September 14, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

WHITE HOUSE STRATEGY -- The White House continued to work on its strategy today for dealing with the Starr report and growing calls on Capitol Hill for an impeachment inquiry. Among the administration's options is the hiring of an expanded team of legal and political advisors, who would be able to work with Congress. Today, President Clinton traveled to New York City to address the Council on Foreign Relations about the global economy and to attend a number of Democratic fundraisers. NPR's Mara Liasson reports. (4:15)

FOLKS IN SOUTH BEND, IN -- NPR's David Welna talked with voters in South Bend, Indiana about Ken Starr's report. They are very conflicted about what should happen to President Clinton. (5:30)

EDITORIAL ROUNDUP -- Robert and Linda read from editorials appearing in regional, local, and international newspapers concerning the Starr report and what the President's next move should be. (2:00)

CARDENAS -- NPR's Phillip Davis reports that the first elected mayor of Mexico City has disappointed those who had high expectations that he would be able to deal with the many problems plaguing the Mexican capital. Opposition politician Cuautehmoc Cardenas took office last December vowing to cut crime, reduce pollution, and institute a new era of clean government. But Cardenas has made little headway in these areas, because of some poor appointments, a failure to build political coalitions, and the corrupt bureaucracy created over decades by Mexico's ruling party.

THE SACRED HEART -- Photojournalist Max Aguilera-Hellweg has published a book called The Sacred Heart: An Atlas of the Body Seen through Invasive Surgery. He tells the story of how he got the idea of photographing medical operations, and how he went about creating his unique vision of the human body. Some of the photographs are now posted on our Web site. The Sacred Heart: An Atlas of the Body Seen through Invasive Surgery is published by Bulfinch. (12:30)

MEDAL OF FREEDOM RECIPIENT -- Robert talks with James Kallstrom, the former head of the New York State branch of the federal Bureau of Investigation, about Zachary Fisher. Fisher is a philanthropist who was awareded the Congressional Medal of Freedom today for his generosity towards veterans' groups. Fisher began donating money to the groups because he could not serve in World War II. Kallstrom has known Fisher for 12 years due to their associations with veterans' groups. (4:00)

DC VOTING RIGHTS LAWSUIT -- Lakshmi Singh of member station WAMU reports that the Washington DC city council and a group of residents have filed a lawsuit against the US government demanding full voting representation in Congress. Right now, residents of the District of Columbia are not represented in the US Senate, and have only a non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives. Efforts to win voting representation or statehood for the District through a constitutional amendment have failed repeatedly. (3:30)

HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE -- NPR's Brian Naylor reports from Capitol Hill on preparations by the House Judiciary Committee to deliberate possible impeachment articles against President Clinton. The panel, with 21 Republicans and 16 Democrats, is known as one of the most partisan in Congress. But it's leaders and members say they will remain above partisan bickering as their weigh the president's future. (5:00)

CLINTON COMEBACK STRATEGY -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that we have entered a new phase of the Clinton-Lewinsky saga, in which he postulates that we will see an encore performance of "The Comeback Kid" from President Clinton. (3:00)

MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE RACE -- With the release of Ken Starr's report, members of Congress went home for the weekend not knowing what to expect when they met with their constituents. Congressman John Tierney, a Massachusetts freshman Democrat thought to be in a tough battle for re-election, found that most of the voters had other things on their mind. From member station WBUR, Monica Brady reports. (4:00)

AIRBAG DESIGN -- NPR's Steve Inskeep reports that the Transportation Department is telling car companies to develop safer air bags. The government is giving manufacturers several years to design air bags strong enough to restrain passengers in a crash, but without inflating so powerfully that the bags kill people. Car companies say it's a good idea but very complicated. (3:30)

HACKING THE TIMES -- NPR's John McChesney reports the New York Times had to shut down its web site yesterday after hackers managed to take control of the site and post a statement of support for imprisoned fellow hacker, Kevin Mitnick. The attack once again points up the persistent security problems on the web and the special vulnerability of news organizations. (4:00)

RUSSIA & IMF -- NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports on President Clinton's call for a meeting of world financial ministers to look for ways to shore up the global economy. He says leaders need to determine whether international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, can cope with the economic crisis now gripping Asia, and Russia and threatening Latin America. Meanwhile, Rusia's new government has invited IMF officials for talks to look for a way out of the country's economic crisis. (3:30)

TURKMENISTAN -- NPR's Michael Sullivan reports from Ashgabat on the cult of personality surrounding...and created by...the President of Turkmenistan, Sapamurat Niyazov. Independence from Soviet rule has not brought democracy to this Central Asian nation. Niyazov's image is everywhere. Every news broadcast leads with an item about Niyazov. Even a brand of blue jeans is named for the president, who refers to himself as the Chief of all Turkmen. With no real tradition of democratic rule, the political opposition is weak in this poor, but resource-rich republic. (6:00)

CUBAN SPIES -- Linda talks with NPR's Cheryl Devall in Miami about today's announcement that 10 people have been arrested for allegedly spying on behalf of the Cuban government. Federal prosecutors say the 8 men and 2 women who were taken into custody over the weekend were allegedly part of a Cuban intelligence network that operated in the Miami area. (3:00)

MOLLY SMITH -- Arena Stage in Washington, DC begins its fall season with a new artistic director. Molly Smith comes by way of Juneau, Alaska...where she nurtured the career of her old friend Paula Vogel, who wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "How I Learned to Drive." NPR's Susan Stamberg talked with Molly Smith about the state of American theatre and what Smith hopes to accomplish in her tenure at Arena Stage. They also discuss the kind of artistic, financial, and creative commitment required to sustain regional theatre these days. (8:00)