July 16, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

THE HUNT FOR RUDOLPH -- NPR's Kathy Lohr reports from North Carolina on the search for bombing suspect Eric Rudolph. Law enforcement officials say they've uncovered a few more clues as to Rudolph's whereabouts, but still haven't found him. Some local residents have been helping the police search for Rudolph. But others say they are tired of the hordes of investigators that have descended upon the rural area, and at times find themselves hoping Rudolph won't be caught. (4:30)

MCVEIGH APPEAL -- NPR's Mark Roberts reports that Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh is asking an appellate court for a delay of his appeal, in hopes that another ruling by the same court could help him. Earlier this month, a panel of the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that cutting deals with witnesses in exchange for testimony, a common practice of prosecutors, amounts to bribery. The ruling stunned the Justice Department. The full court said it will reconsider the ruling later this year. (3:00)

MA TEACHER CRISIS -- NPR's Anthony Brooks reports that the inability of aspiring Massachusetts teachers to pass a basic math and literacy exam (56 percent failed a test that a 10th grader should have passed), has raised questions again about the quality of teacher training and the teachers turned out by education programs at universities and teachers' colleges. Experts say that the image and pay scale of the profession need to be improved in order to attract better quality teaching candidates. (7:30)

U.N. & RWANDA -- Chris Simpson reports from Kigali that the United Nations is withdrawing its human rights monitoring team from Rwanda. The UN said today that it will pull out its 58 observers by the end of July because it has been unable to reach an agreement with the government that would allow them to continue their work. Rwanda suspended the team's activities in May. Rwanda's chilly relations with the UN stem from its anger that the world body failed to stop the 1994 genocide there. The rift is embarrassing for the United States, which has close ties to the Kigali regime. (3:00)

ALGERIAN JOURNALISTS -- NPR's Sarah Chayes reports that Algeria's besieged free press left the country newspaperless today because of a one day strike to protest government efforts to oust them from the security compound they live in to avoid assassination. Some 73 journalists have been killed in Algeria's internal civil war since 1993 and providing the news, or at least as much of it as can be gleaned, is dangerous work. (6:00)

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ATHFEST -- Noah talks with Jared Bailey, director of AthFest-98, a four day music and arts festival in what's often called "the hippest town in America": Athens, Georgia. They talk about some of the 160 local bands participating in the festival. Bailey estimates that there are more than 300 bands in the town of 50-thousand. The compilation CD AthFest '98 is available from Ghostmeat Records PO Box 54693, Atlanta, GA 30308 or send e-mail to ghostmeat@aol.com (8:00)

STARR & SECRET SERVICE -- NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports from Washington on efforts by the Justice Department to block White House Secret Service agents from having to testify before the grand jury investigating President Clinton. A federal appeals court refused to review whether presidential conversations overheard by agents are covered by confidentiality protections. The Justice Department has now appealed the issue to the Supreme Court. Even without Secret Service agents to testify, the grand jury was still busy: Linda Tripp arrived at the courthouse this morning for her sixth day of testimony. (4:30)

DUMA DECISIONS -- Noah talks with NPR's Mike Shuster about the Russian government's efforts to win parliamentary approval of its sweeping economic reform plan. So far, the Duma has approved a reduction in taxes on corporate profits. The lawmakers have also approved a sales tax, and are considering adjustments in the way the value-added tax is applied. The government must reform the tax code, improve tax collection, and slash spending if it is to receive the multi-billion loan package pledged this week by the International Monetary Fund and other foreign lenders. (4:15

McCAFFREY GOES DUTCH -- Gillian Sharpe reports from the Hague on today's visit by the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Barry McCaffrey. Before he even arrived, McCaffrey ruffled his hosts' feathers by calling the Dutch drug policy an "unmitigated disaster." The Dutch rushed to defend their laws, under which marijuana use is legal and hard-core drug addicts are treated as patients, rather than criminals. (3:30)

THALIDOMIDE -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved the drug thalidomide for use in this country by leprosy sufferers. It is being manufactured in the U.S. by the New Jersey based firm, Celgene Corporation under the brand name Thalomid. The controversial drug was prescribed in Europe in the 1950's as a tranquilizer and treatment for morning sickness. It caused severe birth defects in at least ten thousand babies. The FDA promises that thalidomide will be among the most tightly restricted drugs marketed in the U.S. but opponents of the FDA approval say the drug should never be used because no safeguards will be sufficient to guarantee that children are not born with the limb deformities that are the hallmark of thalidomide exposure in utero. (3:30)

ACTIVE FAULT -- NPR's Richard Harris reports that one of the biggest earthquake faults in the Los Angeles area slipped and caused two huge earthquakes 10 thousand years ago or less. As a result, geologists have declared it an "active" fault, and they warn it has the potential to generate destructive earthquakes. The Sierra Madre fault runs along the foot of the San Gabriel mountains, and poses a risk to heavily populated areas there. Seismologists can't say how big that risk is right now. (4:15)

NAACP WRAP -- Reporter Joshua Levs wraps up the NAACP annual convention, which is concluding today in Atlanta. Vice President Gore address the delegates today. Throughout the 6-day meeting, NAACP leaders emphasized themes of leadership for the future and an expanded agenda. They vowed to preserve affirmative action, combat the spread of HIV/AIDS among black Americans, build partnerships to eliminate discrimination and expand economic opportunity, cultivate youths for leadership roles. Internal squabbles were down played and the NAACP's past financial problems seemed a dim memory at the upbeat gathering. (5:00)

BLACK THEATRE SUMMIT -- The Black Theatre Summit has been underway in Atlanta since Sunday as part of the National Black Arts Festival. So far, much of the talk has been about economics: building the financial stability of theatres; developing management plans...but what about the art? What's being done to encourage African American playwrights? Are theatres staging their work? And is the older generation of playwrights, directors and producers behind the summit in tune with the younger artists whose work will fill the theatres the summit is trying to revitalize? Phyllis Joffe reports. (7:45)

LA LAKE -- Carrie Kahn from KPBS in San Diego reports on the settlement of an 80 year battle between residents of the Owens Valley and the City of Los Angeles. For years, after L.A. drained Owens Lake to send water to the growing city, high winds sweeping across the dry lake bed created toxic dust storms that made locals sick. After decades of deadlock, L.A. has agreed to surrender water back to Owens Valley to help cover the dry bed. (3:15)

FLY FISHING SCHOOL -- Commentator Josh Wolk agreed to attend an instructional course in fly-fishing with his father, hoping it would bring them closer as father and son. It brought him closer to nature, closer to the fish...closer to extreme boredom...but the jury's still out on whether it really made him bond with his Dad. (4:30)