This program is 28 minutes long
#190242
(Studio: Aaron Brown) Report introduced.
(Bethlehem: Deborah Amos) The status of the Middle East peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians featured; scenes shown from Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where Palestinian Authority president Yasir Arafat attended services and of pilgrims at a checkpoint. [Palestinian SHOPKEEPER - comments.] [At Lutheran Church, Wartburg College Fred STRICKART - comments on the season.]
#190243
(Studio: Aaron Brown) Christmas Eve at the Vatican featured; scenes shown of Pope John Paul II leading services outdoors.
#190244
(Studio: Aaron Brown) President Clinton shown Christmas shopping Washington, DC.
(New York: Dan Harris) This year's holiday sales featured; scenes shown from the stores; details given of the recent drop in computer sales. [Shoppers Herb HIRSCH, Mark COHEN, PC Data Corporation Steve BAKER, WOMAN - comment on shopping and sales.] [Jupiter Research Mike MAY - talks about Internet sales.]
(Studio: Aaron Brown) More information on the ABCNews Website noted.
#190247
(Studio: Aaron Brown) President-elect George W. Bush's Christmas plans noted.
(Washington: Barry Serafin) Bush's plans to open up Alaska oil fields for drilling despite the opposition from environmentalists featured; scenes shown from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is home for a wide variety animals. [October 3, BUSH - says he wants to open the reserve to drilling.] [Alaska Wilderness League Adam KOLTON, Natural Resources Defense Council Robert KENNEDY, Junior - opposes drilling.] Environmentalists' call for President Clinton to declare the area a national monument detailed.
#190248
(Studio: Aaron Brown) Statement from the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) opposing the nomination of Senator John Ashcroft as Attorney General because he killed the nomination of African-American judge Ronnie White to the federal bench reported.
(Washington: Jim Sciutto) The process for approving nominees for federal jobs reviewed. [Former OMB director Alice RIVLIN, State Department Presidential appointee Karen BROOKS - call the process intrusive.] [Brookings Institution Paul LIGHT - calls the process a barrier to serving; says senators use the process to extract concessions from presidents.]
#190252
(Studio: Aaron Brown) Apparent victory in the Yugoslavia parliamentary elections for the party of President Vojislav Kostunica reported.
#190253
(Studio: Aaron Brown) Fatal bus accident in Kei Cuttings Pass, South Africa, reported; scenes shown from the site.
#190254
(Studio: Aaron Brown) Another case of mad cow disease in Germany reported.
(London: Bob Woodruff) Concerns in Europe about mad cow disease and Creutzfeld-Jakob disease examined; details given of actions being taken in Germany; map shown of European countries with cases of the disease. [Leicester Public Health Service epidemiologist Dr. Phillip MONK - comments on the disease among people.]
#190257
(Studio: Aaron Brown) Amtrak accident in Tacoma, WA, in which the train ran into a house reported; scenes shown.
#190258
(Studio: Aaron Brown) Report introduced.
(Chicago: Liz Cho) The hot sales of icicle Christmas lights featured; scenes shown of the decorations. [Light Cicles Dianne SYME, Juanita DONICA - comment on the excitement in the industry.] [NYU Stern School of Business Gene SECUNDA - says marketers copied the product; outlines copyright problems.]
#190261
(Studio: Aaron Brown) The debate over who wrote the poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" that has been attributed to Clement Clark Moore rather than poet Henry Livingston examined; details given of clues about the authorship. [Literary sleuth Vassar College professor Don FOSTER - explains how the evidence indicates Moore did not write it.] [University of Massachusetts at Amherst historian Stephen NISSENBAUM - states the case for Moore.] [Livingston descendant Stephen Livingston THOMAS - opts for Livingston.]
#694787