February 27, 1997
Morning Edition
(entire program)
- Peter Overby reports that as pressure builds to reform campaign
contribution laws, some corporations are looking for a way to curb
political donations themselves. Most corporations don't believe Congress will
pass any reform this year. There is currently no limit to how much soft money
a company can contribute, only what a politician dares ask for. (4:31)
- Steve Inskeep reports that in a hearing yesterday in Congress,
Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater discussed changes to a
six-year-old transportation law which governs spending on everything from
interstates to hiking trails. Soon Slater will send an updated version to the
Hill for a vote...but he hopes Congress won't want too many changes. (4:15)
- Jim Zarroli says that for the past 20 years the U.S. has stood
alone in the world by prohibiting American companies from bribing foreign
government officials. While a nice image booster, the law cost the U-S
economy an estimated $45 billion a year in lost contracts. The
anti-bribery idea finally may be catching on around the world, after several
scandals in places like Japan, South Korea, Italy and Brazil. (5:27)
- John McChesney reports on a massive merger in the field of data
networking. Three-Com announced yesterday it will buy U.S. Robotics for
more than six billion dollars. The new company will retain the Three-Com
name, and with projected revenues of five billion dollars a year for its
modems and circuit boards, will challenge industry leader Cisco Systems.
(2:06)
- David Baron reports a new study has raised doubts about recent
discoveries of new planets, saying they may not exist at all. (4:27)
- Alex Chadwick talks with Martha Stone who has come up with the idea
of a C.D. of soothing sounds to quiet screaming babies. The C.D. is called "For Crying out loud: Unlikely sounds to calm your baby". (3:50)
- Joanne Silberner reports Ron Fitzsimmons, a prominent supporter
of abortion rights, sparked a political furor Wednesday by confessing to lying
about late-term abortions when he said they were only done to save lives.
(4:28)
- With a balanced budget amendment seemingly headed for defeat,
Brian Naylor reports a group of fiscally conservative Democrats
have proposed a compromise budget plan for next year. (3:52)
- Eric Weiner reports the Clinton administration warned Israel it
is harming the Middle East peace process with its decision to go ahead
with a huge housing project on disputed land. (4:20)
- Michael Goldfarb reports the Conservatives seem set for a hiding
in a crucial by-election for a parliamentary district they've held for years.
The result may determine the date of the general election which must be
held by May 22nd. (3:20)
- Kathy Lohr talks to people who live and work in the midtown
Atlanta area where the recently-bombed gay nightclub is situated. (5:40)
- Alex Chadwick talks with commentator John Feinstein about baseball's
dilemma about where in this country Japanese superstar Hideki Irabu
should play. (3:23)
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