TIME: Almanac 1995

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<text id=94TT0234> <title> Feb. 28, 1994: Chronicles:The Week </title> <history> TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1994 Feb. 28, 1994 Ministry of Rage:Louis Farrakhan </history> <article> <source>Time Magazine</source> <hdr> CHRONICLES, Page 13 THE WEEK:FEBRUARY 13-19 </hdr> <body> NATION Trade Tiff The Clinton Administration has decided to impose sanctions on Japan for violating a 1989 trade agreement that would have allowed cellular-phone giant Motorola the same access to the lucrative Tokyo-Nagoya market that Japanese companies enjoy. Japan denies that they have violated the agreement. The President did not foreclose the possibility that American sanctions might be the first volley in a trade war with Japan. Earlier this month, talks between the nations broke down. On the Road President Clinton and his wife Hillary took to the hustings to rally support for their embattled health-care reforms, which have been overshadowed lately by rival plans in Congress. In a speech to 2,000 senior citizens in New Jersey, the President wooed the nation's powerful elderly voters by vowing to protect Medicare. Saudis Buy U.S. Jets Thanks to a strenuous lobbying effort by the Clinton Administration, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas will sell 50 commercial jets worth $6 billion to Saudi Arabia--generating jobs for tens of thousands of Americans in the voter-rich Los Angeles and Seattle areas. Whitewater A U.S. district court judge agreed to impanel a special grand jury to focus on the federal investigation of President Clinton's Whitewater real estate venture and its links to a failed S&L. Special counsel Robert Fiske informed the judge that the probe may last 18 months. In a related development, federal bank regulators cleared Hillary Clinton's old law firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, of any conflict of interest regarding its association with the same S&L. Tailhook Adieu Admiral Frank B. Kelso II, Chief of Naval Operations, announced that he would retire two months early, in April, in exchange for an official tribute from the Pentagon meant to clear him of wrongdoing in the Tailhook scandal. Earlier this month, a Navy judge dismissed the last three Navy Tailhook cases on the grounds that they had been tainted by Kelso's efforts to conceal his knowledge of the affair. A Stolen Election Returned A federal judge nullified a November 1993 election for a Pennsylvania state-senate seat, declaring that it had been won fraudulently by a Democrat. Supporters of William G. Stinson practiced "deception, intimidation, harassment and forgery," wrote the judge. His decision returns the seat to the Republican candidate and could put the G.O.P. in control of the entire state senate. I Confess After maintaining his innocence for the past two years, Danny Rolling, accused of murdering five college students in Gainesville, Florida, in 1990, pleaded guilty to all charges against him. "There are some things you just can't run from, this being one of those," Rolling told the judge. Courtroom Roundup In San Antonio, Texas, the defense rested its case in the trial of 11 Branch Davidians charged with murdering four federal agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms last February. The jury is expected to get the case late this week. Meanwhile, in New York City, lawyers continued their closing arguments in the World Trade Center trial of four defendants linked to the bombing a year ago that killed six people and injured 1,000. Texas Chain-Saw Editing The Texas state board of education is deleting 300 sensitive items from proposed high school health texts. They include hot-line numbers for AIDS information groups, references to anal and oral intercourse, facts about state laws against sex with minors, condom instructions and mentions of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Critics of the changes say the board has fallen under the influence of the radical right. And Speaking of Kevorkian A Detroit judge declined to dismiss the last remaining charge against Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the aggressive advocate of taking one's life as an option for the terminally ill, and ordered him to stand trial in the assisted suicide of a man with Lou Gehrig's disease. WORLD Silence over Sarajevo? Under heavy pressure from NATO, the U.N., President Clinton and--most important--their Russian allies, the Bosnian Serbs pledged their compliance with a NATO ultimatum to either withdraw their weapons from within a 12-mile radius of Sarajevo or turn them over to U.N. peacekeepers. At week's end U.N. observers were reporting "very significant withdrawals of Bosnian-Serb forces." However, there were new reports of Serb atrocities in other parts of Bosnia, particularly near the town of Banja Luka. In a Saturday address, Clinton warned that "American pilots and planes stand ready" to join in NATO air strikes around Sarajevo. Sniffing Out Nukes After an 11-month standoff, North Korea has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it will permit inspection of seven nuclear sites. Not included in the arrangement: two sites in its Yongbyon complex believed to be waste dumps for weapons-grade plutonium. In a positive response, the South Korean Foreign Minister, Han Sung Joo, said the U.S. should reconsider its proposed deployment of Patriot missiles in South Korea. Compromise Lost The leader of the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party turned down a last-minute package of concessions from African National Congress president Nelson Mandela intended to avert a threatened boycott of the historic election set for April 26-28. Mandela eased up on A.N.C. demands for strong central authority by offering provincial governments more autonomy. In Natal province, gunmen attacked A.N.C. supporters, killing 15. Meeting in Chiapas Talks between government and guerrilla leaders begin this week to bring to an end the Zapatista uprising in the state of Chiapas. The negotiations were announced 24 hours after the guerrillas released the former Chiapas Governor, whom they had been holding hostage since the rebellion began on New Year's Day. Deadly Quake in Indonesia More than 200 people were killed and 3,000 injured when a severe earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The U.S. Geological Survey in Washington estimated the quake's strength at 7.2 on the Richter scale. Bucks for Bombs Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Washington last week and came away with a windfall of $311 million--three times the amount of last year's aid total. In return, Kazakhstan will dismantle 104 long-range SS-18 missiles, each tipped with 10 nuclear warheads. R.I.P. for the Rostov Ripper Andre Chikatilo, the sadistic, Ukraine-born serial killer, who raped, murdered and ate more than 50 people in the former Soviet Union between 1978 and 1990, was executed with a bullet to the back of the head in Rostov. BUSINESS Viacom Victorious The battle for Paramount ended rather anticlimactically on Monday, when shareholders finally voted more than the required 50.1% of their shares to Viacom for about $80 a share. The new company's properties now include, among others, MTV, Paramount Pictures, Simon & Schuster and a debt of $10 billion. Calling All Chryslers... For the fifth time since December, the Chrysler Corp. has announced a recall of certain models. Last week's action, which involves electrical wires that are in danger of short-circuiting, applies to about 110,000 sedans: Dodge Intrepids and Eagle Visions, plus three models of Chryslers (the LHS, the Concorde and the New Yorker). THE ARTS & MEDIA A Painting Held Hostage? A hint that Edvard Munch's stolen masterpiece, The Scream, may be returned came last week from a Norwegian antiabortion activist. The Rev. Borre Knudsen said the painting may be returned if local television broadcasts The Silent Scream--a film that shows a fetus being aborted. Knudsen refused to say whether his organization was actually involved in the theft, which took place on the opening day of the Lillehammer Games. Bringing the Holocaust Home Schindler's List, the widely acclaimed Steven Spielberg epic about the Holocaust, had a gala premiere in Vienna last week that was attended by celebrities and politicians. Among the guests: Simon Wiesenthal. Missing: Kurt Waldheim. Goliath Beats David "Neither a borrower nor a Spender be" is the message American novelist David Leavitt got from his publisher, Viking, last week. No more copies of Leavitt's controversial novel, While England Sleeps, will be printed or shipped until the author has made "minor revisions," said a Viking spokesperson. The move was in response to a lawsuit by the eminent British poet Stephen Spender, who claims that Leavitt has drawn too closely on his 1951 memoir, World Within World. WINTER OLYMPICS Cold Shoulders Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan finally appeared on the same ice for a practice session. Kerrigan pointedly appeared in the same costume she wore on the day she was attacked last month. Whoops! Russian Alexei Urmanov took the gold in men's figure skating after the favorites, including 1988 winner Brian Boitano, had disastrous showings in the short program. Boitano finished sixth. Wow! Tommy Moe stunned the world by capturing the men's downhill and then a silver in the super giant slalom. Diann Roffe-Steinrotter came in first in the women's super-G, and Picabo Street took a silver in the women's downhill. Golds for Jansen and Blair After slipping out of contention in the 500-m race, speed skater Dan Jansen finally won a gold medal and set a world record in the 1,000-m finals. Bonnie Blair skated to gold in the women's 500-m, her third straight Olympic win in the event. -- By Melissa August, Ginia Bellafante, Christopher John Farley, Kevin Fedarko, Michael D. Lemonick, Jeffery Rubin, David Seideman, Sidney Urquhart THE GOOD NEWS -- Despite fears to the contrary, moderate aerobic exercise after childbirth does not hamper production of breast milk, according to a new report. -- A public health campaign urging parents to put newborns to sleep on their back has reduced the nationwide incidence of sudden infant death syndrome 12% in just six months. -- Scientists have synthesized taxol, a promising anticancer drug normally derived from trees in the Pacific Northwest. -- A genetically engineered antibody has been remarkably effective in attacking a virus that causes pneumonia in mice (and men). Successful trials on humans could lead to a powerful treatment not only for viral pneumonia but also for influenza. THE BAD NEWS -- Cocaine puts a strain on the heart, and so does cigarette smoking. Now researchers have proved what common sense already implies: cocaine use by chronic smokers can be doubly deadly. -- A bacterial infection that can cause skin lesions, fever and even death without prompt antibiotic treatment has been traced to cats. About 25% of felines in a San Francisco study carried the R. henselae bacterium. People with weak immune systems are at special risk. -- Taxi drivers have a job-related homicide rate of 27 murders per 100,000. That's 40 times the national average, and three times the risk faced by liquor-store workers, the next most endangered group. Gas-station attendants are a distant third. Sources--GOOD: New England Journal of Medicine; Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine; Journal of the American Chemical Society and Nature; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. BAD: New England Journal of Medicine; Journal of the American Medical Association; Journal of Occupational Medicine PRESTIGIOUS JOBS IN MAGAZINE PUBLISHING--NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED! Many wealthy and famous not-exactly-wordsmiths are serving as contributing editors at swank publications. You may not see these celebrity editors' bylines too often, but you can trust that they are not collecting paychecks idly. "EDITOR" Diane Keaton PUBLICATION Mirabella JUSTIFICATION "She comes up with ideas...She's here because of her head." "EDITOR" Sean Penn PUBLICATION Interview JUSTIFICATION "He's been a contributing editor for several years...Last March he wrote a piece on David Rabe for us." "EDITOR" Diane von Furstenberg PUBLICATION Vanity Fair JUSTIFICATION "Her contacts are invaluable to Vanity Fair. She keeps the magazine abreast of what's happening in her field and offers ideas for future stories." "EDITOR" Tabitha Soren PUBLICATION Elle JUSTIFICATION "She's a good conduit to music and college life." "EDITOR" Diandra Douglas PUBLICATION Mirabella JUSTIFICATION "She helps provide us with an informal network of sources." "EDITOR" Sofia Coppola PUBLICATION Details JUSTIFICATION "She supplies ideas for us." "EDITOR" Sandy (Mrs. Bob) Pittman PUBLICATION Allure JUSTIFICATION "She's an ideas person. There's an actual story she participated in." "EDITOR" Lilly (Mrs. Brandon) Tartikoff PUBLICATION Mirabella JUSTIFICATION "She provides us with ideas and sources." "EDITOR" Gayfryd (Mrs. Saul) Steinberg, Anne (ex-Mrs. Sid) Bass PUBLICATION Vogue JUSTIFICATION "They really contribute a lot of ideas. They give us great ideas." INSIDE WASHINGTON AN ALLY BY ANY OTHER NAME... President Clinton plans to visit Chicago on Feb. 28 to stump for powerful Congressman DAN ROSTENKOWSKI, who is facing a tough re-election fight. Although Rosty has been tainted by charges he feathered his own nest at taxpayer expense, and Clinton has himself been dogged by allegations of Whitewater improprieties, the President needs all the allies he can get for the coming health-care battle. Indeed, a campaign insider told Time that Rosty didn't ask for aid--Clinton volunteered it. Hillary is also expected to do her part. WINNERS DIANE SAWYER By staying put at ABC, she gets more exposure and $7 mil. a year U.S. OLYMPIC ALPINE TEAM Led by Moe and Roffe-Steinrotter, the skiers upset the Europeans AEROSPACE WORKERS A $6 bil. boost from Saudi Arabia saves thousands of U.S. jobs LOSERS COKIE ROBERTS The ABC reporter is disciplined for trompe l'oeil newscast PATTI LUPONE High-strung actress is dropped from Sunset Boulevard JOHN CHANEY Temple hoops coach suspended for on-air expletive-laced fit MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE JUICE "Since homosexuals cannot reproduce, they must freshen their ranks with our children They will use money, drugs, alcohol, any means to get what they want." -- Anita Bryant, spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission, 1968-80 "I say to those of you of the leftist, militant, homosexual crowd: Take it somewhere else. Get out of our schools. Get out of our churches. Take your deadly, sickly behavior and keep it to yourselves." -- Rush Limbaugh, spokesman for the Florida Citrus Commission, 1994-? IF EXPENSE ACCOUNTS COULD TALK... If nothing else, the eruption of media interest in Bill and Hillary Clinton's Whitewater investment has helped further the President's goal of bringing jobs to his home state--funded by the expense accounts of the reporters, up to 40 at any one time, who have been on the scene since the latest episode broke in December. Here are some of the things on which journalists are known to have spent their boss's money: Single room, Capital Hotel, Little Rock: $108 + $10.26 room tax One copy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: $.35 Two eggs, ham, grits, biscuits and gravy, Apple Blossom Cafe, Little Rock: $4.95 Midsize rental car, corporate rate, Little Rock airport: $38 a day Tire chains for trip to Whitewater Estates: $65 Buffet lunch, including fried chicken, beans and apple cobbler, the Front Porch restaurant, Yellville (home of Whitewater land records): $4.95 Copy of 2,582-page file on Madison Guaranty, Arkansas securities department: $645.50 Dinner with Jim McDougal, the Clintons' Whitewater partner, at Western Sizzlin restaurant, Arkadelphia: $12 One shot, Southern Comfort, Whitewater Tavern, Little Rock: $3.50 Membership, Midnight Rodeo, Little Rock private club featuring country-western music: $10 INFORMED SOURCES RETURNED TO SENDER Washington--Retired U.S. Admiral JONATHAN HOWE, the United Nations' special representative in Somalia, has been quietly pulled out of that country by U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. Howe headed last year's hapless effort to catch Somali strongman Mohammed Farrah Aidid, and even offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture. At the time, Boutros-Ghali vigorously condemned Aidid and called for him to be brought to justice. Nonetheless, U.N. sources say, since Aidid is now considered a key part of peace negotiations, Boutros-Ghali has decided that Howe's continued presence in Somalia would only hinder the process. A NOBEL LAUREATE BETS ON JORDAN Bangkok--DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the leader of the Burmese democracy movement, has been held under house arrest by the military government in Burma for more than four years. Last week, when she was allowed to break her silence and meet with U.S. Congressman Bill Richardson of New Mexico, human rights wasn't the only thing on her mind. "She asked me if I thought Michael Jordan was going to make it as a baseball player," says Richardson. "We made a friendly bet--she bet that he would make it, and I bet he wouldn't. And hopefully we will see the result of this bet after spring training, and perhaps I can return to collect on my bet." SEAQUEST LIVE Washington--The U.S. is in a race with Russia to develop high-speed underwater projectiles. Russian researchers are said to have accelerated such projectiles at 4,270 ft. per sec.; now militia sources confirm that the U.S. NAVY has a program to fire underwater projectiles at 4,760 ft. per sec.--near the speed of sound. If they actually work, these 007-like weapons would greatly affect the strategy for any future below-the-sea conflict. A CABINET THAT SWEATS LIKE AMERICA As the television audience watches the world's greatest athletes gracefully glide to victory in the pristine setting of Lillehammer, even seemingly sedentary members of the Clinton Administration think back to their own past sporting glories. ATHLETE MIKE ESPY Secretary of Agriculture HIGHLIGHT Getting his black belt last fall in Tae Kwon Do by breaking boards with his hand POSTGAME REPORT "My hand hurts." ATHLETE GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS Senior adviser to the President HIGHLIGHT Running in and finishing the Paris marathon (May 1986) POSTGAME REPORT "It was a beautiful, sunny day." ATHLETE DONNA SHALALA Secretary of Health and Human Services HIGHLIGHT Playing on a Pigtail League softball team (coached by George Steinbrenner) that won a Cleveland city championship in 1950 POSTGAME REPORT "Steinbrenner was cute. I think I was in love with him when I was nine." ATHLETE JANE ALEXANDER Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts HIGHLIGHT Doing all her own stunts for the 1984 television movie Calamity Jane POSTGAME REPORT "I learned to drive a six-horse stagecoach for the film." ATHLETE RON BROWN Secretary of Commerce HIGHLIGHT Beating President Clinton in a pickup basketball game POSTGAME REPORT "[My greatest triumph] was hitting a 25-ft. jump shot...with the President in my face." </body> </article> </text>