August 21, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Anti-Terrorism Policy -- NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that yesterday's missile attacks on Afghanistan and Sudan are part of a stepped up U.S policy for countering terrorism. Officials say strikes sought to preempt further attacks on U.S. citizens and installations. U.S. officials also say they have "physical evidence" that the pharmaceutical company attacked in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum was producing chemicals for use in chemical weapons. The United States says that the investigation into the terrorist attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania is continuing, but after yesterday's retaliation, with a lower priority. (4:30)

World Markets Slide -- NPR's Jim Zarroli reports the stock market fell sharply today. Concern that Russia's economic troubles may spread to other countries resulted in a downturn of the Dow Industrials. The other major stock indexes were down as well, but the bond market moved higher as foreign capital sought safe haven in U.S. government bonds. The interest rate on the benchmark 30-year treasury hit a record low. (3:30)

Campaign Fundraising -- NPR's Steve Inskeep reports from Washington that Attorney General Janet Reno is considering whether to re-open an investigation of possible campaign fund-raising abuses in the 1996 election. Reno investigated President Clinton and Vice President Gore throughout much of last year. At that time, she decided against seeking an independent counsel, prompting intense criticism from Congress. (3:00)

Friday Sports Talk -- Sports contributor Stephan Fatsis of the Wall Street Journal talks with All Things Considered host Noah Adams this week about the remarkable home run streak of Mark McGuire which is at 51 this season. They also discuss the 2nd annual WNBA playoffs which begin Saturday and how well women's basketball is doing. (4:00)

Afghanistan Covert Operations -- Noah talks to Milton Bearden, author of "A Black Tulip," who previously worked for the CIA in Afghanistan and Sudan. He talks about the U-S strikes against suspected terrorist sites in Afghanistan and Sudan. He knows the targets well from his work in both countries. (4:00)

Cruise Missiles -- The United States used cruise missiles to carry out its attacks in Afghanistan and Sudan. NPR's Neal Conan explains how the missiles can travel over hundreds of miles, and across almost any terrain, to accurately hit a target. (2:30)

Mississippi KKK Trial -- Melanie Peeples reports from Hattiesburg, Mississippi that former Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard Sam Bowers was found guilty of murder for the 1966 firebomb death of Hattiesburg NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer. This was the fifth prosecution of Bowers for the Dahmer murder. During four trials in the 1960's, all-white juries were unable to reach a verdict.

Sudanese Reaction -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Cairo that Sudan denounced the U.S. bombing of what they insisted was a "medical factory" in their capital, Khartoum. Sudan says their pharmaceutical plant was not manufacturing chemical weapons, as the United States has alleged. Sudan has ordered the withdrawal of its diplomats from Washington. (3:00)

World Reaction -- NPR's Mike Shuster reports from the United Nations that many nations around the world condemn the United States for its missile attacks on Afghanistan and Sudan, but traditional U.S. allies are expressing support. Sudan, which had vowed to call a Security Council meeting to condemn the US action, has not done so. (4:00)

American Reaction -- NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports on what some of the public has to say about the bombings in Afghanistan and Sudan. Analysts put the bombing in the context of troubled leaders through history. (4:00)

Islam and Violence -- The Islamic community in the United States says the bombing was an emotional response to the problem of terrorism and will only make matters worse. Islamic leaders in Washington today said they were grateful that President Clinton drew a sharp distinction between Islamic religion and the actions of the terrorists in his speech yesterday afternoon. They say Islam is a religion of peace and that the terrorists have distorted the meaning of the Koran's precept of the defense of Islam. NPR's Lynn Neary reports. (3:30)

'The Rat Pack' -- The Rat Pack was the name given to Frank Sinatra and his pals who boozed and sang together in showrooms of Las Vegas and movie sets in the late fifties and early sixties. Those days are the subject of a new HBO movie that will be shown on the cable network Saturday. The film also shows Sinatra's involvement with John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential campaign. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker has a review.

Duma Denounces Yeltsin -- David McGuffin reports from Moscow on a stormy session of Russia's lower house of parliament today. Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko pleaded with Duma deputies to support the government's austerity measures, but his pleas were unsuccessful. The lawmakers overwhelmingly adopted resolutions calling for the resignation of President Yeltsin and denouncing the government's handling of the economic crisis. (3:00)

Congo Update -- NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports from Kinshasa on the latest military and diplomatic developments in the rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As South Africa tries to convene a weekend summit to end the war, Angola and Zimbabwe reportedly are sending troops to reinforce President Laurent Kabila's beleaguered army. (4:00)

Prague August -- Noah talks with Malcolm Byrne, director of the Openness in Russian and Eastern Europe Project at the National Security Archives, about documents discovered in Czech and Russian archives illuminating events leading up to the Soviet invasion of Prague. The invasion occurred 30 years ago in August, 1968. (5:30)

Double Feature -- Bob Mondello reviews two comedies opening this weekend. "Your Friends and Neighbors" is a dark, almost nasty view of the battle of the sexes, by writer director Neil Labute. Mondello says most of the attraction of this film comes from watching usually appealing actors act unappealingly. The second film is "Next Stop Wonderland," about a mother's misguided attempts at matchmaking for her daughter. (4:00)

Steadicam Letter -- Two weeks ago, Bob Mondello told us about the movie "Snake Eyes." Though he was lukewarm about the film, he was impressed by its long opening shot, set at a boxing match. He praised director Brian DePalma's intricate preparation for the scene, and attributed its continuity in part to a special camera -- the Steadicam. Larry McConkey, who was the cameraman who shot the scene, heard Bob's piece, and wrote him a letter to explain what a Steadicam is and how it works. (3:15)