October 28, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Pinochet Ruling -- Sarah Chayes reports from London that a British court has ruled that former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was illegally arrested. He is to remain in custody pending an appeal. British authorities detained Pinochet earlier this month, after receiving an extradition request from Spain. (4:00)

Brazil Economy -- NPR's Mike Shuster reports that a key part of Brazil's effort to reduce its huge budget deficit will be reforming the social security system. The very generous--and popular--pension system is the single biggest drain on government coffers. It allows civil servants to retire with full salary AND future raises. Brazil's congress has been reluctant to take substantive steps to address the problem. (5:30)

Hurricane Mitch -- NPR's Phillip Davis reports from Cancun, Mexico, on the progress of Hurricane Mitch. The storm has been downgraded from a category five to a category three hurricane, as its sustained winds have dropped to about a hundred and twenty miles an hour. But Mitch--which has already reportedly caused several deaths--is stalled just off the northern coast of Honduras, flooding the area and forcing evacuations. Coastal residents in Guatemala and Belize have also fled inland, and residents in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula are preparing for the storm as well. (2:30)

Calif. Senate Race -- Six years ago, California Democrat Barbara Boxer was elected to the Senate as an agent of change. In those six years she has had to fend off charges that she was too liberal to win a second term. Now locked in a tight battle in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country, both Boxer and Republican opponent Matt Fong are trying to paint each other as too out-of-touch for California voters. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports. (7:30)

Buckingham Short Line -- All Things Considered host Noah Adams visits the Buckingham Branch Railroad in Dillwyn, Virginia. The Buckingham opened its first section of track in 1893. For the past century, freight and passengers have traveled over the line from Dillwyn, up to the mainline track along the James River and on to other destinations around the country. While the Buckingham began as an independent railroad, it was owned by the CSX railway in the late 1980s. By 1987, CSX was losing $500,000 a year on the line and planned to close it. It looked like the Buckingham would be abandoned, its tracks torn up and sold for scrap. A decade later, the railroad is under new ownership and turning a profit. The success of the Buckingham is one example of how the short line freight rail industry is booming and filling an important niche in the country's transportation system. (13:00)

Launch Preparations -- NPR's Richard Harris reports from Cape Canaveral on tomorrow's scheduled launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, featuring the return to space of Senator John Glenn. Spectators at the Cape and in nearby towns are anxious to see the launch, now scheduled for 2 p.m. EST. For many senior citizens in attendance, it's pure nostalgia -- while others are somewhat cynical about the costs of this trip and all the hype being heaped on the former astronaut. (4:30)

Glenn Politics -- Noah talks with Pete O'Grady, the former chair of the Ohio State Democratic Party. They discuss Senator John Glenn's transition from astronaut to political candidate, and how Glenn has influenced politics in Ohio. (3:30)

GOP Attack Ads -- With less than a week remaining before voters go to the polls across the nation, the Republican National Committee released three new 30-second television advertisements today attacking President Clinton, for the first time in weeks using the president's relationship with Monica Lewinsky. NPR White House correspondent Mara Liasson reports that administration officials attacked the ads as desperate moves, but they were also seen as a last-minute attempt to rally hard-core Republican voters to go to the polls. (3:30)

Campaign Ads -- NPR's Andy Bowers reports on some trends in political ads during this election cycle. Very short ads are the newest thing, as short as ten seconds. Candidates' spouses are appearing in more ads, possibly as a reaction to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. And even though there are still lots of negative ads, some of them are being lightened with humor. (5:30)

Schorr on Ads -- NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that congressional Republicans, worried about the lukewarm reception of their agenda by voters, are willing to try a risky maneuver to get their constituents fired up for next week's election: featuring the President's troubles in campaign commercials. (3:00)

Employment Worries -- NPR's Elaine Korry reports that a strong economy has protected American workers from the mass layoffs that were common earlier in the decade. The unemployment rate has been under 6% for more than 4 years as the economy generated more than 200 thousand new jobs every month. But recently that rosy picture has started to fade -- and layoffs are again in the news. Yesterday the Conference Board cited the slackening labor market when it announced its consumer confidence index fell to its lowest point in almost two years. The reason? Fears about the labor market. (5:00)

Missed the Tide -- Commentator Nick Ullet took his children back to the English village on the North Sea where he grew up. There, the sea dominates life and talk of the tide is as commonplace as talk of the weather is elsewhere. He was pleased to see that some of this tidal talk had drifted into his daughter's vocabulary long after they had returned to their home in Los Angeles. (2:30)

SEC Fraud Charges -- NPR's Larry Abramson reports from Washington on charges brought today by the Securities and Exchange Commission against 44 individuals for committing securities fraud over the Internet. The SEC alleged that those charged did not properly disclose their relationship with companies about which they provided advice. (2:30)

Water on Colorado Ballot -- Two ballot initiatives facing Colorado voters next Tuesday have farmers in the San Luis Valley waging a political war with a wealthy local rancher. The battle centers on control and use of water from an aquifer under the valley that irrigates farmlands in the region, but as NPR's Mark Roberts reports that in the West, where water is scare, its value to thirsty cities can fuel petty rivalries, and inflame ongoing urban needs versus rural needs conflict. (6:00)

REM's 'Up' -- REM, one of the most talked-about rock bands of our time, this week released perhaps the most anticipated recording of its career. "Up" is the first record since drummer Bill Berry left REM and the remaining members (Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe) decided not to replace him. How well did they cope? Philadelphia Inquirer music writer Tom Moon gives "Up" two thumbs "up." (Note: "Up" is available from Warner Brothers, catalog number 2-47112) (4:00)

REM Changes -- Rather than replacing drummer Bill Berry after his departure from the band -- or going "unplugged" -- the remaining members of REM shifted formation: bassist Mike Mills played some guitar and keyboards; guitarist Peter Buck played keyboards and a little bass and percussion; and Michael Stipe sang. The three talk about losing Berry and what they did to put together a record without a guy who had been their close collaborator and friend for 17 years. NPR's Rick Karr reports. This item is unavailable due to internet rights issues.