Search results for

NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports on the man chosen to succeed the late Somali militia leader General Mohamed Farrah Aideed (eye-DEED). The new leader is a former reservist in the U-S Marines who actually served briefly during America's military intervention in Somalia. He also is Aideed's son...and friends describe him as more American than Somali.

Commentator Marianne Jennings confesses that she has average kids...they don't hold concerts with Luciano Pavarotti, and they don't do flips on the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team. She sometimes feels lazy for not taking them from lesson to lesson, but she realizes that having average kids is a tribute to parents who don't have to live vicariously through their children...and have the inner strength to give a child a childhood.

The Japanese have worked hard for the last 50 years to build their economy into one of the most dominant in the world. But now that they have earned that status, they would like to have some fun with their money. NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that theme parks are a favorite destination for Japanese travellers. In Japan, the original park, Tokyo Disneyland, has been joined by a multitude of others... one run by video-game giant Sega, another featuring miniature models of famous world landmarks, and another with virtual reality rides.

Noah talks with Sally Friedman about her new memoir, detailing her training as a long-distance swimmer, planning to swim the English Channel, and the death of her husband Paul on the eve of her departure for England. Paul's death was six years ago and he remains young in her mind; she, however, feels much older, having more in common with the widows she knows in her New York neighborhood.

A sound portrait of a train trip through the mountains of estern Maryland. Passengers ride the "dinner train special" and experience what t was like to dine on an elegant meal while riding the rails.

NPR's Edward Lifson reports on the Congressional election in Illinois' fifth district. This year a Democratic state Representative is running against Michael Flanagan, the young Republican incumbent who ousted Dan Rostenkowski two years ago.

Linda talks with Ronald Boster (BOSS-ter) about the economic plan Dole announced yesterday. Dole said if he were elected president he would cut taxes by 15 percent across the board and also balance the budget by the year 2002. Boster says Dole's plan would not allow for government savings and investment. Boster is a vice president of the business-supported Committee for Economic Development and a former GOP aide to the House Budget committee.

and Weekend Edition's sports commentator Ron Rapoport discuss baseball.

LIANE HANSEN EWSCASTERS: NORA RAUM AND ANNE BOOZELL PE

A variety of Alaska residents tell what they plan to do with their 1,130 dollar checks they've just received. Anyone who has lived in Alaska for the last 18 months received one. The checks are called Permanent Fund Dividends. The Permanent Fund was set up by oil companies as a reserve. Half the earnings from an average year are given back to Alaskans as dividends. We hear from Alaskans living in Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage.

reports on US hopes for a pan African peacekeeping force

Book critic MAUREEN CORRIGAN reviews "The Orchard on Fire" (Moyer Bell) by British writer Shena MacKay.