October 19, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Mideast Talks Hit a Snag -- NPR's Ted Clark talks with All Things Considered host Robert Siegel about the reduced expectations for a Middle East peace agreement this week in the wake of a grenade attack in the Israeli city of Bersheeba that left some 60 wounded. The attack couldn't have come at a worst time as the talks were already in difficulty over the extent of security agreements being demanded of Palestinians by Israel. (4:30)

Pinochet Fighting Extradition -- NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports on the intensifying diplomatic and legal battle over the arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in London last weekend. Spain is seeking his extradition to face charges of genocide, terrorism and torture. Pinochet has vowed to fight the extradition request, but legal experts say he'll have a tough time. (4:30)

Pinochet's Arrest -- News analyst Daniel Schorr says Pinochet's arrest and extradition are supported by international conventions -- and are part of a trend to cross borders, if necessary, to pursue those accused of human rights crimes. (3:00)

Russian Savings Accounts -- As Russian leaders struggle with to resolve the country's economic crisis, ordinary Russians must confront the possibility that the government might nationalize the country's banks. But until that decision is taken, depositors have few options. They can either transfer their accounts to the state savings bank or take a chance and leave it where it is. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports that either way, it seems, Russians are about to see their savings go up in smoke. (5:15)

Kruse vs. Cincinnati -- A law passed by the Cincinnati city council in 1995 -- which has since been ruled unconstitutional -- limits the amount of money that can be spent by a candidate or campaign. NPR's Steven Rosenfeld reports that tomorrow more than half of the nation's state attorneys general will file a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court take a look at the law, arguing that the money spent in campaigns has gotten out of hand. Opponents of the Cincinnati measure say it violates the Supreme Court's 1976 Buckley decision, which prohibited campaign spending limits on First Amendment grounds. (2:45)

Paula Jones Documents -- NPR's legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg reports from Washington on the release today of documents in the Paula Jones case. Many of the previously sealed documents concerned procedural matters. The release did not include depositions given by President Clinton or Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee. The document release came the day before a federal appeals court hearing on the dismissal of the Jones case. (3:00)

Truth Commission I -- In the first of a five-part series on South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, NPR's Charlayne Hunter-Gault talks with victims of apartheid-era abuses who are frustrated with the Commission at the end of its two-and-a-half years of work. More than 20-thousand victims submitted statements, but only a few got the chance to testify in public. Victims were promised reparations, but many have not yet received any money. Some feel the Truth Commission acted more speedily to rule on amnesty for perpetrators of political crimes than it did in responding to victims' needs. (9:15)

Sheepdog Competitions -- Robert speaks with Julie Simpson, a judge in the National Sheepdog Trial that began today in El Reno, Oklahoma. Simpson was the 1996 winner of the International Sheepdog Trial, and the only woman who has ever won. She describes the rules of the competition, and what makes a good sheepdog. The trial runs through Sunday. (5:00)

The Lo-Fidelity Allstars -- Music critic Charles de Ledesma reviews 'How to Operate With a Blown Mind' by the Lo-Fidelity Allstars. The eclectic sound of this British band is part soul grooves, part punk rock and part dance beats. Note: This CD is released on Skint Records and can be purchased online at http://www.skint.net/. (2:30)

Microsoft Trial Begins -- Robert Siegel talks with NPR's John McChesney who is covering the Justice Department's antitrust case against Microsoft. The case opened today with the government's lead attorney charging Microsoft with directly targeting Netscape with the aim of preserving "their monopoly in Windows." Justice attorneys contrasted Gates' videotaped testimony with internal memos in order to support its case. Microsoft lawyers will make their opening statement when the trial resumes tomorrow. (4:00)

Teamsters Debate Canceled -- NPR's Don Gonyea reports that tonight's scheduled debate between the candidates for presidency of the Teamsters Union both declined to attend. In two weeks the 14 million Teamsters will vote for a new president in a federally supervised election that became necessary when former president Ron Carey was tossed out for illegal fund raising conducted by his campaign in the 1996 election. (4:00)

Texas Floods -- Janet Heimlich reports from Austin on the aftermath of weekend storms in Texas. At least 14 people were killed when the storms slammed through central and southeast Texas, spawning tornadoes and drenching the region with more than a foot of rain. (3:30)

Kosovo Fighting -- NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that a fresh outbreak of fighting in Kosovo raises questions about the viability of last week's agreement to resolve the conflict there. After ethnic Albanian guerrillas reportedly fired on Serb security forces, Serb police and army units reinforced their positions. U.S. officials are making a plea for more international monitors in Kosovo, and they say Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is not keeping the promises he made last week. (4:00)

Nigeria Pipeline Fire -- NPR's Charlayne Hunter-Gault reports from Warri, Nigeria on the weekend fire at a leaky gas pipeline that is estimated to have killed at least three hundred people. Because of the severe gas shortage in Nigeria, hundreds of local villagers had gathered at the pipeline, to collect gas in plastic buckets to sell on the black market. When state officials came to repair the pipeline, the crowd dispersed, and in the hubbub, something ignited the fuel, setting off an inferno which incinerated everyone in the vicinity. (4:00)

Atrial Fibrillation & Stroke -- Atrial fibrillation is a serious heart defect that is responsible for 15 percent of strokes, and more than twice that number for people over 70. NPR's Sean Collins reports on research in the Netherlands that shows that an implantable device that shocks the heart, something like a pacemaker, is highly effective in getting the heart back on track during these chaotic heart fibrillations. It may prove to be an alternative to drugs with unpleasant and sometimes lethal side effects. (5:30)

Mental Mouse Control? -- Robert talks to Dr. Phillip Kennedy, a neurologist at Emory University, who created an electrode which, when implanted in the brain, has allowed paralyzed people to move computer cursors through brain waves. The technology is still in early development but recent results have been encouraging. In the near future, Kennedy hopes to use the same technology to enable paralysis victims the power to turn televisions and lights on and off, using only brain signals. (5:30)

Miss Marple Dies -- We remember actress Joan Hinson, who was known for her television portrayal of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple on the BBC. The series was shown in 32 countries. Hickson had a long and distinguished theater career before she took the role of Miss Marple at the age of 78. (1:30)

Racial Beating Plea -- Jackie Northam of member station WBEZ in Chicago reports that two white men charged with the brutal racially motivated beating of a Chicago teenager today pleaded guilty and avoided jail time. Thirteen-year-old Lenard Clark was pulled from his bicycle and beaten by three assailants over a year ago while riding through Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood, an area known as home to former mayor Richard Daley. The two were sentenced to two years probation and 300 hours of community service. (2:30)

John Lewis Diary -- As part of an NPR series on the history and legacy of slavery, NPR's Susan Stamberg reports on the journey of one of slavery's descendants. Georgia Democratic Congressman John Lewis has worked in the cotton fields -- the symbol and substance of America's struggle with its slave past. Lewis describes his experience in the memoir "Walking with the Wind", evoking images of black people whose names will never be known. This report is part of an NPR collaboration with the PBS documentary "Africans in America - America's Journey Through Slavery". The first part of the 4-part documentary airs tonight on many public television stations across the country. (5:15)