January 2, 1998 All Things Considered (entire program) Requires the RealAudio Player

An index of the day's stories:

SOCIAL HISTORY OF ANALGESIA -- Robert talks to David Morris, the associate editor of the journal "Literature and Medicine" and author of "The Culture of Pain" (University of California Press 1991). Morris says that in the US, medical professionals are reluctant to prescribe some pain medicines because of their association with addiction. (5:30)

HER FATHER'S DEATH -- Commentator Elissa Ely shares a memory about her father's death from cancer when Elissa was a young girl. When she and her sister visited him, he was "no one we wanted to meet." After the children left, her father told her mother not to bring the kids by again. (2:30)

OTHER NEWS -- In other news we're following today, the defense in the Terry Nichols trial began presenting its witnesses in the penalty phase of proceedings against him...Nichols was found guilty of conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Lawyers are now trying to persuade the jury to spare Nichols's life; and in Chicago, autopsy results show that comedian Chris Farley apparently died of a drug overdose. (1:00)

DRUG WAR NUMBERS -- Robert talks with investigative reporter Jeff Leen, who writes for the Washington Post. They discuss a mistake that Leen uncovered, which involves how the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) calculated the number of cocaine users in 1991. Their erroneous calculation...which inflated the supposed number of users by almost 200,000...had far-reaching effects on public policy and politics. (5:30)

SILK -- Alan Cheuse has a review of the new book "Silk" by Alessandro Baricco. It's the story of a 19th century French merchant who trades in silkworms, and his journeys to Japan to acquire items for sale. Cheuse says it's as much about geography as it is about love. ("Silk" by Alessandro Baricco is published by Harvill Press and distributed by Farrar Straus & Giroux.) (2:00)

WHITENESS STUDIES -- Jeb Sharpe reports on the development of a new academic field that looks at the meaning of 'whiteness' in a race-conscious society. Scholars and commentators have both welcomed and criticized the arrival of whiteness studies on campus. But interest is growing and within the field some differences of opinion have emerged. What whiteness scholars do agree on is that whiteness conveys privilege so pervasive that it's virtually invisible to its beneficiaries. And this, says scholars, is the "racial problem" that white people must confront. (9:15)

BELOVED -- NPR's Vertamae Grosvenor reflects on how experiences of the past play out in present day relationships among black women. Her observations came during the filming of "Beloved". Vertamae Grosvenor portrays one of 30 formerly-enslaved women who live in a small Ohio town. "Beloved" is due to be released later in 1998. It stars Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey and is directed by Jonathan Demme. It's based on the Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel by Toni Morrison. (3:00)

COUPLES -- NPR's David Molpus reports from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on a program which enables couples to communicate more effectively with one another. It's called the Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment, or ACME. Couples of all ages meet and talk about their difficulties communicating. What's unusual about this program is that it involves many couples who are over 60, with long-time marriages, who have been unused to sharing their feelings in this way. The program is meeting with a great deal of success. (8:00)

NICHOLS DEFENSE -- NPR's Mark Roberts reports from Denver that the defense in the Oklahoma City bombing trial today began its effort to persuade the jury to let Terry Nichols live. Jurors found Nichols guilty of conspiracy to bomb the Alfred P. Murrah federal building -- a crime for which the jury may consider the death penalty. (3:30)

FARLEY AUTOPSY -- Emily Hanford of member station WBEZ in Chicago reports that the autopsy report on comedian Chris Farley shows that he died from an accidental drug overdose. The Cook County medical examiner says traces of cocaine, morphine, and marijuana were found in the actor's blood. Farley's body was discovered by his brother on December 18th. (2:30)

SENATE POLITICS -- Chief Justice William Rehnquist's criticism of the Senate for the backlog in confirming federal judges is just one example of nomination delays. Last year, there were many other nominees to federal posts who found their confirmations foundering in the Senate. Many say these delays are due to partisanship in the Senate. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold talks with Robert about the politics behind the logjam. (6:00)

OTHER STORIES -- Other stories we're following today include the development of a new analgesic that could be as strong as morphine, but may be free of that drug's side effects. (:30)

N. IRELAND -- After a week of renewed sectarian violence, British army footpatrols are returning to the streets of Northern Ireland. Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam has come under fire from Protestant politicians, and the future of multi-party peace talks is increasingly in doubt. NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports. (4:00)

MOI'S REELECTION -- Jennifer Glasse reports from Nairobi that unofficial results indicate that Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi is headed for re-election to his fifth five-year term. While the electoral commission continues to count votes from this week's chaotic election, the main opposition candidates rejected the impending Moi victory, charging the vote was rigged. They called for new elections to be held in three weeks. (4:00)

INS & HERNANDEZ -- NPR's Barbara Bradley reports on the explanation given by the US Immigration and Naturalization service for why it is willing to allow Cuban baseball pitcher Orlando Hernandez, his wife and another Cuban ballplayer into the US but not five others who fled Cuba with them. The INS says the three faced certain persecution if they returned, and the two baseball players would have qualified for special visas that are given to immigrants with extraordinary skills had they been from almost any country but Cuba. (4:00)

NFL PLAYOFFS -- Robert talks with Peter King, a columnist for Sports Illustrated magazine who covers professional football. They discuss this weekend's NFL playoff games...it's the last, best chance this year for pro football fans to watch games all weekend. The New England Patriots take on the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos battle the Kansas City Chiefs as they all compete to play in the AFC Championship. NFC contests pit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Green Bay Packers, and the San Francisco 49ers will play the Minnesota Vikings. They discuss what's happened throughout the 1997 football season, what to expect from this weekend's games, and the unique debt that these teams playing this weekend owe to Bill Walsh, the former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. (8:00)

OTHER STORIES -- In other stories we're following today: the defense has rested in the penalty phase of the Terry Nichols trial in Denver; and the Cook County medical examiner has issued the results of an autopsy of comedian Chris Farley... which indicate that the actor died of an accidental drug overdose. (1:00)

UTAH TEACHER -- NPR's John Biewen reports that a second lawsuit has been filed in the case of a lesbian teacher in Utah who says the school district has violated her free speech rights. Now a group of parents is suing the teacher and school officials saying they breached state regulations. The case is dividing the small town of Spanish Fork. (5:30)

A LITTLE BIRD -- Commentator David Greenberger tells a story about the afternoon he saw a little bird sitting in his driveway and wondered why it steadfastly wouldn't fly away. Then, he began to wonder why he cared. (2:00)