September 23, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Previous Independent Counsels -- All Things Considered host Robert Siegel talks with NPR's Nina Totenberg about past independent counsels, and whether the Democrats are justified in complaining that not enough exculpatory material was included in the Starr report. She says the House has not had to use previous independent counsel reports in possible impeachment proceedings because the other reports were on lower-ranking officials, not a president -- so there's no direct parallel. Also, those reports were provided to Congress only after the independent counsel had decided to recommend no prosecution, or after any prosecution was complete. (4:00)

Pseudo-Impeachment -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that today's Congress could learn something about a proper impeachment by looking back at Watergate. (3:00)

Mandela Medal -- South African President Nelson Mandela received the Congressional Gold Medal this morning -- the United States' highest honor. We'll hear excerpts of President Clinton's comments at the ceremony. (3:30)

Welcome Autumn -- Commentator Brett Leveridge sheds no tears for the passing of summer. Despite all the hype about summer, he thinks the reality is much less exciting - hot vinyl car seats, clothes that stick to damp skin and yard work. Autumn on the other hand, gives New York City a beautiful glow, and returns the energy that was sapped by the summer's heat. (3:30)

Haiti Hurricane Aftermath -- All Things Considered host Linda Wertheimer talks with Kathie Klarreich, a reporter in Port au Prince, Haiti. They discuss the damage caused in Haiti by Hurricane Georges. Ten people are reportedly dead in the city of Port au Prince alone. The government has broadcast pleas to churches to open their doors to victims of the storm, but the churches have been hit just as hard and will be hard-pressed to take in refugees. (3:00)

Key Largo -- We play an excerpt from the 1948 John Huston film "Key Largo," starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Edward G. Robinson, in which the characters spend a large portion of the film waiting out a storm in a hotel on Key Largo, in Florida. This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.

Funky Fish -- The coelacanth is the rarest and most bizarre fish on the planet -- a living fossil thought to have been extinct for millions of years. One was found in 1938 near Africa, and since then it was thought that only one tiny population lived there and nowhere else. NPR's John Nielsen reports that scientists recently stumbled over a coelacanth in a fish market in Indonesia. Now scientists have two populations to study. It raises hopes as well as fears for conservation, and also gives scientists a better chance to find out how and why this prehistoric creature has survived in the deep sea while its contemporaries all died out. (4:15)

'By the Light of My Father's Smile' -- Book critic Alan Cheuse is less than delighted by Pulitzer Prize-winner Alice Walker's new novel, "By the Light of My Father's Smile." The book follows the fortunes of a middle-class black family from Long Island -- but Cheuse says that the plot, descriptions, and overall prose are all far more convoluted and overwrought than he has come to expect from such a fine author. (Note: "By the Light of My Father's Smile" by Alice Walker is published by Random House.) (2:30)

God Is Watching You -- NPR's Cheryl Devall reports a series of billboards and bus ads that have sprung up around Fort Lauderdale, Florida are provoking a lot of comment. They contain messages like "Keep taking my name in vain and I'll make rush-hour longer" or "What part of 'Thou shalt not' didn't you understand?" They're signed, "God." (3:00)

What Would Jesus Do? -- Linda explores the "What Would Jesus Do?" phenomenon. About ten years ago, members of a church youth group in Michigan began wearing nylon bracelets with "WWJD" printed on them. They wanted a reminder that they needed to live by the principles of Christianity. In the past couple of years "WWJD" has been appearing on hats, t-shirts, pencils, bumper stickers, jewelry, mugs, and other gift items in Christian bookstores. (5:00)

Greenspan on the Hill -- NPR's John Ydstie reports Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told lawmakers in Washington today the worldwide financial crisis that began 14 months ago has entered a new "more virulent phase." In an appearance before the Senate Budget Committee, Greenspan said the financial contagion has increased the odds of an economic slowdown in the U.S., but he did not say whether Fed policymakers would sign off on an interest rate cut when they meet next week. (4:00)

Import Jam -- NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports that many Asian countries are taking advantage of exchange rates to ship record amounts of merchandise to the U.S. Their devalued currencies have made their exports cheap for Americans and made American exports prohibitively expensive for them. But the lopsided trade between Asia and the U.S. poses a problem for shipping companies. Boats headed here are filled to capacity. But when they return to Asia, there's little cargo to carry back. (4:00)

Kosovo Vote -- NPR's Mike Shuster reports that the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution today calling for an immediate cease-fire in Serbia's Kosovo province. The measure stops short of threatening force to halt the Serbian offensive against Kosovo's ethnic Albanian population. But it does cite Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter, which is used to authorize the use of force. Russia, one of the council's five permanent members, opposes any military action by the international community in Kosovo. (3:30)

Russian Cabinet -- Nearly two weeks after his appointment, Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov continues to put together a new cabinet. After several of his top choices turned down the job of deputy prime minister responsible for social welfare, a little known diplomat finally accepted the post. As of today, however, no one has agreed to take on the cabinet's true "mission impossible" -- the post of finance minister. Despite the deepening economic crisis and the government's delay in announcing a plan to tackle it, latest opinion polls show a sizeable portion of the Russian public is ready to give Prime Minister Primakov a chance. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports. (3:15)

Czech Foreign Minister -- Robert talks with Jan Kavan, the minister of Foreign Affairs for the Czech Republic. Kavan's father was a purged Czech diplomat. Kavan himself was a dissident, later accused of informing on other dissidents. He was ousted from Parliament, but then vindicated. They discuss the irony of his being now a part of the government of the Czech Republic, after years of persecution by the Czechoslovakian government. (4:45)

Impeachment Murmer -- Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill sparred today over the process and speed of the investigation of President Clinton's relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Minority Leader Richard Gephardt met this morning in an effort to reach a bipartisan agreement on how to proceed, but the two parted after their meeting without reaching any agreement. NPR's Brian Naylor reports. (4:00)

Linda Tripp's Role -- Monica Lewinsky trusted her friend Linda Tripp with many of the most intimate details of her relationship with President Clinton. And then she recorded their conversations and turned the tapes over to Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr. From the evidence that has been released so far, NPR's Larry Abramson reports on a relationship that first turned sour, then turned manipulative and ultimately led to the House Judiciary Committee considering the possibility of bringing impeachment charges against President Clinton. (5:00)

Military Adultery -- NPR's Pentagon correspondent Martha Raddatz report the Army is moving ahead with a sexual harassment case against a retired two-star general. Major General David Hale is accused of adultery and other misconduct that could result in a court-martial. The Army says it is determined to take action against sexual misconduct among all ranks. (3:30)

Signs of Fall -- Today is the autumnal equinox. We hear from people in Alaska, Colorado, England, Chicago and Tennessee about signs of fall where they live. We also hear a song about fall, called "Here Come the Ducks" by a performer called "Yazbek." Some people talk about leaves turning, others about no longer wearing shorts, some about the trains running faster and a variety of other things. This item is unavailable due to copyright issues.