September 8, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

MARKETS UP -- NPR's Jim Zarroli talks with Noah about today's gains on the stock market. The Dow Jones industrial average exceeded its previous one-day point gain record, and overall, the market gained about five percent. The stock market's level has now returned to an area above where the market began the year. (2:30)

PRIME MINISTER CANDIDATES -- Robert talks with NPR's Michele Kelemen about the political gridlock and economic turmoil afflicting Russia. With lawmakers refusing to approve the nomination of Viktor Chernomyrdin as prime minister, several other names have been bandied about as candidates for the post. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov, however, say they would turn down an offer of this seemingly thankless job. In view of the continuing political stalemate in Moscow, the leaders of Russia's regions are taking the initiative to cope with the economic upheaval. (5:00)

CONGO TUTSIS -- NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on the historic discrimination against Tutsis that helped touch off the current rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although Tutsis have lived in the Central African nation for generations, many Congolese still consider them foreigners. The Tutsi-led rebels insist they are fighting for all Congolese, but the fact that Tutsi-led Rwanda is aiding the uprising against President Laurent Kabila has heightened the perception of Tutsis as traitors. (5:00)

EMBASSY REVIEW -- NPR's Ted Clark reports that six State Department security teams have just returned from reviews of some two dozen U.S. posts around the world. The on-going review of consulates and embassies is the result of the August 7th bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The State Department is working closely with Congress on enhanced funding to improve security at the facilities. State Department officials say the security report could be sent to Congress as early as this week. (2:30)

FLIGHT DATA RECORDER -- Noah talks with Jim Hutchinson, the director of engineering for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada in Ottawa. They discuss what kinds of information appear on flight data recorders -- how they work, what they do, and what happens in cases of electrical failure. (4:30)

WELFARE REFORM ON THE RED LAKE RESERVATION -- NPR's John Biewen visits the Red Lake Reservation, home to a tribe of Chippewa Indians in Northern Minnesota. Almost half the adults are unemployed, the tribe is dependent on welfare to survive. The small casino isn't located close enough to any metropolitan areas to produce income. Red Lake, the second largest lake in the state, has been "fished out" and the once-thriving commercial fishing industry is gone. And there is little economic development. But with welfare reform, Native Americans have less than 5 years to find jobs before they lose welfare ....and the reservation is scrambling to figure out what to do. (12:30)

RED LAKE, CONTINUED -- The conclusion of John Biewen's look at welfare reform and its effects on the Red Lake reservation in Minnesota. (8:00)

CLINTON SPEECH -- NPR's Larry Abramson reports from Silver Spring, Maryland, that Maryland Governor Parris Glendening and other state party leaders failed to appear with President Clinton today at Pinecrest Elementary School. The president went to Silver Spring to discuss his education plan. Glendening's cancellation is one of the highest profile snubs of the president since Mr. Clinton's August 17th acknowledgment of a relationship with Monica Lewinsky. (3:00)

SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT -- The San Diego school system has abandoned the idea that their superintendent has to be a professional educator. The new superintendent is the former district attorney, who promises to whip the system into shape. Alison St. John of member station KPBS reports. (6:00)

CASINO SLAYING -- NPR's Mandalit Del Barco reports on a surprise plea agreement announced today in Las Vegas. Nineteen-year-old Jeremy Strohmeyer pleaded guilty today to murder and sexual assault for killing a 7-year-old girl in a casino restroom stall while her father was gambling. He agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison with no possibility of parole. The case has drawn national attention by focusing on the safety of children in casinos and on the fact that one of Strohmeyer's friends said he saw the crime in progress but did nothing to stop it. (2:15)

AUSTIN CATHOLIC HOSPITAL -- NPR's John Burnett reports the city of Austin, Texas and the Catholic Church are struggling over the issue of whether reproductive services like contraceptive counseling and sterilization can be performed at the city's charity hospital. The hospital is public, but it's managed by a Catholic health care organization. Austin's Catholic bishop is trying to mediate the dispute. (8:00)

SAFE SCHOOL $ -- Robert talks with Ralph Frammolino, a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. They discuss how six billion dollars of federal money has been spent on marginally successful programs to make and keep schools safe from drugs and violence. (3:30)

SAILING -- Sick and tired of the nine-to-five grind? Interested in learning tall ship sailing? Looking for something to do for 18 months? Have an extra $32,000? Reporter John Kalish visits the Picton Castle, a 70-year-old, three masted sailing ship staffed by a crew of 45 amateur and professional sailors. The Picton Castle's crew is a strange collection of people ranging in age from 19 to 64. The pros are teaching the former land lubbers how to sail as the Picton Castle travels around the world -- twice. (7:00)

MCGWIRE HIGH SCHOOL COACH -- Noah talks with Tom Carroll, a coach at Damien High School in La Verne, California, who coached St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire during high school. Carroll says that McGwire is a natural talent...but when McGwire was in school, coaches thought of him as a pitcher, not a batter. Yesterday, McGwire tied Roger Maris' record for most home runs hit in a regular season...and tonight, will try to break that record in a game against the Chicago Cubs. (3:30)

TAXES & NUMBER 62 -- Robert talks about the tax consequences of catching the ball that makes history when Roger Maris' regular-season home run record is broken. St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire is expected to break that record any day now...and the ball that is hit is expected to be worth more than a million dollars. Earlier, there were reports that whoever catches the ball could be subject to stiff tax penalties if they give the ball away or try to sell it...but the IRS announced this afternoon that if the person who catches the history-making ball gives it to the person who hit it, tax penalties will not be applied. (1:30)

CALL IN '61 -- We'll hear how the record-setting home run was announced to radio audiences in 1961...when Roger Maris set the record currently being chased by the St. Louis Cardinals' Mark McGwire and the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa. (1:30)