TIME: Almanac 1995

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<text id=94TT0887> <title> Jul. 04, 1994: Chronicles:The Week June 19-25 </title> <history> TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1994 Jul. 04, 1994 When Violence Hits Home </history> <article> <source>Time Magazine</source> <hdr> CHRONICLES, Page 11 The Week: June 19 - 25 </hdr> <body> NATION Health-Care Maneuvers With the Senate Finance Committee looming as perhaps the decisive hurdle for a health-care bill, a bipartisan group of committee centrists Friday offered a compromise plan for insurance reforms and for a special commission authorized to recommend further action if 95% of Americans are not covered by 2002. Notably omitted: President Clinton's requirement that employers pay most insurance costs. Earlier in the week, President Clinton vowed not to yield on his goal of universal health coverage. Simpson Pleads Not Guilty Looking grim and disoriented, O.J. Simpson pleaded not guilty to charges that he stabbed to death his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Controversy continued as authorities released dramatic audiotapes of an emergency 911 call made by Nicole Simpson to police in October, reporting her ex-husband's break-in at her home. In a twist at week's end, a judge aborted a grand jury investigation of the case for fear that swelling publicity might have influenced panel members, and channeled the proceedings to an open hearing instead. Independent-Counsel Law The House passed and sent to the President for his expected signature a renewal of the law authorizing an independent counsel to investigate accusations of wrongdoing by top federal officials. The law, which lapsed in 1992 because of Republican opposition, will probably be used to reappoint Whitewater special counsel Robert Fiske, first named by Attorney General Janet Reno. One feature of the measure offers good news for the President, who has been pondering setting up a legal-defense fund to meet his mounting bills: it authorizes reimbursement of some legal fees for those under investigation. Supreme Court Decisions Approaching the end of its term, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a flurry of decisions, among them a ruling requiring governments to better justify an actions that amounts to the taking of private property. The Justices also agreed to decide next term the politically potent question of whether states can impose term limits on their representatives in Congress. Air-Base Tragedies An airman discharged for psychiatric reasons came back to Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington State armed with an MAK-90 assault rifle. The gunman, identified as Dean Mellberg, killed four people and wounded 23 in the base hospital before being shot to death by a military policeman. Four days later another tragedy befell the base when a B-52 crashed, killing the four people on board. Who Gets Raped Releasing the shocking results of a study covering 11 states and the District of Columbia, the Justice Department disclosed that about half the victims of rapes reported to police in 1992 were girls younger than 18, and that about 1 in six was under 12. Most of the girls, the study found, were raped by relatives or friends. Smoking Bombshell The tobacco industry, under increasing government fire over allegations that it manipulated the nicotine content of its products to hook smokers, took another big hit. FDA Commissioner David Kessler told a House health subcommittee that the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. developed and grew a high-nicotine tobacco plant and used it in several of its brands. CEO Thomas Sandefur contended that cigarettes made using the plant did not contain more nicotine. Meanwhile, the Justice Department announced its own investigation of tobacco-industry practices--including the question of whether tobacco executives misled Congress. Give $$$ for Huddled Masses The Governors of California, Florida and Arizona, whose states are suing the Federal Government over costs of immigration, went to Capitol Hill to press the Senate Appropriations Committee for reimbursement of expenses their states incur dealing with their large illegal-alien populations. As Bennington Goes...? Facing the same fiscal and enrollment problems that have been draining the budgets of other colleges around the nation, unconventional Bennington College in Vermont came up with a surprisingly Big Business-like solution: reducing its faculty a third. The school will also abolish its version of tenure and cut tuition 10% over the next five years. WORLD North Korea Agrees to Freeze Stepping back from a confrontation with the U.S., North Korea agreed to freeze its atomic program--if only temporarily--after a week of diplomacy by former President Jimmy Carter. The U.S. responded with a pledge not to pursue its efforts to impose international sanctions. But U.S. officials, mindful of earlier broken promises, were wary. Said President Clinton: "This does not solve the problem, but it certainly gives us the basis for seeking a solution." Japanese Premier Resigns His hand forced by a looming no-confidence vote he was nearly certain to lose, Japanese Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata announced his resignation just two months after he took office. Reflecting recent political turmoil, Hata's successor will be Japan's seventh PM since 1989. French Troops Enter Rwanda After the U.N. narrowly approved a proposed mission to protect refugees from tribal slaughter, France began sending 2,500 Foreign Legionnaires and marines across the border into Rwanda from Zaire. Rwandan rebels at first opposed the intervention, but later said they would not engage the French if they did not interfere in the civil war. A U.N. contingent is expected to replace the French in a few months. Russia Joins NATO Group Forty-five years after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed to combat the Soviet threat, Russia joined NATO'S Partnership for Peace. Although NATO'S security umbrella does not cover the partnership's 21 members, mainly countries formerly in the East Bloc, it allows them to hold joint military exercises with NATO forces. Meanwhile, Russia and the U.S. also announced that President Boris Yeltsin and President Clinton will hold a summit in Washington in late September. And in a cementing of relations with other Western allies, Yeltsin signed a trade treaty with the European Union. The deal involves no direct subsidy but will enhance export prospects for Russia. European Commission President Jacques Delors termed the pact "the most global agreement that the E.U. has ever signed with another country." Czechs' New "Powdered Keg" From the land of Pilsner comes an odd new export: dehydrated beer. Brewer Jan Oliva, who co-owns a malthouse in the Czech Republic town of Bruntal, says that when you add water to his beer powder and wait 10 days, you get a cool refreshment that "looks like beer, tastes like beer and has a head too...It is beer, and a good one at that." BUSINESS Turbulent Dollar The Federal Reserve launched an international effort to halt the dollar's steady slide, but the rescue was largely seen as a failure since the greenback rallied only briefly and the Dow industrials and bond markets plummeted. Earlier in the week currency traders pushed the dollar below the 100-yen mark for the first time since World War II. Tobacco Exec Exits The Philip Morris chairman who tried unsuccessfully to separate the company's food and cigarette divisions announced his resignation. Michael Miles, a nonsmoker and the first company head from outside the tobacco industry, was also responsible for last year's controversial decision to slash the price of Marlboro cigarettes. Kidder CEO Resigns Kidder, Peabody & Co. head Michael Carpenter was replaced by two GE executives as parent company General Electric tried to redeem the securities firm's stained image. The management shake-up followed a bond scandal in which a Kidder trader was accused of misreporting $350 million to bolster his bonus, as well as a projected second-quarter loss of up to $30 million. SCIENCE New Species Captured Scientists have the first living specimen of a large mammal species that was only discovered two years ago. In Viet Nam, authorities have confiscated a young female Vu Quang ox that had been captured by a hunter. The species was identified in 1992 when a research team came upon skulls previously unknown to science in hunters' homes. The strange animal, which in different respects resembles cattle, goats and antelope, represents only the fourth new genus of large land mammal to be discovered this century. A Tougher Breed of Corn The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Texcoco, Mexico, has developed new strains of corn that can increase crop yields up to 40% in regions plagued by droughts and acidic soils. One-half of the 150 million acres of corn planted in the developing world are subject to periodic drought; CIMMYT scientists estimate that the new strains could feed an additional 50 million people annually. SPORTS Another Drought Over Center Hakeem Olajuwon led the Houston Rockets to a dramatic 90-84 win over the New York Knicks in the seventh game of the N.B.A. finals to bring home the city's very first pro-sports championship. The victory capped a career year for Olajuwon in which he became the only player ever to be named regular-season mvp, defensive player of the year and finals mvp. The victory dashed New York City's hopes of being the first city to win both the N.B.A. and the N.H.L. trophies in the same year. A Soccer Miracle In what was called the most important victory in American soccer history, the U.S. World Cup team stunned favored Colombia with a 2-1 upset that ensured the U.S. would advance into the second round of play. It was the first World Cup win for the U.S. since 1950 and, some said, was also the first time since 1950 that many Americans knew the U.S. had a soccer team. By Melissa August, Leslie Dickstein, Christopher John Farley, Eugene Linden, Lina Lofaro, Michael Quinn, Alain L. Sanders and Sarah Van Boven HEALTH REPORT The Good News -- Regular workouts may improve the quality of life of the very old, according to a study of men and women in their 80s and 90s. Leg exercises enabled some participants to put aside walkers and use canes. -- An analysis of data collected during 17 clinical trials of nicotine patches revealed that 22% of smokers who used the patch had not resumed smoking six months later--more than double the success rate of 9% for smokers who tried to quit while using placebo patches. The Bad News -- More reason for asking pregnant women not to smoke: a study of nearly 9,000 children revealed that those whose mothers smoked during pregnancy had nearly 5% less air flow than other children and had more risk of getting respiratory ailments. (The study accounted for the risks of secondhand smoke after birth.) -- Women who have breast cancer while pregnant are roughly three times as likely to die of the disease as cancer sufferers who have never been pregnant. Sources--Good: New England Journal of Medicine; Journal of the American Medical Association. Bad: Harvard School of Public Health; Lancet. HALL MONITOR OF THE WEEK David Kessler, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, warns that manipulating nicotine levels may be cause for detention. INSIDE WASHINGTON The U.S. Keeps an Eye on Its Friends The CIA has recalled from Europe several of its top case officers who were running highly sensitive penetrations of friendly governments, say intelligence sources. Convicted spy ALDRICH AMES, the sources say, told investigators that he had revealed the European operations to Moscow. The CIA became concerned that Russia might inform Western governments, so the spies were withdrawn to head off scandal. The operatives were posing as businesspeople and would not have had diplomatic immunity had they been caught. WINNERS & LOSERS Winners JIMMY CARTER--Freelancing ex-Pres. draws North Korea to bargaining table KEN GRIFFEY JR.--He's halfway to Maris' homer record, and it's only June CLINTON'S LAWYERS--Independent-counsel law means some bills get paid--by the U.S. Losers GEORGE MICHAEL--Faith gets him nowhere in losing lawsuit against Sony BRIAN LAMB--Wonkicide! Cable systems are dumping his C-SPAN THE N.B.A.--Finals are a ratings dud--a post-Michael nightmare come true INFORMED SOURCES Clinton Sticks Up for Religion Overseas Washington--Jerry Falwell would have been proud. When President Clinton met with Russian President Boris Yeltsin in Russia last January, Yeltsin complained that Russians, with the help of Christian missionaries, were becoming too religious. "You are a Christian," he said. "What do I do about this? We need to put a stop to all this." Clinton's reply: "That's not a good idea... Putting limits on religion doesn't serve your interest in democracy." All Right, You Dogfaces, Who Left the Toilet Seat Up? Washington--Although the issue of women in combat is still being fiercely debated, U.S. Army officials say one gender issue is all but decided: by year's end, men and women will be training side by side in boot camp. Currently, recruits train in single-sex, 100-troop companies. Under the soon-to-be-implemented system, men and women will be mixed in basic-training companies but segregated into same-sex squads of about 12 members each in the barracks. Iranian Nuclear Secrets Can Be Dangerous to Your Health Paris--Iranian government sources have confirmed that a Chinese nuclear engineer and two Iranian technicians who vanished in the Iranian city of Shiraz on June 3 were kidnapped. The men are thought to have possessed classified information on Iran's nuclear program. It is unclear who kidnapped them; spies from several nations operate in the area. TOP 10 SPONSORS OF CONGRESSIONAL JUNKETS Members of Congress recently filed their 1993 financial-disclosure forms, which reveal the number of free trips they took. While the travel--much of it with spouses--comes in the midst of lobby reform, our representatives still managed to cover a lot of territory, from Switzerland to Boca Raton, Florida, thanks to the largess of corporations, think tanks and legislative service organizations. <table> <tblhdr><cell>Sponsor<cell>Number of Congressional Trips Sponsored <row><cell type=a>Congressional Institute<cell type=i>39 <row><cell>Aspen Institute<cell>36 <row><cell>Tobacco Institute<cell>29 <row><cell>American Isreal Public Affairs Committee<cell>28 <row><cell>American Medical Association<cell>28 <row><cell>Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament<cell>24 <row><cell>American Isreal Education Foundation<cell>16 <row><cell>Far East Studies Institute<cell>15 <row><cell>Phillip Morris Companies Inc.<cell>12 <row><cell>Senators' Ski Cup<cell>12 </table> Source: Financial Disclosure Statements, AP PUFF THE MAGIC BUREAUCRAT! Despite the current climate, there are still a few people in Washington who have a nodding familiarity with tobacco: Bill Clinton enjoys wrapping his lips around an unlit cigar. A top source at a local tobacconist's claims the President "smokes" Hoyo De Monterre Excalibur #1s...The FDA's David Kessler admits to collegiate pipe smoking...Anti-tobacco Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) used to be a two-pack-a-day man...Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia smoke cigars. Chief Justice William Rehnquist is a social cigarette smoker. At Clinton's Inauguration, he's rumored to have bummed a cigarette from Senator Wendell Ford (D-Ky.). MORE NEGATIVISM: ELOCUTION DOWN "The American people are entitled to know what's going on good in this country." -- President Clinton, on "negativism" among conservatives and the media THE MORNING LINE Will the Justice Department charge the seven major tobacco-company ceos with perjury for their testimony before Congress that nicotine is not addictive? <table> <tblhdr><cell>BOOKIE<cell>ODDS<cell>COMMENTS <row><cell type=a>Thomas Lauria, Spokesman for the Tobacco Institute<cell type=a>0<cell type=a>"Where does perjury enter in? There's no basis for it. They began their remarks with `I believe.' You are allowed to express personal beliefs under oath." <row><cell>Scott Ballin, Chairman, Coalition on Smoking or Health<cell>10-1<cell>"The executives said, `I do not believe...'--a very calculated legal tactic. They can say they were expressing their own personal opinion." <row><cell>Staffer for antismoking Rep. Henry Waxman<cell>No odds posted<cell>"They gave a lot of legalistic answers. It's tricky. We have a pretty long way to go." <row><cell>Christopher Buckley, Author of Thank You for Smoking<cell>Sure thing<cell>"A perjury charge would definitely be the prize plum. Waxman must dream of that when he lays his head down on the pillow at night." </table> RAW DATA A want ad from the back pages of a recent issue of Daily Variety WRITER WANTED JOHN WAYNE BOBBITT is embarking on a national comedy tour. Needs great writer w/ stand-up exper. Fax resume & sample of work to: A.M. Gordon Management at (702) 255-0096. Phone (702) 255-8620. FIN-DE-SIECLE ALERT It was a dicey week for taste in the world of marketing: -- Paula Jones was named the new No Excuses Jeans Girl. -- Campari promoted a new drink called the Campari Stonewall Riot. -- A Philadelphia novelty company introduced boxer shorts imprinted with four cane lashes across the back. NOBODY'S CALLING IT A BOONDOGGLE NOW Six months after being repaired by shuttle astronauts, the Hubble Space Telescope has beamed back a universe of information. Some of the project's major accomplishments: -- Provided images of a strange pair of Hula Hoop-like rings around a distant exploded star--a previously unknown phenomenon. -- Took detailed photos of Pluto and its moon Charon allowing astronomers to measure their diameters precisely. -- Spotted a gigantic and unusual star that is shedding matter so furiously it will eventually vanish rather than explode and collapse into a black hole. -- Found the first definitive proof of a supermassive black hole in the core of an active galaxy. -- Confirmed the abundance of protoplanetary disks of dust surrounding nearly half the stars in the Orion Nebula, which suggests many stars in our galaxy possess planets. </body> </article> </text>