TIME: Almanac 1995

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<text id=94TT1755> <title> Dec. 19, 1994: Chronicles:The Week December 4-10 </title> <history> TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1994 Dec. 19, 1994 Uncle Scrooge </history> <article> <source>Time Magazine</source> <hdr> CHRONICLES, Page 19 The Week: December 4 - 10 </hdr> <body> NATION Hubbell Pleads Guilty to Fraud Former Associate Attorney General Webster Hubbell admitted that, before joining the Clinton Administration, he had overcharged the Federal Government and other legal clients at least $394,000, thanks to inflated fees and fraudulent expenses. Hubbell, one of President Clinton's closest friends and a former law partner of Hillary Rodham Clinton's at the Rose Law Firm in Arkansas, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of mail fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors said that while Hubbell worked as a private attorney from 1989 to 1992, he submitted more than 400 fake bills to cover personal expenses, including clothing purchases at a Victoria's Secret lingerie shop. Rubin to Run Treasury President Clinton accepted the resignation of Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen and nominated former Goldman Sachs investment banker Robert E. Rubin to succeed him. Rubin, who currently wields considerable influence as head of the White House National Economic Council, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate with little trouble. Elders Sent Packing Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders resigned last week at President Clinton's request, eight days after she remarked that schoolchildren should perhaps be taught about masturbation. The White House cited the growing list of areas in which the President and Elders disagree--from possible legalization of drugs to distribution of condoms in schools--as the reason for the President's action. White House Travel Troubles A federal grand jury indicted Billy R. Dale, former head of the White House travel office, on charges of stealing more than $68,000 in funds paid by news organizations to travel with the President. The grand jury said Dale deposited checks worth more than $54,000 for press corps expense payments into his personal checking account and skimmed $14,000 from the office's petty-cash fund. Dale's lawyer said his client, one of the officials fired 18 months ago in the Clinton Administration's "Travelgate" flap, would plead not guilty. Gingrich Elevated, Scolded Chanting "Newt, Newt," Republicans, as expected, formally ratified Newt Gingrich as their choice for Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Administration's welcome, however, was less than warm, thanks to Gingrich's assertion that one-quarter of the White House staff had used illicit drugs in recent years. Chief of staff Leon Panetta denounced the accusation as "absolutely false" and chastised the accuser: "He's not just an out-of-control radio talk-show host. He's Speaker of the House of Representatives, and he's got to learn to behave as the Speaker of the House of Representatives." G.O.P. to Cut Caucus Funds House Republicans announced plans to eliminate funding for 28 "legislative service organizations," otherwise known as caucuses. The groups, which include the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the House Republican Study Committee, receive taxpayer funding and occupy Capitol Hill offices. Black Caucus chairman Kweisi Mfume called the move "congressional ethnic and philosophical cleansing." On Tap: Plutonium The Department of Energy admitted that containers of plutonium stored at nuclear weapons plants around the country could leak their lethal contents. The department added that its inventory of radioactive material "presents significant hazards to workers, the public and environment." The A-bomb ingredients were stored in containers intended only for short-term use because administrators assumed that the weapons-building program, halted in the late 1980s, would quickly resume. CIA Settles Sex Suit A female senior spy at the CIA, who said her career was ruined after she reported a colleague for wife beating, settled a sexual discrimination suit against the agency; the government agreed to pay her $410,000. WORLD Bosnia: Plans for a Pullout After a series of humiliating and dangerous confrontations with Serbian forces--including the kidnapping of peacekeepers as hostages against future NATO air strikes--United Nations officials began making plans for a partial withdrawal from the embattled Bihac area. However, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe went considerably further, suggesting the entire U.N. effort in Bosnia was becoming "untenable" and might have to be abandoned. In a pointed reference to American criticism, Juppe cited "governments that want to give us lessons when they have not lifted a little finger to put even one man on the ground." In Washington, President Clinton offered as many as 25,000 ground troops to assist in a general U.N. withdrawal, which is not expected during the winter months. Conference Not a Total Loss There was much to disagree about at last week's Budapest meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Russian President Boris Yeltsin denounced American efforts to expand nato as a threat to his country. Efforts to produce a formal condemnation of Serbia were also rejected by Russia, with the result that despite urgent calls for an end to the conflict in Bosnia, the summit's final document did not even mention Europe's most burning issue. Indeed the Washington-Moscow dispute over the future of nato and the tensions over Bosnia virtually eclipsed two significant developments: the formal accession of Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and a name change, at U.S. insistence, from Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Cuban Refugees Riot Interned since September and with little hope of repatriation any time soon, Cuban refugees held in four camps outside Panama City hurled bricks and bottles at the U.S. soldiers guarding them. More than 220 Americans were injured and 19 Cubans were hospitalized in the melee. Vice President Al Gore said that the rioting would not bring about any change in U.S. immigration policy but that living conditions in the camps would be re-examined. Summit of the Americas Meeting in Florida, the leaders of 34 countries from the Western Hemisphere pledged to create a vast free-trade zone ranging from Alaska to Argentina. "Let me emphasize, none of us underestimates the hard work ahead," President Clinton said. The hemispheric leaders promised to complete negotiations by the year 2005. John Major's Crusher British Prime Minister John Major's attempt to put down a rebellion within the ranks of his own Conservative Party backfired when a group of Tory legislators defected to vote against a Conservative proposal for a fuel-tax increase. The rebellion left many observers wondering whether the Major government could survive until the next general election. Queen Elizabeth, Wildcatter Oil has been discovered underneath the manicured lawns of Windsor Castle, the weekend retreat of the British royal family. Her Majesty gave permission to sink an exploratory well to test the reserves, which experts say could be worth more than $1 billion. Lest antimonarchists get outraged, any profits would be split by the state and the participating oil company. Assurances from Arafat Meeting in Gaza City with Secretary of State Warren Christopher, P.L.O. Chairman Yasser Arafat promised to act against Palestinian extremists bent on derailing the peace process. Arafat essentially acknowledged that security concerns would have to be addressed before Israel could begin withdrawing its troops from the occupied West Bank. Since the peace agreement was signed 14 months ago, 96 Israelis have died in terrorist attacks. Achille Lauro Recriminations Survivors of the cruise ship Achille Lauro, which sank off the coast of Somalia earlier, said the Italian liner was unsafe and accused crew members of looting cabins and ignoring the passengers' welfare as they rushed to save themselves. About 500 passengers, most of them elderly, were rescued with only the clothes they were wearing when the ship sank, while 150 crew members came ashore carrying suitcases and duffle bags. BUSINESS Orange County Goes Bust Facing losses of at least $1.5 billion in its investment portfolio, Orange County, California, declared bankruptcy. The announcement followed the resignation of county treasurer Robert Citron, whose high-risk investment strategies triggered the crisis. The greatest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, the disaster sent stock and bond prices tumbling. More on Cigarette Labels A government panel recommended to the Federal Trade Commission that cigarette labels be changed to contain more specific information on the maximum amount of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide a smoker can inhale by puffing longer and harder. Also on the panel's wish list: disclosure of the known carcinogens in cigarette smoke. SCIENCE When the Universe Was Young The Hubble Space Telescope surprised scientists yet again by giving them their first look at the earliest galaxies, born only 1 billion years after the presumed Big Bang. The galaxies were remarkably mature and well-developed for their cosmically young age, suggesting that they evolved more quickly than previously thought. THE ARTS & MEDIA A "New" Van Gogh A forgotten still life gathering dust in an attic for decades was identified as a Van Gogh. The painting, probably executed in 1886, was picked up at a flea market in France just after World War II, but its purchaser did not recognize the signature. Curators at Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum declined to put a value on Still Life (Vase with Flowers); in 1990 Van Gogh's Portrait of Dr. Gachet sold for $82.5 million. SPORT N.H.L. All-Star Game Canceled A professional hockey season seemed even less likely with the cancellation of the 1995 All-Star game in the 69th day of the lockout. By Kathleen Adams, Lina Lofaro, Alice Park, Jeffery C. Rubin, Alain L. Sanders and Sidney Urquhart HEALTH REPORT The Good News -- People between 60 and 70 who receive flu shots are 50% less likely to develop the flu than those not protected, a new study shows. Getting a vaccination may be a particularly good idea for the elderly, who account for almost 95% of deaths from the flu. -- Relief may be at hand for the needle-phobic: researchers have created a nasal spray that vaccinates mice against Lyme disease. Sprays protecting humans against such diseases as diarrhea and pneumonia are next. -- The trembling and muscle weakness of Parkinson's disease improved in a small number of patients who received regular electrical pulses to the brain. The patients had fewer painful spasms and were better able to walk and talk after the treatments. The Bad News -- New research shows minorities living in poor urban areas are more likely to die from asthma than any other group, largely contributing to the rise in asthma deaths nationwide since the late 1970s. But the deaths cannot be blamed on more carbon monoxide and ozone clogging the air, since air standards have improved in some American cities. Instead indoor allergens and difficulty in getting health care may have more to do with why asthma is more deadly for the urban poor. -- More and more black teenage boys are killing themselves--almost 12 per 100,000 in 1990, nearly double the rate in 1980. Though the rate of suicide for young white males increased less dramatically, the overall number for them is even higher--almost 21 per 100,000. Sources--GOOD:Journal of the American Medical Association, Nature, Neurosurgery. BAD:New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Psychiatry. THE BIG ONE THAT DID NOT GET AWAY OF THE WEEK Ex-Associate Attorney General Webb Hubbell pleaded guilty to two felony counts of fraud and tax evasion. INSIDE LITTLE ROCK Turning Up the Flame Under Whitewater First, Webster Hubbell pleaded guilty to fraud charges. Then the special prosecutor's team investigating Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy's relationship with Tyson Foods met with the Whitewater investigators. Now a former chief lending officer for the S& L at the heart of the scandal has been named as a possible co-conspirator. HARRY DON DENTON was angered at the charge and told TIME: "I have given the independent counsel incredible amounts of information. If they're going after some big guns, they're gonna need me." THESE YOU CAN GET ON DEC. 24. Sure, some parents are lining up at dawn to buy those scarce white Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Golden Jubilee Barbies, but you can find lots of presents without any hassle at all. In the toy industry, these are known fondly as "stiffs." Some examples: G.I. Joe "Joe's been down all year," says an industry watcher. The Power Rangers have handed the veteran infantryman an unconditional defeat. All non-Power Ranger action figures have done badly--"They're pretty much duds," says an analyst--though Hasbro's Batman bucks the trend. Barney "Dead for sure," one insider put it. The dinosaur everyone loves to hate was a "one-year phenom" that ran headlong into extinction this season, thanks to overlicensing (the Purple One's image appeared on every product you can think of), a very narrow demographic base and "parental revolt." Video Games "A glaring example--they are absolutely not doing well," says a Wall Street merchandising analyst; another analyst cites "a whole lot of disappointing launches." One exception: Nintendo's new Donkey Kong Country game. Jurassic Park Last year's shiny silver dollar has become this season's lump of coal. The toy craze inspired by the Steven Spielberg movie has run its course, analysts say. "It was a promotional product line and, like all of them, it had a limited lifespan." Radio-Controlled Cars The perennial boys' favorite is a loser this season, with market leader Tyco having "another really bad year," an expert says. Price cuts--currently as deep as 30%--may help move the product. WINNERS & LOSERS Winners PETE SEEGER--A Kennedy Center award for the once outcast folk singer ROBERT RUBIN--President's low-profile economic chief gets Treasury's top spot JANINE BROOKNER--Senior spy wins a $410,000 sex-bias settlement from CIA Losers DARRYL STRAWBERRY--Another strike for the troubled outfielder: a tax-evasion indictment JOYCELYN ELDERS--Surgeon General fired after "teach masturbation" remark TREASURER ROBERT CITRON--His investment picks sour; Orange County files for bankruptcy ONE MAN'S MEETING... Congressmen are grownup student-council members, so will they have enough extracurricular activities to participate in if Republicans abolish funding for caucuses? Yes. Here are just a few of the unaffected caucuses: <list> <item>--Albanian Issues Caucus <item>--Congressional Boating Caucus <item>--Congressional Soybean Caucus <item>--Congressional Footwear Caucus <item>--Congressional Property Rights Coalition <item>--Congressional Sportsman's Caucus <item>--House/Senate International Education Study Group <item>--Congressional Alcohol Fuels Caucus <item>--Congressional Leaders United for a Balanced Budget (CLUBB) <item>--Congressional Bearing Caucus </list> VOX POP Happy Holidays Percentage of Americans who answered yes to the question, "Have you cried today?" <table> <tblhdr><cell><cell>Men<cell>Women <row><cell type=a>August 17-18, 1994<cell type=i>4%<cell type=i>7% <row><cell>December 7-8, 1994<cell>8%<cell>21% </table> From a telephone poll of 1,000 adult Americans taken for TIME/CNN on Dec. 7-8 by Yankelovich Partners Inc. Sampling error is plus or minus 3.5%. Not Sures omitted. DISPATCHES: GETTING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS By Tammerlin Drummond/In Guantanamo Huddled together under a drab army tent, six Cuban refugees trade fantasies about an uprising to liberate the detention camp at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo, where they have been imprisoned for the past four months. They couldn't know that later in the week, 1,000 Cubans at a detention camp in Panama would riot, and that before it was over, more than 220 American soldiers would be injured and 19 Cubans hospitalized. That was at a camp with only about 8,500 refugees; at Guantanamo there are 22,500, making it potentially even more explosive. At Guantanamo, however, there is an alternative to rebellion, and that is escape. Seven-foot-high rolls of barbed wire encircle the refugees. Dozens of military policemen monitor their every move, and land mines surround the base. But on average of twice a week, someone wakes up feeling skittish and bolts. According to military officials, 357 refugees, tired of languishing in the dusty, insect-ridden camp, have fled back home. Most of those who attempt to escape have already made official arrangements to be repatriated. The Cuban government has been accepting only 25 people a week. An irony of the crisis over the Cuban boat people is that many of those who risked their lives to get to the U.S. aboard rickety, homemade craft are taking to the water again. This time, though, they are heading back to Cuba. They lay their cots over the barbed wire that blocks their path to Guantanamo Bay. If they reach the water and swim to the other side, they'll be in Cuban territory. Misael Orduna Cecilda, a 24-year-old ice-cream vendor from Havana, made an unsuccessful break for it three weeks ago. He sprinted 25 yds. to the edge of a steep cliff, then jumped into the bay. The swirling currents quickly sapped his strength. He waved to a Coast Guard cutter to hoist him aboard. "The problem is, our goal was get to the U.S. as fast as possible," said Cecilda, fingering a scar on his left leg where he cut himself on the barbed wire. "Now we're stuck here, and all we can do is think about our families that we left behind." Two men have drowned during the one-mile swim. The picturesque inlet where their bodies were found is known as Dead Man's Cove. Another man trying to walk across the border was killed when he stepped on a land mine. Cecilda was returned to a small camp called November, which the Americans have actually moved closer to the Cuban border so the refugees won't have as far to swim. The U.S. policy is to pursue escapees until they reach the water without firing at them. "I haven't tried to escape yet, but I'm going to," said Elsa Quintero, 44, a grandmother who fled Cuba on a raft and has been in detention at Guantanamo since Aug. 28. "The 25th of December is a date I'd like to celebrate, and I'll walk across minefields if I have to." </body> </article> </text>