nerve gas against defectors in Vietnam and the Cincinnati Enquirer apologized for a reporter's theft from the Chiquita International banana company. NPR's Brooke Gladstone reports. (4:30)

Dan Says -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that the recent flap between the Cincinnati Enquirer and Chiquita International differs from the journalistic hoaxes exposed at the New Republic and the Boston Globe. This time, reporters did not make up stories, but possibly used illicit means to obtain information. That the law does not make any allowance for motive is not good news for journalists. (3:30)

Dianamania -- From England, NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports on today's opening of Princess Diana's ancestral home to visitors. People can also go to an area from which they may see the island on which she is buried. More than 2000 people traveled to Althorp today -- which would have been Diana's 37th birthday. (4:00)

Pyrotechnics -- Noah talks with Dave Caulkins, the engineer and director of the "Millennium Meteor Fireworks Project." Caulkins has devised a plan to use obsolete intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in order to launch artificial meteors for a pyrotechnic display, scheduled for New Year's Eve, 1999. (3:30)