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

An index of the day's stories:

PAN-AM BOMBING TRIAL -- NPR's Ted Clark reports that the United States and Britain agreed to a trial in Holland for the two Libyan suspects in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. In the past, Libya's leader Moammar Khaddafi said he would not object to a trial of the two Libyan agents if it was held in a third country. But so far there has been no reply from the Libyan leader. If he does not agree to such a trial, US officials say they will push for an international oil embargo. (4:15)

SUDAN SEEKS UN INTERVENTION -- NPR's Mike Shuster reports that despite Sudanese protests about the US missile destruction of a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, the United Nations Security Council has taken a wait-and-see attitude on the issue. But US officials say they will oppose Sudan's call for a UN fact-finding trip to the Sudan to establish if the destroyed pharmaceutical plant really was manufacturing chemicals for weapons, as US officials have insisted. (4:15)

CHEMICAL WEAPONS EVIDENCE? -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Khartoum that the Sudanese government is hoping to prove to the world, and the US media that the pharmaceutical plant that the US destroyed with cruise missiles last week produced nothing but pills. The government is also denying claims that the plant was also producing chemicals for weaponry and might have been financially backed by suspected terrorist supporter Osama bin Laden. (3:30)

HEAVY RAINS IN TEXAS -- NPR's John Burnett reports Tropical Storm Charley's visit to Texas this weekend brought much-needed rain to parts of the drought-stricken state. But it's also brought flash-floods to some other areas. Unfortunately, the precipitation didn't reach areas in North Texas that continue to struggle with drought conditions. (3:30)

BONNIE & SURFERS -- Linda talks with Dave Lewis, the general manager of the Wave Riding Vehicles Surf Shop in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They talk about the excitement among surfers who are hoping that the big waves being generated by Hurricane Bonnie will hold up for the East Coast Surfing Championship in Virginia Beach this weekend. For more information on the East Coast Surfing Championship, call 1-800-861-SURF (4:15)

TO CUT OR NOT TO CUT? -- Anne Goodwin-Sides reports on a growing debate about ritual circumcision among non-Orthodox religious Jews. According to Jewish law, the ceremonial bris, during which an infant boy's foreskin is removed, represents a covenant with the faith and with God. For many, male circumcision and Jewish identity are inextricably bound. While the traditional bris remains the norm, some Jewish parents are choosing non-surgical naming ceremonies for their sons. But the decision to defy tradition also can bring pain. (12:00)

MCGWIRE'S DRUG -- NPR's Jon Hamilton looks at what is known about the performance-enhancing drugs that St. Louis Cardinals' player Mark McGwire says he's taking. The drugs, which are legal and are allowed by Major League Baseball are controversial because McGwire is on-track to break Roger Maris's long-standing single-season home run record this year. (3:00)

MARIS'S PHYSIQUE -- Noah talks with John Thorne, the author of Treasures of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Thorne says that physique is not a big issue in hitting home-runs. He says that hitting is based more on the conditioning of reflexes than it is on physical power. Thorne also says that if pitchers were to take the performance-enhancing drugs that McGwire is taking now, it would profoundly change the game. (4:30)

RUSSIA SHAKEUP -- NPR's Anne Garrels reports from Moscow on the reaction to President Yeltsin's surprise shake-up of the government yesterday. The President explained he was removing Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko and replacing him with former Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin to ensure stability at a difficult time. But many Russians voiced dismay at the move. Some feel the president should have given the young Kiriyenko more time to carry out the painful reforms necessary to stave off financial collapse. (4:30)

CONGO & ANGOLA INTERVENTION -- Linda talks to NPR's Jennifer Ludden in Kinshasa about the growing foreign role in the Democratic Republic of Congo's three-week-old civil war. Angola is reportedly pouring large numbers of tanks and troops into southwestern Congo to fight alongside President Laurent Kabila. Zimbabwe's military is also helping government forces fight Tutsi-led rebels, who are backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Kabila and his allies ignored a weekend peace summit hosted by South African President Nelson Mandela. (4:15)

CENSUS RULING -- A federal court has rejected the Clinton administration's plan to use statistical sampling in addition to the usual head count for the 2000 census. A special three-judge panel ruled today that sampling is forbidden by the Census Act. The Census Bureau wants to use sampling to account for Americans who don't send in census forms. Political strategists say that would benefit Democrats, since much of the uncounted population is in cities where the Democrats are stronger than Republicans. A group of GOP House members filed the lawsuit that led to today's ruling. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports. (3:15)

INTERNET PRIVACY -- NPR's Larry Abramson reports that efforts to improve the Internet as a marketing medium could conflict with individual privacy. On-line ad managers hope to lure more ad money by promising precise targetting information which will allow companies to direct their ads at the right demographic profile. But providing more extensive demographic information about Internet users raises serious questions about the future of privacy on the World Wide Web. (7:00)

CYANIDE BUST -- NPR's Andy Bowers reports on the arrest of a woman in Los Angeles who was trying to mail 100 packets of cyanide to people, labelled as a nutrition supplement. Authorities fear she may have already mailed some packets, perhaps from another location. (2:15)

FAKE IDS -- NPR's Eric Westervelt reports on a lucrative, illegal business in fake drivers' licenses, which has a steady market: underage drinkers. New Jersey, one of only two states that don't require photos on drivers' licenses, is one of the most susceptible to fraud, as shown by the recent break-up of a huge forgery ring that made fake New Jersey licenses. (4:30)

TEEN SEX LINE -- NPR's Mandalit delBarco reports on a new telephone hot line to provide teens with information about sex. From birth control to slang terms, the counselors on the line provide straight, no-holds-barred answers, in terms teens understand. That's partly because those answering the lines are teens themselves. (6:00)

ELEPHANT TALK -- Noah talks with Katy Payne, the author of Silent Thunder: In the Presence of Elephants. She is an "audio biologist," studying the infrasonic communication among elephants. We'll hear some of the tapes she's made in her research, played at various speeds, which reveal the complex dialogue between the massive animals. Silent Thunder: In the Presence of Elephants is published by Simon & Schuster. (8:00)