August 26, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

On the Outer Banks -- Noah talks with NPR's Adam Hochberg in Manteo, North Carolina, where residents of the Outer Banks are coping with the rain and wind of Hurricane Bonnie. (3:00)

Sticking It Out -- All Things Considered host Linda Wertheimer talks with Carla Meekins, the owner of the Avon Motel on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. They discuss why Meekins and her husband have decided not to evacuate the island. Meekins says that she and her husband have survived Hurricanes Bob and Emily, and that hurricanes are just a fact of barrier-islands life. (3:15)

Science of Hurricanes -- NPR's Richard Harris explores the science of hurricanes, touching on how the storms develop and why they follow the track they do. (4:00)

Abu Nidal -- NPR's Ted Clark reports that the almost- forgotten Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal is back in the news, though his exact whereabouts are unknown. Egypt has denied reports that he was being detained in a hospital in Cairo and U.S. officials say they can not confirm or deny the report. But the new mystery of his whereabouts has revived interest in this master terrorist of the 1970s and 1980s, pointing out how much his relevance and organizational power have declined in the past decade. (4:00)

Congo Fighting -- NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports from Kinshasa that government and rebel forces exchanged artillery fire on the outskirts of the Congolese capital today, and residents of some suburbs reported automatic weapons fire. The clashes raised questions about the government's claims that it had stopped a rebel advance and had the insurgents on the run. Officials in Kinshasa down played the fighting, saying the army was merely flushing out a small group of rebels. But the streets of the capital were deserted today, and the authorities re-imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew. (3:30)

Clinton and Democrats -- Although public opinion is still solidly behind President Clinton, the White House is bracing for a new and potentially dangerous problem. Prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt and Colorado Governor Roy Romer have said the President's speech to the nation on the Lewinsky matter wasn't enough, and impeachment is a possibility. NPR's Mara Liasson has been talking with analysts about what that could mean. (5:00)

Wisconsin Senate Race -- One of the more competitive Senate races this year is in the state of Wisconsin, between incumbent Democrat Russell Feingold and two-term congressman Mark Neumann. It's one of several seats Republicans hope to capture this fall to solidify their hold on the Senate. Campaign finance reform and partial birth abortion are two of the main campaign issues to emerge so far. Among the unknowns is the impact of President Clinton's problems on Democratic voter turnout. Both candidates think turnout could be low. NPR's Brian Naylor reports. (7:30)

Lundy's Restaurant -- Linda has a profile of the legendary Lundy's restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. For more than fifty years, F.W.I.L. Lundy's of Sheepshead Bay was a Brooklyn institution. In its heyday, the restaurant seated 2800 and was renowned for its seafood, biscuits, and desserts. The restaurant eventually closed but was reopened after a sixteen-year hiatus in 1995 to universal acclaim. Linda talks with historians of the restaurant, patrons who remember the original Lundy's, and others with reminiscences of one of the focal points of Brooklyn life from the 1930s through the 1970s. (8:00)

Russia's Economic Problems -- NPR's Anne Garrels reports from Moscow that the ruble plummeted today as the Russian Central Bank announced it could no longer prop up the embattled currency. Bewildered Russians lined up outside banks, desperately hoping to withdraw their dollar deposits. The newly reappointed Prime Minister, Viktor Chernomyrdin, meanwhile, flew off to Ukraine to meet with IMF chief Michel Camdessus. The Communist-dominated parliament is stepping up the pressure on Chernomyrdin to appoint a government that will reverse moves toward market reforms. But Western analysts fear just this. They're afraid Chernomyrdin has no clue as to how to stanch the flow of red ink and avert total financial collapse. Amidst all this, President Yeltsin stayed away from the Kremlin, fueling speculation about his imminent resignation. (4:30)

Texas Flooding -- NPR's John Burnett reports the flooded Rio Grande is expected to crest in Laredo, Texas tonight. Thousands of homes in the river's path have been evacuated and all three bridges linking the United States and Mexico have been shut down. The flooding brought by Tropical Storm Charley has already killed at least 14 people in the U.S. and Mexico and destroyed more than 300 homes. (4:00)

Wilmington Hurricane Watch -- Noah talks with Aileen LeBlanc in Wilmington, North Carolina, which is just north of Cape Fear, where the eye of Hurricane Bonnie made landfall this afternoon. They discuss what's happening in Wilmington and the damage that the hurricane inflicted. (4:00)

Shifting Sands -- Linda talks with Orrin Pilkey, Professor of Geology at Duke University and author of "The Beaches are Moving." He expects the Outer Banks of North Carolina will look quite different when this storm has passed. (3:30)

Second Fleet -- Noah talks to Vice Admiral William Fallon, commander of the 2nd Fleet, which took 48 ships out of port and to sea to avoid getting damaged by the storm. Admiral Fallon says that it's expensive and time consuming so they only take the ships out to avoid a storm when they know it's going to be big. The fleet got out of port in record time yesterday. (4:30)

Libya Responds -- NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that the government of Libya has accepted a proposal made by the United States and the United Kingdom concerning two Libyans charged in connection with the bombing of Pan Am flight 103. Earlier this week, the United States and Britain said they would agree to a trial for the two suspects before a Scottish court relocated to the Netherlands. A total of 270 people were killed in the air and on the ground when the airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988. The statement by the Libyan foreign ministry also called for an end to U.N. sanctions against the country, which were imposed in 1992 when Libya first refused to hand over the suspects. For the details, listen as NPR's Tom Gjelten reports for All Things Considered. (3:15)

Prison Bus -- Every weekend, a bus leaves Columbus Circle in New York City. It takes dozens of people - mostly women and children -- to visit their husbands, their sons, their brothers -- in prison in upstate New York. Laura Sydell of member station WNYC got on the bus with a woman whose son is serving a life sentence for murder. (9:00)

Implanting Embryos -- NPR's Joe Palca reports on a new study showing how it may be possible to avoid a major complication related to test tube babies -- multiple births. Until now, doctors had to implant four or more embryos to insure success. But that often resulted in the birth of triplets and quadruplets. Now it appears that fewer embryos bring the same success. (4:00)

National Anthem Record -- We'll hear tape of ten-year-old Jamie Lynn Bence singing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium today. With today's performance, she became the first person to sing the national anthem at all 30 major league baseball parks. (3:00)