November 5, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

Honduras -- Linda talks with NPR's Phillip Davis in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, about the latest efforts in Central America to cope with the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch. It is estimated that across the region the death toll now stands at nearly nine thousand, with thousands more still missing. Honduras, already one of the poorest nations in the hemisphere, has seen its economy virtually ruined. Most of the country's key export crops have been lost, huge numbers of bridges and roads have been washed out, and about a million people are homeless. (4:00)

Relief Package -- NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that the Clinton administration today announced sixty-six million dollars in aid and rescue assistance for the Central American nations that were pounded by Hurricane Mitch. The aid will include some thirty million dollars in Pentagon rescue equipment, and twenty million dollars in emergency food aid. US officials said the administration could provide more aid in the future if it's needed. (3:30)

Anxiety in Miami -- NPR's Cheryl Devall visits a warehouse in Miami where food, clothing and other supplies are being readied to send to victims of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras and Nicaragua. South Florida's large population of Central American immigrants has been behind a massive effort to send aid to the devastated region. Many people are also anxiously awaiting news of relatives and friends there. (3:30)

Other Stories -- Other stories we're following today include: Hyde and Cohen Mission. (:45)

Embryonic Stem Cells -- NPR's Joe Palca reports on two new studies showing that it is possible to create a type of primitive human cell that might some day be used to replace dead or cancerous cells in the body. The feat has been accomplished in mice and other animals, but this is the first time human cells have been engineered in this way. The discoveries are being reported simultaneously in the journal Science and in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (4:45)

Gravel -- Commentator David Clark of Cochran, Georgia describes Saturday morning at the local auto parts store. It's more a time for socializing than anything else. One Saturday, a local man came in and described how he lost a huge rock slab off the back of his gravel truck. He was relieved that no one was hurt. The group gathered at the store was pretty stunned by the story. (3:00)

Teens at Work -- NPR's Vicky Que explains the implications of a report released today by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine which calls on Congress and the US Department of Labor to make substantial changes in child labor laws. The report found that teens who work while in school are often poorly trained at their jobs, and can suffer injuries from job-related accidents. (2:30)

Female Cops -- NPR's Eric Westervelt reports on the status of women on US police forces. While studies show that women police officers are less likely to use excessive force and prompt citizen complaints, women are still dramatically under-represented in American policing. (5:45)

Malaysia Trial -- NPR's Michael Sullivan reports that Malaysia's police intelligence chief is the first witness in the controversial corruption trial of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrihim. The prosecution is trying to prove that Anwar used his power to interfere with a police investigation of his activities. The arrest of Anwar, the former protege of Prime Minister Mahathir, has enraged many Malaysians grown weary of the prime minister's repressive tactics and inability to inoculate Malaysia against the Asian economic crisis. The treatment of Anwar also has upset some Southeast Asian leaders as they prepare for next week's APEC summit in Kuala Lumpur. (4:30)

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Lauryn Hill -- Music reviewer Tom Moon likes the latest release from singer Lauryn Hill, called "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." He says it's a richly-textured modern album that incorporates the influence of many important musical figures, from Stevie Wonder to Marvin Gaye to Aretha Franklin. "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" is available on Ruffhouse/Columbia Records. (4:15)

Hyde: Admit or Deny -- House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde says he has sent a letter to the White House, asking if President Clinton admits or denies certain parts of the independent counsel's report on his investigation of the president. Hyde says if Mr Clinton doesn't dispute some things, that will narrow the issues, and shorten the Judiciary Committee's proceedings. The president's spokesman says he believes the White House will respond to the letter. The president said today that the people have demonstrated they want Washington get back to doing the people's business. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports. (5:00)

House Leadership -- NPR's Brian Naylor reports from Washington on placing blame among Capitol Hill Republicans for the party's poor showing in Tuesday's election. Democrats picked up five seats in the House, and some Republicans are aiming their complaints at Speaker Newt Gingrich, with some calling for new leaders in the next Congress. (4:00)

Unemployment Report -- NPR'S John Ydstie reports the U.S. economy added just 116,000 new jobs in October according to employment data inadvertently released a day early by the Labor Department. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6%. The jobs information was released by mistake when the Bureau of Labor Statistics put a set of tables from its October employment report on its internet Web site this morning. The BLS pulled the table, but then decided to release the entire report because too many people had seen the partial posting. (3:00)

Latino Vote -- NPR's Richard Gonzales reports on the impact of Latino voters in California, who turned out in big numbers on Tuesday. The state now has its first Latino Lieutenant Governor. Other Latino candidates also proved their crossover appeal with non-Latino voters. (4:00)

Black Vote -- Linda talks with Ron Lester, the president of Lester and Associates, a Democratic polling firm. They discuss the increase in black voter turnout that was noted this past Election Day in Georgia, Maryland, and Illinois, and what was done to get out the vote. (4:00)

Cohen Mission -- NPR's Mike Shuster reports that the UN Security Council is met today and has demanded that Saddam Hussein comply with UN weapons inspectors. This latest resolution comes as US Secretary of Defense William Cohen has been touring the Gulf region. The trip has not been a conspicuous success, as Cohen has found little support amongst Gulf-state leaders for a renewed military action against Iraq. (3:30)

Saudi on Ulema -- Robert talks with Nawaf Obaid, a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University. Obaid talks about his Master's thesis, "Improving U.S. Intelligence Analysis on the Saudi Arabian Decision Making Process," which he wrote in completion of his Master's degree at the Kennedy School of Government. In this thesis, he describes the secret Saudi funding of the Taliban movement and political party in Afghanistan. (3:30)

Glenn in Space -- NPR's Richard Harris reports on the latest from Space Shuttle Discovery, now in its eighth day in space. Astronauts reflected their week in space as they prepared for a Saturday landing. (3:30)

Planet of the Apes -- Commentator David Weinberger tells the latest "hot" joke circulating in cyberspace. It links John Glenn with the "Planet of the Apes" series of movies. (1:30)

Air and Space Annex -- The National Air and Space Museum is building a new home for all the stuff that doesn't fit into its building in Washington, DC. The museum on the National Mall is part of the Smithsonian and bills itself as the nation's most popular. Every year more than nine-million people see items ranging from the Wright Brothers' first airplane, to Apollo space capsules. Now the museum plans a second, much bigger facility outside Washington, for more artifacts. Today the surplus planes rest in a set of warehouses, where NPR's Steve Inskeep paid a visit. (7:45)