TIME: Almanac 1995

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ TIME: Almanac 1995 / TIME Almanac 1995.iso / time / 091393 / 0913990.000 < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1995-02-26 | 22.6 KB | 560 lines

<text id=93TT2217> <title> Sep. 13, 1993: The Week:August 29-September 4, 1993 </title> <history> TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1993 Sep. 13, 1993 Leap Of Faith </history> <article> <source>Time Magazine</source> <hdr> THE WEEK, Page 13 NEWS DIGEST: AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 </hdr> <body> NATION He's Back President Clinton finished his Martha's Vineyard vacation and immediately returned to the task of solving all the country's problems. In September he is scheduled to present Vice President Gore's proposals for reinventing government, then press for the passage of NAFTA and then announce a complete overhaul of the U.S. health-care system. Health-Care Strategy The Administration revealed more details about that last initiative. The President's health-care plan would guarantee coverage for all Americans by the end of 1997, but offer only limited coverage for mental-health care and almost none for adult dental care. Increased taxes on cigarettes and perhaps alcohol are expected to bring in $16 billion to help cover the increased government medical bill. Catching Deadbeat Docs The Department of Health and Human Services published the names of 4,973 physicians and other health professionals to shame them into repaying $228 million in government medical-education loans that are in default. U.S. Military Action in Bosnia? In an open letter released last week, former Secretary of State George Shultz, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and nearly 100 other signers urged President Clinton to insist that nato make immediate air strikes against Serb planes and artillery and that the U.N. lift its arms embargo against the Bosnian Muslims. Responding to yet another breakdown of the Geneva peace talks, Clinton warned the Serbs and Croats once again that the military strike option was "still very much alive." Earlier in the week, Clinton said that under the right conditions, he would send almost 30,000 troops to Bosnia to help enforce a peace treaty. Military Cuts in Washington Defense Secretary Les Aspin unveiled a five-year plan to cut back on military spending and personnel. Troop numbers would shrink from 1.7 million to 1.4 million, and "Star Wars" spending would be cut from $39 billion to $18 billion. The U.S. would continue its strategy of remaining prepared to fight two regional wars nearly simultaneously, Aspin said. The Pentagon also acknowledged that it intended to purchase unnecessary weapons in order to keep production lines running. Pratfall in Mogadishu Are they U.S. Rangers or Keystone Kops? An elite squad of 50 U.S. Army troops, hunting Somali warlord General Mohammed Farrah Aidid, stormed a building in Mogadishu last week and trussed up nine men and women. The detainees turned out to be U.N. aid workers. A Pentagon official admitted the predawn raid was "not particularly auspicious for the Rangers." Demjanjuk Can Come Back Attorney General Janet Reno said the Justice Department will not fight the return of John Demjanjuk to the U.S. She added, however, that prosecutors will seek to deport the retired Cleveland autoworker again, for while new information suggests that he is not "Ivan the Terrible," as formerly accused, there is evidence that Demjanjuk did serve in a Nazi concentration camp. King Officers Denied Bail Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell lost their bid to stay free pending appeal of their convictions for violating Rodney King's civil rights. They will start serving their prison sentences later this month. Theodore Briseno, acquitted in the case, wants to remain a cop and went into hearings with Los Angeles police department officials who will decide if he will be allowed to return to duty. New FBI Leadership Louis Freeh was sworn in as the director of the FBI. WORLD Israel and the P.L.O. After nearly 50 years of seemingly irremediable hatred, the Israelis and the Palestinians have drafted a preliminary peace agreement. The pact, expected to be signed within days, comes at the end of nine months of secret negotiations between Israeli officials and members of the p.l.o. Jerusalem has agreed to recognize officially the P.L.O. if the organization repeals parts of its covenant calling for Israel's destruction. The plan provides for limited self-government for the Palestinians in the occupied territories, and will be implemented first in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank city of Jericho. Moscow Purge As charges and countercharges of corruption swept through the Russian government, President Boris Yeltsin suspended his Vice President and archrival, Alexander Rutskoi. He also temporarily dismissed First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Shumeiko, a powerful supporter of Yeltsin's economic reforms, at his own request so Shumeiko could defend himself against corruption charges. Ukraine Hand-Off Ukraine President Leonid Kravchuk, in dire need of cash, has agreed to turn over his country's nuclear warheads and half-share of the Black Sea fleet to Russia. But the Ukraine parliament may try to block the deal. Ukraine owes Russia about $6 billion. Puppet Theater in Nigeria Less than a week after Nigerian strongman General Ibrahim Babangida stepped down, the country's powerful labor unions called a five-day general strike to protest the new civilian government of Ernest Shonekan, whom many see simply as Babangida's surrogate and pawn. Deepening the crisis, five of the country's 30 state governors have vowed not to recognize Shonekan. Farewell to Lithuania The last Russian soldier has left Lithuania. Talks on the final departure were suspended two weeks ago amid rumors that Lithuanian negotiators were demanding up to $146 billion in reparations for their country's annexation by the Soviet Union 53 years ago. Lithuanian President Algirdas Brazauskas has agreed to postpone the compensation discussions. Argentine Sex Cult Authorities have taken 170 children into custody in Buenos Aires after allegations that many of them were being sexually abused by members of "the Family," an American-led cult that calls itself a worldwide Christian-missionary church. Nearly 60 of the children were American. Chamorro and the Military Nicaraguan President Violeta Chamorro will oust Humberto Ortega, the Sandinista army chief. The announcement drew a denunciation from Daniel Ortega, Humberto's brother, who was President of the Sandinista government that ran Nicaragua for more than a decade. "You are not the owner of Nicaragua," he told his successor. But Chamorro's action could help unfreeze $94 million in U.S. aid. BUSINESS Cable Cuts Raise Prices An FCC regulation meant to cut cable-TV rates failed to have the desired effect for many no-frills subscribers: instead of going down, their bills went up. Cable companies that had charged below the benchmark price for basic cable raised those rates to compensate for the lower prices the new law forced them to charge for equipment such as channel converters and remote controls. Car-Safety Requirements Federal regulations will make air bags mandatory in all new cars four years from now, and in all light trucks the year after that. Long Bond Makes History For the first time in a quarter-century, interest on 30-year Treasury bonds fell below 6%. Other economic news was mixed: payroll jobs, a key measure of economic health, fell in August, even as unemployment dipped from 6.8% to 6.7%, and the index of leading economic indicators fell. At the same time, new data on the country's output suggest that the recession during the Bush Administration was not as severe as previously reckoned. Litton's Big Verdict A federal jury in Los Angeles found that Honeywell infringed on a Litton Industries patent covering airplane navigation systems. The jury awarded Litton $1.2 billion, which is pending approval by a judge this week. Lee Leaves Early Lee Iacocca suddenly resigned a year earlier than had been planned from Chrysler's board of directors last week, saying it was "time to let the younger people do the driving." Iacocca had been chairman of the board's executive committee. SCIENCE Saving Billions and Billions NASA has appointed a kind of outer-space swat team to figure out how to make up for the scientific gap left by the loss of Mars Observer. The team, which includes all-around space guy Carl Sagan, will look into whether cheaper, less complex space probes can map Mars and whether foreign nations should be invited to take part. A report is due in two months. Hands Across the Universe Even before Sagan & Co. make their report, the U.S. and Russia, spurred on by President Clinton, have finally done what the experts have urged for years: agreed to massive cooperation in space. The Russians will be permitted to launch U.S. satellites; the U.S. will pay hundreds of millions of dollars to put experiments aboard the Russian space station Mir, where they will be tended by American astronauts; and the U.S. will bring Russia on as a full partner in its own space-station effort. MEDIA & THe ARTS He Is Worth All That Money The much hyped premiere of Late Show with David Letterman included Tom Brokaw grabbing cue cards, Bill Murray spray-painting furniture and Paul Newman looking for singing cats. It was all very gratifying to CBS executives, especially after they saw the resulting numbers. Letterman's show delivered a huge 32% audience share the first night and 25% the next night. On Tuesday night, Jay Leno's Tonight Show tumbled to an all-time nonrepeat low rating of 3.5 with a 10% share. Advertisers are snapping up Late Show time, and on Wednesday CBS's stock leaped $19, or 8%, to $266, the highest of the year. -- By Christopher John Farley, Christine Gorman, Michael D. Lemonick, Eric A. Meers, Sophfronia Scott Gregory, David E. Thigpen, Sidney Urquhart Health Report THE GOOD NEWS -- Researchers have developed the prototype for what could be the first simple test for Alzheimer's disease. Evidently, some of the same chemical changes that occur in the diseased brain cells of Alzheimer's patients also take place in their skin. This means that it may someday be possible to diagnose the affliction with a skin test rather than a much more invasive brain biopsy. -- Antibiotics may be able to cure at least one form of stomach cancer. British doctors report that the presence of a germ called Helicobacter pylori is necessary for the growth of certain relatively uncommon malignancies in the stomach. Tumors disappeared in five of the six patients treated for the bacterial infection. THE BAD NEWS -- Unemployment, job stress and the loss of a child all appear to raise the risk of suffering from colorectal cancer, according to a Swedish study. The greatest threat was seen in people with serious work-related problems; they were five times as likely to develop the cancer. -- Betaseron, a newly approved drug for treating the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, is in short supply because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration caught the manufacturer off guard when it approved the treatment earlier than expected this summer. The drug will be distributed exclusively through a computerized lottery for at least the next year. Only 20% of an estimated 100,000 eligible patients may be permitted to buy the new medication. Sources--GOOD:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (first), Lancet (second). BAD: Epidemiology, New York Times (second) But Can Reggie White Hit a Breaking Ball? Baseball salaries have soared in recent years because of free agency, which permits players to work for the highest bidder. The N.F.L. introduced free agency this year. Some results: PLAYER 1992 SALARY 1993 SALARY Reggie White (defensive end) $1.8 million (Eagles) $4.5 million (Packers) Gerald Perry (offensive tackle) $1.2 million (Rams) $3.3 million (Raiders) Phil Simms (quarterback) $900,000 (Giants) $2.5 million (Giants) Gary Clark (wide receiver) $850,000 (Redskins) $2 million (Cardinals) Mike Sherrard (wide receiver) $600,000 (49ers) $1.75 million (Giants) Ronnie Lott (defensive back) $1 million (Raiders) $1.7 million (Jets) Bill Fralic (offensive guard) $837,000 (Falcons) $1.6 million (Lions) Who's Sorry Now? Last month everybody apologized for past horrors Aug. 9: "The immensity of their suffering corresponds to the enormity of the crime committed against them." POPE JOHN PAUL II apologizing for the Roman Catholic Church's support of the enslavement of African men, women and children. Apology lag: Several hundred years, but shorter than that of the Vatican's recent apology to Galileo. Aug. 23: "I would like to take this opportunity to offer anew our deep remorse and apologies for our nation's past acts of aggression." JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER MORIHIRO HOSOKAWA apologizing for World War II. Apology lag: A half-century. Aug. 25: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN laid a wreath of flowers at a commemoration site to apologize for the massacre of 15,000 Polish army officers by Soviet forces in Katyn Forest during World War II. Apology lag: A half-century. Aug. 31: "The alleged abuses were committed in a state of siege. They were not committed as part of a deliberate and systematic policy." AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA apologizing for atrocities allegedly committed by the A.N.C. against suspected enemies. Apology lag: Several years. Dispatches They Want Their MTV Awards By PETER KAMINSKY, in Los Angeles Every industry has its obligatory annual gathering, its see-and-be-seen scene. For rock 'n' roll, it is the MTV Music Video Awards ceremony. It's not that the awards themselves are important; hipness wouldn't allow for that. Winning has little effect on record sales, and there isn't even a nickname--no Oscar, no Grammy--for the award statuette. The MTV awards are not so much an official imprimatur as they are the pretext for an all-star rock concert where, just by showing up, your coolness credentials are revalidated. Last week's spectacle was three different events: the live show in the Universal Amphitheatre, the TV show on the home screen and, most important in this town, the show backstage, where record executives in slimness-enhancing Armani suits high-fived and talked jive with the mainly white, mainly grunge stars of the class of '93. Madonna and Janet Jackson were the big acts booked, but the thrillingest personages backstage were a basketball player and a sitcom actor. Shaquille O'Neal was besieged by pose-with-me picture takers. And the man who turned every head was, curiously, Michael Richards, as spacy- and bemused-seeming in person as his Kramer character on Seinfeld. Madonna and Jackson retreated to some celebrity inner sanctum with security befitting a visiting Pope, but the young garage-band superstars--Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Spin Doctors--were as ingenuous and casual as their audience. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was mistaken for a nobody until he produced his all-access laminated pass for an effusively apologetic security guard. When his wife Courtney Love appeared with their infant daughter, she pleaded with the paparazzi, "Hold it, my baby needs some psychic space." By the count of three, however, the child had apparently recuperated, and rock-star wife and rock-star baby posed for the cameras. The only real downer of the night was rap star Snoop Doggy Dogg's arrest after the ceremony in a real-life murder investigation. The public show was subdued. Host Christian Slater felt called upon to ask for applause for Madonna, whose cross-gender opening number, straight out of Berlin 1929, set a mix-and-match postmodern tone for the performances. Lenny Kravitz and Soul Asylum did their respective versions of the early '70s. Sharon Stone, perfectly pretty in her pink '50s prom dress, was Barbie, live. (In postshow remarks, she volunteered an answer to the question everybody wants to ask Sharon Stone: "Did you fish and hunt with your dad growing up in Pennsylvania?" She did.) U2's the Edge, with a channel-surfing video wall and Deep Space Nine outfit, was pure 2001. And when Pearl Jam performed Neil Young's Rockin' in the Free World with Young himself, neo-'60s avatars alloyed with the genuine article and made the ecstatic audience feel as if they were in just the right place at the right time. Whatever time that is, exactly. The Darkness Before the Dawn? Killings in Israel and the occupied territories since the intifadeh began in December 1987: Israeli civilians killed by Palestinians: 97 Palestinians killed by Israeli civilians: 67 Israeli soldiers killed by Palestinians: 54 Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers: 1,067 Suspected Palestinian collaborators killed by Palestinians: 755* *A small number of these killings may be attributable to Israeli security forces. Source: Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Que Sera, Sera "Carving up Bosnia in two pieces would never happen by our intention, but it may happen by the events."--RADOVAN KARADZIC, BLAMELESS BOSNIAN SERB LEADER WINNERS & LOSERS WINNERS TOM BROKAW Without warning NBC, he spoofs network on Letterman CBS debut YASSER ARAFAT With P.L.O. broke and his leadership shaky, he seizes the day JEAN-BEDEL BOKASSA Bloody "Bokassa I" of Central African Republic freed from jail LOSERS ANDRE AGASSI Friend of Barbra shockingly drops first match at U.S. Open WARREN CHRISTOPHER Lame spin by State convinces no one he was Mideast player RUSH LIMBAUGH Volunteers to replace Gergen on MacNeil-Lehrer and gets nixed Re-Re-Re-Re-Re-Reinventing Government U.S. leaders before Bill Clinton and Al Gore have had high hopes for domestic perestroika PRESIDENT JOHNSON NAME OF PLAN PROGRAMMING, PLANNING AND BUDGETING SYSTEMS COMMENT "[This is] a very revolutionary system...so that through the tools of modern management the full promise of a finer life can be brought to every American at the lowest possible cost." PRESIDENT NIXON NAME OF PLAN MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES COMMENT "The time has come...to organize the government by conscious, comprehensive design to meet the new needs of a new era." PRESIDENT CARTER NAME OF PLAN ZERO-BASED BUDGETING COMMENT "It's simple and it works...It will make sure that the money that is allocated...goes further." PRESIDENT REAGAN NAME OF PLAN PRESIDENT'S PRIVATE SECTOR SURVEY ON COST CONTROL (GRACE COMMISSION) COMMENT "[The commission] will work like tireless bloodhounds, leaving no stone unturned in their search to root out ineiciency and waste of taxpayer dollars." PRESIDENT BUSH NAME OF PLAN RIGHT-SIZING GOVERNMENT COMMENT "I honestly believe that this is the only way to get the size and spending of government under control." Made in the U.S.A.--Cheaper With the United Auto Workers' announcement last week that it had chosen Ford as its lead target, negotiations on a new three-year contract between U.A.W. and the Big Three automakers began in earnest. The key issue is the labor-cost advantages enjoyed by Japanese companies with transplant factories in the U.S. These factories are nonunion, their employees are young and they have few retirees. Informed Sources Yugo-Slaves of the State Department Washington--At the State Department, the unhappy souls in the Eastern European Bureau who are assigned to work on Bosnia are nicknamed "Yugo-slaves." So far, three have quit in the past year out of frustration with U.S. policies. The department's embarrassed high command recently held a meeting to head off any more defections. The solution is to at least reduce the physical discomfort involved in standing by at Foggy Bottom while genocide is committed in the Balkans: the Yugo-slaves will get better lighting and more space. Clinton's Expensive Seawolf Promise Washington--The Seawolf attack submarine is built in Connecticut, and during last year's Connecticut primary, candidate Clinton promised to support a third Seawolf. Last week in his major Bottom Up review of military requirements, Defense Secretary Les Aspin reaffirmed the Administration's plans to build that submarine. The unmentioned price: $5.5 billion--more than five times initial estimates. That is one reason why Clinton must renege on $13 billion of the $124 billion he planned to cut from the Pentagon's budget over the next five years. Rent-A-Spy Paris--French counterintelligence sources say a high-ranking former KGB officer has been traveling through Europe offering, for a price, to set up private intelligence networks for anyone who can pay. Experts say the number of out-of-work spies shopping their skills is growing. "[Before] we just had to worry about official services. Now we have to keep up with dozens of new outfits," says one French agent. Silver Linings "There was some speculation that if there was enough serious damage to structures, you would have additional demand for wood supplies."--LUMBER BROKER EXPLAINING WHY HOPEFUL TRADERS RAN UP THE PRICE OF LUMBER FUTURES AS HURRICANE EMILY APPROACHED </body> </article> </text>