TIME: Almanac 1995

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<text id=94TT0955> <title> Jul. 18, 1994: Chronicles:The Week: July 3 - 9 </title> <history> TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1994 Jul. 18, 1994 Attention Deficit Disorder </history> <article> <source>Time Magazine</source> <hdr> CHRONICLES, Page 9 THE WEEK: JULY 3 -9 </hdr> <body> NATION The Simpson Case After six days of testimony in a California courtroom and on national television, Judge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell ruled--not unexpectedly--that there was sufficient evidence to order O.J. Simpson to stand trial for the murders of his ex-wife and her friend. As part of its case, the prosecution called a police expert who testified that some blood found near the murder victims matched Simpson's--a match, the expert said, that existed for only 0.43% of the population. Earlier, in a major defeat for the defense, Judge Kennedy-Powell ruled that because police feared an emergency situation after spotting blood on Simpson's Bronco on the night of the murder, they acted properly when they entered Simpson's property without a warrant. Fatal Fires and Floods Record heat and extreme drought combined to ignite the fire season in 11 Western states. On Colorado's Storm King Mountain, 14 fire fighters were killed when they were overtaken by a wind-whipped blaze. In the East, heavy rainfall from the stalled remnants of tropical storm Alberto caused severe flooding in Georgia and Alabama, claiming 24 lives. N.Y.P.D. Blues Releasing the final report of a two-year corruption probe into the New York City police department, a special commission concluded that a "willfully blind" system of accountability in the nation's largest police force had permitted highly organized "crews" of rogue officers to deal drugs, skim money and terrorize residents. Despite pockets of corruption, the commission stressed, most N.Y.P.D. officers were honest. A B.C.C.I. Plea Bargain In one of the most significant developments in the U.S. prosecution of the global financial scandal involving the Bank of Credit & Commerce International, the former chief executive of the bank, Saleh Naqvi, pleaded guilty to broad federal charges including fraud. Yes, It Really Happened Correcting a previously flawed study, the American Jewish Committee released a new Roper poll showing that 91% of Americans believe the Nazi Holocaust really happened. A 1992 Roper poll set off alarm bells when a confusing question yielded results indicating that 22% doubted that the Nazi extermination of Jews occurred. AIDS Czar Resigns Kristine Gebbie submitted her resignation as President Clinton's AIDS policy officer. Several dissatisfied AIDS groups had criticized her lack of political savvy. No successor has been named. WORLD The "Great Leader" Dies North Korean ruler Kim Il Sung died of a heart attack at age 82. The world's most durable communist leader, he had ruled his country since 1948. His death came just as U.S. and North Korean negotiators were meeting in Geneva to resume discussions over North Korea's nuclear program. Kim's heir apparent is his son Kim Jong Il, 53, known as "Dear Leader." Zigging and Zagging on Haiti Trying to stem the tidal wave of Haitian boat refugees encouraged by the creation of offshore processing centers, the Clinton Administration suddenly veered away from its latest policy. The government announced that boat people would now be steered to "safe haven" centers in Panama and other Caribbean countries--with no chance to immigrate to the U.S. But two days after the announcement, Panama unexpectedly backed out of the deal. Meanwhile, as talk of military action against Haiti's rulers intensified, the Pentagon dispatched four ships with 2,000 Marines aboard to join the U.S. flotilla off the island nation--officially, only to rescue Americans there should that become necessary. Bill Clinton, Traveling Man Bringing a mix of rhetoric, cajolery and cash promises (not to mention Hillary and Chelsea), Bill Clinton embarked on his third European trip this year--to Latvia, Poland, Italy and Germany. In Riga, the Latvian capital, the President restated an offer to the nation and its Baltic neighbors of a $50 million lending fund and repeated a promise to help finance their participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace. He gave Poles similar assurances, saying, "Bringing new members into NATO is no longer a question of whether but when and how." A G-7 Setback for U.S. The economic portion of the G-7 summit ended Saturday with the rebuffing of a U.S.-backed trade proposal. The U.S. had hoped to launch a new round of trade talks with the proposal, attacking barriers in such sectors as telecommunications and financial services. French President Francois Mitterrand objected strongly, arguing that the nations should win approval for last year's gatt agreement before starting new trade talks. In other developments, the G-7 leaders pledged $4 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine and $200 million to begin closing down the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Another Map for Bosnia European, American and Russian negotiators presented the warring parties in the Bosnian conflict with a take-it-or-leave-it map that would scale back Serb holdings from 71% to 49% but would allow Serbs to keep territory out of which they have forced thousands of Muslims. The Bosnian government has indicated it will accept the plan, but Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic denounced it as "an absolute American diktat" without rejecting it outright. Yitzhak and Yasser Meet Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and P.L.O. Chairman Yasser Arafat met in Paris to discuss expanding Palestinian autonomy in West Bank areas beyond Jericho. Arafat agreed to convene the exiled Palestinian parliament "in the very near future" to repeal the parts of the P.L.O. charter that call for Israel's destruction. Respite for Rwanda? After three months of butchery, U.N. officials in Rwanda began to arrange a formal cease-fire between the Hutu-controlled government and the rebel movement, led by the Tutsi. A 500-man French force is protecting a security zone in the southwest around Gikongoro, where an estimated 600,000 are believed to have taken refuge. ...And for Yemen? The port of Aden, the main stronghold of southern Yemeni secessionists, fell to government troops after separatist leaders fled the country. BUSINESS Interest-Rate Hike Forestalled The Federal Reserve concluded a two-day meeting by confounding widespread expectations and deciding against a further hike in interest rates. Concerns about the U.S. economy seem to have overridden anxiety about the dollar's slide in world currency markets. Nevertheless, as the dollar continued to plunge and reports of an upswing in new jobs sparked inflation fears, many economists predicted that the next rate increase is just around the corner. Baby Bells Branch Out The FCC granted Bell Atlantic the right to offer video programming in a historic move that marks the first time a phone company has been allowed to compete against the cable-TV industry. The interactive service, known as video dial tone, will initially offer 38,000 viewers in New Jersey 60 channels at prices 20% less than existing cable rates. Meanwhile, four regional phone companies filed a suit challenging the decade-old consent decree that forbids them to provide long-distance service. The companies claim that prices would drop as much as 50% if they were allowed into the market. SPORT Fastest Man Alive, for Now Sprinter Leroy Burrell shaved one-hundredth of a second off friend and teammate Carl Lewis' best time in the 100-m dash to recapture the world record at a meet in Lausanne, Switzerland. The new time of 9.85 sec. makes Burrell the fastest human being on the planet. U.S. Wakes Up from a Dream The scenario of an American soccer team surpassing all expectations in a flag-waving Fourth of July matchup in the second round of the World Cup seemed straight out of a Hollywood movie--all except for an ending that saw Brazil defeat the U.S. by a score of 1-0. Despite being outnumbered after defender Leonardo was ejected for a concussion-inducing elbow to the head of the U.S.'s Tab Ramos, Brazil shut down the U.S. offense and won the game to advance to the quarterfinals, where it went on to defeat the Netherlands by a score of 3-2. By Leslie Dickstein, Christopher John Farley, Michael Quinn, Jeffery Rubin, Alain Sanders, Anastasia Toufexis, Sidney Urquhart, Sarah Van Boven HEALTH REPORT The Good News -- To combat bacterial food poisoning, the U.S. Agriculture Department proposes stricter poultry processing. Under new rules, chickens would be inspected more closely for contamination with fecal matter, and bird carcasses would be treated with germ-killing sprays or rinses. -- Nearly 80 medicines to control infectious diseases are under development, according to a drug-industry survey. Among them: a vaccine for Lyme disease and a drug derived from cow's milk to fight a parasite that strikes many AIDS patients. -- Echocardiograms that measure the thickness of the heart's main pumping chamber may help doctors judge which patients are most at risk for heart disease or stroke and require aggressive therapy. The Bad News -- The annual medical tab for smokers is $50 billion--almost twice as much as previously estimated--a new study concludes. Half the money is spent on hospitalization alone. -- A report on New York City homicides shows that 3 out of 10 victims have cocaine in their system when they die. Researchers speculate that the drug's tendency to increase irritability, aggression and paranoid thinking may spur users into violent confrontations. -- A Norwegian survey of 370,000 mothers provides the strongest evidence yet that environmental hazards may trigger birth defects. Women who had given birth to one child with a defect had half the risk of having a second child with the same problem if they moved to another town. Sources--GOOD: U.S. Department of Agriculture; Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America; Journal of the American Medical Association. BAD: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Journal of the American Medical Association; New England Journal of Medicine. JURIST OF THE WEEK The only lawyer on TV last week whose opinion actually mattered, Judge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell ordered O.J. Simpson to stand trial. INSIDE HAITI Give Us Your Tired--We'll Ship 'Em to Senegal The Clinton Administration is frantically looking for countries willing to provide "safe havens" for HAITIAN REFUGEES now that Panama has reneged on an agreement to do so. Some refugees might end up traveling farther than they initially bargained for: Washington has approached several nations in West Africa, including French-speaking Benin and Senegal, about harboring Haitians. Administration officials say the Caribbean islands of Antigua, Grenada and Dominica have agreed "in principle" to set up safe havens. WINNERS & LOSERS Winners SPORTSCASTER ANDRES CANTOR:GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL! BABY BELLS:A major precedent: FCC lets New Jersey phone company carry cable TV TOM HANKS:Draws plaudits for his role in Being There--er, Forrest Gump Losers KARL MALDEN:Dumped by American Express; it finally left home without him PAULA JONES:Little Rock women's shelter refuses her $25,000 donation ABC TELEVISION:Cut away from O.J., and watch your ratings drop by a third INFORMED SOURCES The CIA and Sex Discrimination Washington--The CIA will begin negotiations in September to forestall a sex-discrimination suit on behalf of its roughly 350 female case officers. Sources have told TIME that one of the few women who have served as a chief of station plans to sue the CIA and seven current or former officials for sex discrimination and failure to report a crime after she allegedly told the agency that a fellow officer with whom she was serving abroad had beaten his wife. Don't Say "Failure." Say "Pathway." Washington--The Administration has a problem. PRESIDENT CLINTON said he would veto any health-care bill without universal coverage. Now that he may have to flip-flop on the issue, he doesn't want to look as if he's flip-flopping. White House advisers say a buzz word has been coined to make delay seem O.K. Says an insider: "If we can construct a `pathway' to get there by 2002, he'll accept it." Odd--According to This Map, Constantinople Should Be Right Here! Washington--Having already been criticized for providing outdated information during the invasion of Grenada, DEFENSE DEPARTMENT MAPMAKERS raised eyebrows among Pentagon strategists with maps of Haiti in which the major airport's name was obsolete. A look at the fine print revealed this disclaimer: "Compiled in 1962 from best available sources." GREAT MOMENTS IN G-7 HISTORY 1975: Rambouillet, France First G-7 summit (actually G-6, since Canada wasn't invited until 1976) gets under way at a secluded chateau. Long tradition of media ennui also gets under way, as London's Daily Express headlines non-event of the year. 1977: London Jimmy Carter annoys his top aides when he orders them to move from the posh Claridge's hotel to the more modest Hotel Britannia, slicing 15% off the tab. Says press secretary Jody Powell: "He's tight as a tick. He always has been." 1978: Bonn France's Valery Giscard d'Estaing gripes about windowless meeting room (later changed). All delegates are supplied with mineral water except the Americans, who get Coke. "They pay attention to where you come from," enthuses Powell. 1982: Versailles During an uneventful meeting, Ronald Reagan sends Secretary of State Al Haig a note: "We should be out swimming in that fountain." Haig immediately scribbles back, "Yes, without all these clothes on." "I agree," Reagan responds, then falls asleep. 1990: Houston At closing ceremony, cowboy-booted host President George Bush says little more than "We're glad you're with us," having forgotten to bring his speech. FIRST THE CARDIGAN, NOW THIS Times Books recently announced that it will publish a book of socially conscious poetry by former President Jimmy Carter. Former brat-pack movie star Ally Sheedy has already published a book of socially conscious poetry. Two notable Americans. Two poems. Question: Whose is whose? "It Can Fool the Sun" <list> Some people never say, "Let's go home," not having one, except a plastic sheet; when cold, they try to find a warm air grate; an empty doorway's better than the street and two share one refrigerator crate. </list> "Inspired by an Article on Child Abuse" <list> She has no idea how a child should act But she knows that it's unsafe to cry She turns away, she shuts her eyes Gets on her knees and prays to die </list> Answer: Carter, top: Sheedy, bottom </body> </article> </text>