September 21, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPE -- NPR's Nina Totenberg reports on the day's events. President Clinton's videotaped testimony before the grand jury in the Monica Lewinsky matter was made public today, and was aired in its entirety on numerous cable-television outlets. Thousands of pages of other documents were also placed up for public review today as well. (11:00)

APPENDICES -- The House Judiciary Committee also released Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's "Appendices to the Referral to the United States House of Representatives." This group of documents totals 3,183 pages. It includes the transcript of Monica Lewinsky's testimony before the Grand Jury, and an array of depositions pertinent to the case. Linda talks about the contents of the documents. (1:00)

ANALYSIS -- Linda talks with Paul Butler, a professor of law at the George Washington University and a former Federal Prosecutor with the Department of Justice division of Public Integrity, Corruption and Perjury; Elizabeth Drew, a veteran Washington journalist who has written numerous books about politics, including the Watergate scandal and the Clinton Administration; and Tucker Carlson, a staff writer for The Weekly Standard magazine. They discuss the videotaped testimony given by President Clinton that was made public today, and talk about the tape's overall impact. (8:00)

THE DOCUMENTS -- Linda talks with NPR's Chitra Ragavan about the 2,800 pages of backup documents released by the House Judiciary Committee, including the grand jury testimony of Monica Lewinsky and letters she planned to send to President Clinton. The documents reveal Lewinsky's version of her relationship with the president, whose testimony before the grand jury was also released today. (5:00)

WHITE HOUSE REACTION -- NPR White House correspondent Mara Liasson reports from New York on a day of contrasts for President Clinton. As the videotape of the president's grand jury testimony was televised, Mr. Clinton spoke about terrorism before the United Nations General Assembly. On the videotape, the president spoke of his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, and at the United Nations the president received a warm and protracted welcome. (3:00)

JAPANESE ECONOMY -- NPR's John Ydstie reports a tentative deal to revive Japan's troubled banking sector has run into problems. An agreement between the government and opposition leaders was announced on Friday, but fell apart over the weekend over details that hadn't been resolved. The collapse sent the Japanese stock market lower and dragged markets in the rest of Asia and Europe lower too. (4:30)

UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE CENTER -- Radio producer Dan Collison visits the Unclaimed Baggage Center in northeastern Alabama. This family-owned business has purchased unclaimed baggage from bus lines and airlines for many years, and sells the goods at a deep discount. Collison talks with some of the shoppers at the center, as well as the owners, about the appeal of owning second-hand items, and what we can tell about society from looking at these castoffs. (8:00)

PRESIDENT ON TAPE -- We'll hear extended excerpts from the videotape released today showing President Clinton's testimony before the grand jury investigating the Monica Lewinsky matter. (12:00)

NATIONAL REACTION -- NPR's Adam Hochberg reports on reaction around the country to today's release of the videotape of President Clinton's grand jury testimony. Many people said they weren't interested or didn't have time to watch the tape as it was broadcast by television networks this morning. Among those who did watch it, there were a variety of opinions. Some people said they felt the tape will help the President, some said they were embarrassed by it, while others said it showed the President was a liar. (5:00)

THE DAY IN DC -- While the newsmedia rushed to put the videotape of President Clinton's grand jury testimony out for public view, the rest of Washington tried to go on with its usual business. The president went to the UN. The Senate was in session. A think tank held a forum on Kosovo, but participants worried that no one would notice. Some Washingtonians avoided the coverage, but at least one DC lawyer took the day off to watch the tape. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports. (3:00)

CLINTON AT THE UN -- NPR's Mike Shuster reports that President Clinton, facing the possibility of impeachment hearings in Washington, received a standing ovation today at the 53rd session of the UN General Assembly. The response to the embattled US President was especially noteworthy given the state of relations between the US and the UN. The US currently has no formal ambassador to the UN, and the world body is likely to strip the US of its General Assembly vote by the end of the year for failing to pay its dues. President Clinton used his speech to appeal for a united international campaign against terrorism. (4:00)

ALGERIANS ON TRIAL -- NPR's Sarah Chayes reports that some 150 people in Paris have been charged with aiding and abetting Algerian terrorists. Most are of Algerian descent. The defendants refuse to show up at the legal proceedings on grounds that they will never get justice in a mass trial. (4:00)

FLO-JO OBITUARY -- Track-and-field star Florence Griffith-Joyner died today of a heart seizure at the age of 38. Her flamboyant style, self-designed running costumes, and long fingernails became her hallmark when she catapulted to prominence in women's track-and-field in the 1980s. She won three gold medals at the 1998 Summer Olympics in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4x100-meter relay competitions. She was married to world-class athlete Al Joyner, and was the sister-in-law of heptathlon world record holder Jackie Joyner-Kersee. NPR's Tom Goldman talks about her life and career. (4:30)

FALL TV SEASON -- Today is the offical kick-off of the fall television season. Linda and Ken Tucker, critic at large for Entertainment Weekly, offer play-by-play on the hits and misses networks are presenting this week, including the show Will and Grace, a sitcom about the friendship between a woman and a gay man; Felicity, an hour-long show detailing a young woman's college days; and the updating of the '70's series, Fantasy Island. (8:00)