October 26, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

MORE WYE RIVER REACTION -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports on the reaction of a Jewish settlement Beit El on the West Bank to the latest peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. The 150-thousand Jewish settlers on the West Bank are among those likely to be affected by the agreement, as some of the land surrounding them would be turned over to the Palestinians. The settlers are nervous about the handover and are taking their message to the streets. (4:30)

DAN SEZ -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that despite the nine days of tough negotiating, the Wye River agreement will cost every side much more than may be readily apparent. (2:45)

BERLIN GOVT -- NPR's Edward Lifson reports on the transfer of the German capital from Bonn to Berlin. Newly elected Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has made the move a priority as he reaches out to Eastern Germans, hoping to make them feel more at home in the reunified country. Through architectural remodeling and renovation, politicians are hoping Berlin will shed its image as the capital of the Third Reich and, later on, the Communist East Germany. (5:00)

VENTURA COUNTY SPRAWL -- NPR's Andy Bowers reports that voters in Ventura County, California will vote next month on what would be some of the strictest growth control measures in the state. The ballot initiative is aimed at protecting agricultural land, but it's being criticized by both farmers and developers. (7:30)

TUATARA -- Linda talks with members of the band Tuatara, which focuses on a synthesis of percussion, guitar, and some unusual instruments. The band includes Barrett Martin, Steve Berlin, Craig Flory, Elizabeth Pupo-Walker, Mike Stone, Scott McCaughey, Skerik, Justin Harwood, and Peter Buck. Buck is the best-known of these musicians for his work with the band REM. The music is decidedly different from REM's, though, focusing on challenging rhythms and layers of percussion and harmony. Tuatara's latest CD is called "Trading With the Enemy," and is available on Epic Records, catalog number EK68850.(12:30)

KOSOVO STORY -- NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Pristina on the story of Ilir, a young man of mixed Serb and Albanian parentage. Caught between his loyalties for his mother and father, Ilir's life symbolizes the seemingly unbridgeable gap between Kosovo's two communities. (7:45)

AGING IN SPACE -- NPR's Richard Harris takes a look at what is known -- and NOT known -- about the effects of space travel on aging. With Senator John Glenn's launch into space scheduled for later this week, much has been made about the scientific need for older people to travel in space to answer fundamental research questions. But some researchers say there is little to be learned from Glenn's journey -- and that more scientific groundwork should have been done before sending an elderly person into space. (6:15)

ISSUE ADS -- One of the striking things about the 1996 election cycle was that many issue-advocacy groups poured a massive amount of money into congressional races during the final days of the campaigns, catching their opponents off-guard. But as NPR's Peter Overby reports, similar issue ads being used in this year's elections are not having the same kind of presence as the '98 cycle winds down. (6:00)

GIULIANI ABROAD -- Rudolph Giuliani is the first GOP mayor of New York City to win two terms as a Republican since Fiorello LaGuardia. His brand of Republicanism includes favoring abortion rights, gay rights, and restrictions on firearms. But as he travels to places like Iowa and New Hampshire, the question is whether his philosophy can play to a national audience ... and more specifically, the Republican National Convention. NPR's Melissa Block reports. (7:30)

SLEPIAN FUNERAL -- NPR's Anthony Brooks reports on the funeral of Dr. Barnett Slepian, the obstetrician from Buffalo, New York who was murdered in his home Friday by an anti-abortion sniper. Friends and relatives remembered him as an advocate of life - not death. Meanwhile, a joint U-S/Canadian task force will investigate Slepian's murder - along with four other sniper attacks since 1994 against doctors in Canada and Rochester, New York who provide abortions. (4:30)

WILMINGTON TRIAL -- Linda talks with George Anastasia, a staff writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer. They discuss the trial of prominent attorney Thomas Capano. Capano has been accused of killing Anne Marie Fahey, who was the scheduling secretary for former Delaware governor Thomas Carper. Fahey's body has never been found. Capano's defense attorney stated in today's arguments that Thomas Capano did dispose of her body after her accidental death...contradicting Capano's previous statements that he knew nothing about Fahey's death. In other statements at the trial, the state prosecutor contended that Capano, a married father of four daughters, had become obsessed with Fahey during a secret, three-year-long relationship. (4:30)

E.U. INTERNET PRIVACY -- Across Europe this week, an obscure set of regulations goes into effect to help protect the privacy of European citizens on the Internet. The new regulations are designed to protect individuals' personal information, financial and employment records, and health information. The rules also prohibit companies from sending sensitive data to countries that do not have adequate privacy protections in place. NPR's Larry Abramson reports that U.S. executives say that could hurt American businesses. (2:45)

CROP FUNGUS -- From member station KERA in Dallas, Bill Zeeble reports on a killer fungus called aflatoxin that has invaded the corn crop in Texas and other southwest states, ruining much of the corn. In Texas, between eighty and one hundred percent of the corn crop has been infected. The increased levels of the toxin may force thousands of Texas farmers out of business. (5:00)

DYED DOGS -- Noah talks with Eric Gonzalez, the co-owner of Urban Pets, a pet and grooming store in New York City. They talk about Gonzalez's line of work: he's a "fur colorist," who can turn pets' fur different interesting colors. They also talk about the do's and don'ts of coloring one's pet for Halloween. (2:30)