Government & Politics

Writer George Packer. Packer's new novel, "The Half Man," is the story of a Western journalist caught in the turmoil of a fictitious Pacific Asian country. In real life, Packer spent two years with the Peace Corps in Togo, and that experience helped shape this book. (It's published by Random House).

Pennsylvania's abortion law places restrictions on a woman's ability to get an abortion. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to the law. Their ruling is expected to be an referendum by the court on the Roe versus Wade decision. On this edition of Fresh Air, we hear from both sides. Terry Gross talks with...
1) Kathryn Kolbert, the attorney who will be arguing against the Pennsylvania law before the high court, and

The Environmental Protection Agency recently released a report that examined the link between race and pollution. That report said that while things like toxic waste dumps are disproportionately located in poor areas, they're NOT disproportionately located in black areas. We look at both sides of the question...
1) First, Terry talks with sociologist Robert Bullard, author of the book, "Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class, and Environmental Quality." He disagrees with the EPA report.

Writer Tatyana Tolstaya ("taht-tee-an-yah tol-STOY-yah"). She's gaining a reputation as one of the (former) Soviet Union's most critically acclaimed new writers. She's also a distant relative of Leo Tolstoy. Her new collection of stories is called "Sleepwalker In A Fog" (published by Knopf).

Investigative reporter Wayne Barrett. His new book, "Trump: The Deals and the Downfall," is a fresh look at America's most famous wheeler-dealer. In his book, Barrett deflates what he calls the myth that Trump is a financial genius. (It's published by Harper-Collins).

Michael Klare, defense correspondent for the Nation. In the February third issue, Klare examines the current state of arms sales throughout the world. He says although nuclear arms sales have been curtailed, and the Soviet Union is gone, the sale of conventional arms to the third world continues unabated. Klare is also an associate professor at Hampshire College, and director of the Five-College Program in Peace and World Securities.

Veteran political journalist Jules Witcover. His new book is "Crapshoot: Rolling the Dice On the Vice Presidency." It examines the caviler method in which we choose our vice presidents.

Ronald Walters, chairman of the department of political science at Howard University. He'll discuss the influence of the black vote in the presidential election.

We look back on the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait one year later:
1) CNN producer Robert Wiener (wee-ner). Wiener was executive producer in Baghdad for 5 months leading up to and including the beginning of the war. His book, Live From Baghdad, tells how Wiener worked with Iraqi officials to cover the war from inside.
2) We speak with Aziz Abu Hamad, senior researcher on Kuwait for Middle East Watch about the current state of human rights in Kuwait..

Iraqi dissident Laith Kubba. Kubba is living in exile in London, where he heads an opposition group called the Democratic Reform Movement. Kubba discusses a meeting of Iraqi dissident groups that was held in December in Damascus.

Journalist Stan Sesser. He is a staff writer and reporter for The New Yorker. He talks with Terry about Singapore and the neo-authoritarianism that exists there. Neo-authoritarianism combines communism's authority over its population with capitalism's free market system. Sesser says its a growing trend in the Pacific Rim. (His article about Singapore appears in the January 13, 1992 issue of The New Yorker.)

Biographer Robert Lacey. Lacey's new book, "Little Man" is an examination of the life of gangster Meyer Lansky. (It's published by Little, Brown). Lacey and Terry Gross will discuss how the movie's portrayal of gangsters differs from reality.

Journalist Soledad Santiago and her children were homeless fourteen years ago. From there she went on to become a journalist and she headed the press office for New York State Controller Ned Regan. She talks to Terry about her life, about raising children in a dangerous urban environment, and the difficult choices she's had to make. Her new novel is called "Room 9." (Perfect Crime Press).

First amendment lawyer Matin Garbus He recently defended Peter Matthiessen's controversial book, "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse," against two separate libel suits. Garbus is currently helping to draft a new constitution for Czechoslovakia. He talks with Terry about that.

Book critic John Leonard on "Professors, Politics, and Pop," a new book of essays on campus politics and pop culture by journalist Jon Wiener.

We examine the controversy surrounding Vice President Dan Quayle's Council on Competitiveness. We talk with New York Times reporter Phil Hilts, who covers the Council.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews "JFK," the new Oliver Stone film about the Kennedy's assassination.

Robert Greenstein ("stine" not "steen"), executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. His group has just released a new study that shows how many state's budget cuts have had meant a disproportionate cut in programs for the poor.

William Rubenstein ("steen," not "stine"), the director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project. He'll discuss yesterday's court decision that granted guardianship of a woman left brain-damaged by a car accident to her lesbian companion. This is the first case that has granted rights equal to a spouse to a gay or lesbian partner.

Commentary by Soviet emigre David Gurevitch (GIR-ah-vich). He's the author of "From Lenin to Lennon," a memoir about growing up in the 60s.