Search results for

Robert talks with Christine Black, a flight attendant and member of the Association of Flight Attendants in San Francisco, about her experiences with air rage. One of the most frightening incidents occurred three years ago, when a passenger was upset about his meal. He went into the galley, threw his tray at her, and verbally abused her.

A federal appeals court has ruled that employers who discriminate in the hiring process can be sued by the civil rights workers who help catch them in the act. The court says people who apply for jobs simply to test whether the employer will show bias against minorities can file suit -- even if they weren't really intending to work there. Similar tactics have been used to ferret out discrimination in housing. Unless appealed, this decision will now extend the practice to employment. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports.

Noah and Robert read letters from All Things Considered listeners.

NPR's Larry Abramson reports on a news conference held today in Washington by groups planning to hold demonstrations at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. The groups, under an umbrella organization called the "R2D2 Coalition," were behind the WTO and World Bank protests earlier this year.

NPR'S Richard Gonzales reports on today's one-day walkout by thousands of workers at northern California hospitals. The union workers include nursing assistants, respiratory therapists and food service workers.

When he was sixteen, Commentator Bill Harley worked at a seafood restaurant. He says learned about race, class and privilege when an angry cook hurled a baked potato at him.

Host Bob Edwards talks to Newsweek Reporter Donatella Lorch about the UN embargo on diamond purchases from the rebels fighting to overthrow Sierra Leone's government. The UN hopes the ban will cut funding to the civil war, which has caused thousands of deaths in the West African country. Lorch says that implementing the embargo will be difficult for a variety of reasons.

Critic Kenneth Turan reviews the short film, George Lucas in Love, which is enjoying considerable success, even though it's only available on one internet site.

Consultants hired by Alaska Airlines to assess its programs after the January crash of Flight 261 earlier this year released their report today. Citing poor communication and marginal staffing levels the report concludes that the carrier must rebuild its safety culture. From KUOW in Seattle, Sam Eaton reports.

Host Bob Edwards talks to scholar Richard Newman about this week's page one apology by The Hartford Courant for its role in the slave trade. In the 1700s and early 1800s, the paper ran ads for slave sales and published notices by the owners of runaway slaves. Newman does research at the WEB Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Research at Harvard University. He says the Courant's apology is a sign that white Americans are becoming more aware of slavery's lingering effects.

NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports on efforts by Amtrak to increase business in face of the threat of losing their government subsidy in two years. Amtrak is introducing a new program designed to get travelers who have had a bad travelling experience to give the train service a second chance.

NPR's Jack Speer reports on the changes taking place in telecommunications industry. Despite the failure of a proposed merger between Worldcom and Sprint, other companies are still interested in merging with these companies.