Search results for

Commentator Alan Sipporin says the write-in vote that Oregonians are conducting now in a special election to replace Senator Packwood is good for democracy. He says more people participate in the write-in vote and it's cheaper, too.

Alan Cheuse reviews a massive historical novel by Czech emigre writer Josef Skvorecky (YO-sef shuh-VOR-ress-kee). "The Bride of Texas" tells the romantic tale of some 300 Czech emigre soldiers who marched under Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman in his infamous Civil War campaign across Georgia. (Publisher: Knopf)

NPR's Eric Weiner reports on violent protests yesterday in Israel by Ethiopian Jews following their discovery that Israeli blood banks, after drawing blood from the immigrants, throw the blood away, fearing it may be contaminated with HIV. Israel officials explain this was done quietly so as not to hurt the Ethiopians' feelings. But Ethiopian Jews say the disqualification of their blood is just one more example of thr discrimination they suffer at the hands of Israel's white, European-born majority.

Writer Bev D'Onofrio has this tale of her decision to abandon her life in New York City and return to a saner way of existence in a small town on Long Island.

Danny talks to Ken Rudin, editor of The Hotline political report, about memorable moments in past New Hampshire primaries: including Ed Muskie's "crying" episode; Ronald Reagan's "I paid for that microphone!" moment; and Eugene McCarthy's "victory" over LBJ, even though McCarthy came in second.

Robert talks with NPR's Andy Bowers in Sarajevo. Following this past weekend's summit in Rome, military leaders representing the Bosnian Serbs, Croatia and the Bosnian Government were to meet on a U.S. Aircraft carrier to work out details agreed to at the summit. Meanwhile in Sarajevo, the Serb exodus continues. And, NATO forces have issued "wanted" posters so its soldiers can recognize indicted war criminals.

The World Health Organization confirmed today an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the West African country of Gabon. Thirteen people have died from the disease so far and seven more are infected. Jennifer Ludden reports from Abidjan on the race to locate the source of the outbreak and to contain it.

Robert talks with Charlie Pierce, a writer for GQ and a commentator-at-large for WBUR in Boston, about the return of Magic Johnson to professional basketball. Johnson, who was diagnosed with HIV, retired from basketball two years ago.

for not putting air bags into their vehicle.

about Magic Johnson's return to the NBA.

Robert talks with Ron Elving, political editor for the Congressional Quarterly, about this year's presidential primaries. Many states have set primary elections earlier, so that by the end of March the Republican candidate is likely to be determined. Elving attributes this in part to what he calls New Hampshire and Iowa envy, and says compressed primaries are advantageous to the Republican party in the '96 presidential elections. 2. A FRESHMAN -- Linda talks with Mark Souder (SOW-der), Republican freshman from Indiana, about the Contract with America. Souder says it is time for the Republicans to regroup and go to a fallback strategy. He says that the Republican leadership has been too accommodating, and that individual members of Congress should vote independently, even if it causes tension within the party.

It's long been thought that humans are the only animals that have the ability to do mathematics. But now, researchers from Harvard University say they have shown that rhesus monkeys can perform basic addition and subtraction. Michelle Trudeau reports their research challenges one of the basic asssumptions about what makes us human.

NPR's Howard Berkes reports on the execution by firing squad of John Albert Taylor in Utah, scheduled for just after midnight tonight. Utah is the only state that gives condemned prisoners the choice of a gunshot death. The execution is drawing attention to a lingering belief in Utah, called blood atonement.

law that forces them to comply with several regulations from which they had been exempt until now. The Congressional Accountability Act was one of the first pieces of legislation passed by Congress in 1995.

NPR's Mary Kay Magistad reports on the ambivalent relationship between Taiwanese businessmen and China. China is the world's biggest market but also an undependable one, subject to the whims of the country's politics.

Daniel talks with Scott Henggeler, Professor of Psychiatry at the South Carolina Medical University in Charleston, and Secretary of Public Safety for Virginia, Jerry Kilgore about the issue of whether or not juveniles as young as 14 should be tried as adults when they commit violent crimes. Kilgore co-chaired a commission set up by Virginia's governor that has recomended that for certain violent crimes, juveniles be treated as adults. Scott Henggeler says while some juveniles should be tried as adults, his research has shown that many of those juveniles are salvageable with proper treatment and rehabilitation.

is playing in this presidential election year. Many presidential candidates, including Lamar Alexander and Bob Dole, now have "home pages" on the World Wide Web. Alexander even announced his candidacy via the Internet. But while the candidates are doing their best to sell their message by way of cyberspace, some say they're merely preaching to the converted.

NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports that the long-awaited report with suggestions on how to end the arms impasse in Northern Ireland is due out tomorrow morning. The peace process has been stalled because the Protestant Unionists want the the Irish Republican Army to give up its guns. The IRA's political wing, Sinn Fein, has said it won't give up the arms until all-party talks begin.

Daniel talks with Thomas Pickering, United States Ambassador to Russia about Boris Yeltsin, prospects for reform in Russia, and U.S. policy toward the war in Chechnya.

has brought to the White House as First Lady and the difficulty some people have had in accepting her unprecedented approach to the role.

Tom Picchiano (pitch-YAH-no) of member station WSKG in Binghamton, New York, reports on flood damage to the village of Walton, New York. Walton was one of many small towns throughout the mid-Atlantic states hit hard by a rush of water caused by rapidly melting snow and heavy rains.

NPR's Mark Roberts reports on how the shutdown has begun to affect state governments that fulfill federal obligations like unemployment insurance. Private contractors who serve federal government clients are also in trouble. And many federal workers, such as scientists working on long-term projects, can't just pick up where they left off.

Noah talks with Bob Gnaizda (guh-NAYZ-da) of the Green Lining Institute in San Francisco. Mr. Gnaizda, is a community advocate, who helped negotiate a deal that ensures $45 billion will be reinvested in the communities effected by the Wells Fargo / First Interstate merger. Mr. Gnaizda says that while bank mergers are bad for communities, especially low-income ones, in this case it's a pretty fair deal.

Linda talks to historian W. Turrentine (rhymes with turpintine) Jackson about the early history of Wells Fargo; the company that extended passenger and mail delivery west of the Mississippi in the last century. American Express did want to go West, so Henry Wells and William Fargo started their own company, which ran the Pony Express and Wells Fargo Stagecoaches.

After some delays, hundreds of prisoners being held by each of the warring factions in detention camps were released in compliance with the Dayton peace accord. But there are still more prisoners which remain captive according to Red Cross officials.