August 28, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Yeltsin Speaks -- NPR's Anne Garrels reports from Moscow that after days of silence, President Boris Yeltsin has spoken publicly on the current financial and political crisis -- and he has ruled out early resignation. Yeltsin said he would serve out his term, and would not dissolve the parliament, which has been seeking to impeach him. He acknowledged that the future will be painful, but promised to try to protect citizens' savings. The president did not say how this would be done when the ruble is losing value daily and the banking sector is on the verge of collapse. (4:30)

Russia's Financial Meltdown -- NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that markets around the world were down again today on continuing concern about events in Russia. In the past two weeks Russia's economy has unravelled in way that few thought possible. Russia's fledgling stock market is down a breathtaking 80% and ruble has dropped so much that trading has been indefinitely suspended. Zarroli reports on the forces that led to Russia's economic collapse and on what the Russians have to do to regain some political and economic stability. (4:30)

Germany's Loans -- NPR's Edward Lifson reports that German stocks, particularly banking shares, are sharply down because of the Russian financial crisis. German banks have made some 30 billion dollars in loans to Russia, backed by the Bonn government. Analysts say, however, that even a complete default on the Russian loans would not create financial upheaval in Germany. Nevertheless, Chancellor Kohl's challenger in the upcoming federal election, Gerhard Schroeder, is making political hay out out of the current financial turmoil. (3:00)

Bonnie Hits the Tidewater -- NPR's Steve Inskeep reports that Hurricane Bonnie hurled one last blow before heading out to sea early this morning. Bonnie pelted the Virginia coastline with high winds, waves and rain, tearing off roofs and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Bonnie had been downgraded to a tropical storm yesterday, but strengthened back into a hurricane overnight. (4:00)

ATC Contest Winner -- We announce the name of the winner of our "Unoriginal Writing" contest. (3:15)

Embassy Bombing Suspects -- NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that officials have brought to the U.S. another suspect in the bombing of the embassy in Kenya. Mohammed Sadiq Odeh had been detained in Pakistan the day of the bombing. He was interrogated by the FBI in Nairobi. Odeh and another man are linked to a Saudi exile, Osama bin Laden. (3:30)

Indonesia Human Rights -- Patricia Nunan reports that Indonesia's national human rights commission has issued preliminary findings on alleged military atrocities in the province of Aceh, located in northern Sumatra. Its investigation found at least 781 people have been killed and 163 have disappeared since 1989, when Indonesian troops moved against Muslim separatists in the province. The military staged a partial withdrawal from the province last week. Analysts say the pull back is part of the military's effort to clean up its image following the downfall of former President Suharto. (4:00)

Chicago Teachers -- Jody Becker of member station WBEZ in Chicago reports on the Teacher Renewal Academy, where 1400 Chicago school teachers who aren't doing too well in their jobs spent some of the past year polishing their teaching skills. National studies indicate that the quality of teaching is one of the most important variables in determining student achievement. (5:00)

Chicago 1968 -- Thirty years ago tonight -- August 28, 1968 -- saw violence in the streets of Chicago, host city to the Democratic National Convention. The Democrats were deeply divided over the war in Vietnam, and thousands of young people went to Chicago to protest. Independent producer Barrett Golding has collected some of the sounds of the Summer of '68 that culminated in the Chicago protests. (8:20)

World Markets Take a Beating -- All Things Considered host Noah Adams talks with Jeremy Siegel, a professor of finance at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, about the day's activity on the stock market. They discuss the recent decline in the stock market, which has dropped the Dow Jones Industrial Average 1,171 points below the record high set in July. (4:00)

Northwest Strike Deadline -- Cara Hetland of Minnesota Public Radio reports that many travellers in the Upper Midwest will be stranded if 6,000 Northwest airline pilots go on strike tonight. There is a midnight (EDT) strike deadline as negotiators continue talks aimed at averting the strike. Northwest is the nation's 4th largest airline and is the only national transportation link for cities in North and South Dakota, parts of Minnesota, and other towns throughout the region. (4:30)

Grounded Fleet -- Noah talks with Kathy Peach, a spokesperson for Northwest Airlines, about what the company will do with their idled planes if there is a strike. (3:30)

Congo Violence -- NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on the third straight day of fighting in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The government claims to have beaten back the rebel assault on the city. Reporters were taken near the area of the fighting and presented with nine rebel prisoners, several of whom said they were Rwandan. President Laurent Kabila has maintained since the rebellion broke out nearly four weeks ago that Rwanda was behind the uprising in Africa's third-largest country. (3:30)

Awloho Street -- Jeffrey Tayler spent a very hot night on Awloho street in the Nigerian city of Kano. There, among the prostitutes and their clients, the shops and cafes, he sees the sweetness and sadness of life in a Nigerian backwater town. (4:00)

Delaware Indians -- NPR's Eric Westervelt reports on an alliance between the Delaware Indian tribe and the leaders of Wildwood, New Jersey to build a tribal casino in the struggling shore town. They're fighting state law -- and, locals say, the political muscle of Atlantic City. (6:00)

Fatsis Friday -- Noah talks with Wall Street Journal sports and sports business reporter Stefan Fatsis in our weekly sports roundup feature. They discuss the beginning of the U.S. Open tennis championships and the ongoing baseball race to beat Roger Maris's home run record. (4:00)

Baseball Names -- Commentator Bill Harley doesn't like the names created for new baseball teams, mostly because the new ones have three-syllable names. Americans like two- or one-syllable names. (2:30)

Sam Bush -- Noah speaks with mandolin player and fiddler Sam Bush about his version of the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," from his new album "Howlin' at the Moon." Bush says he tried to evoke the feeling of the mandolin orchestras of the 1920s. We will hear the entire song. Note: The CD is produced by Sugar Hill Records, Inc. CD #SH 3876. This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.