Beyond the Farm
For the week preceding this Saturday, April 8th, 1995, here's a review of what happened Beyond the Farm:
The 100 days of the Contract with America came to a climatic end on Apr 7th with a prime-time speech by House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA). Late on Apr 5th, the House had fulfilled the Contract by voting on its final item. Tax cuts worth $189 billion, including a $500 per child tax credit for families with income under $200,000, a 50% reduction in capital gains taxes, and increased IRA deductions, passed 246-158. In the unprecedented speech, Gingrich reviewed the successes and failures of the Contract and called for further rethinking of the Federal government's role. In the Democratic response, Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO) accused the Republicans of taking away from the poor to fund tax decreases for the rich. Earlier in the day, President Clinton had given a speech in which he stated that he did not want to become "the veto president" but promised he would not sign many of the passed bills in their present form.
Many observers now believe that the "fighting season" has started again in Bosnia-Hercegovina, despite a cease-fire which officially lasts until Apr 30th. A Serb offensive led to heavy fighting near Tuzla Apr 5th, on the 4th anniversary of the beginning of the war. On Apr 8th, the Bosnian Army claimed it had taken Mount Vlasage in central Bosnia earlier in the week, a huge psychological victory.
They're Talking About It, Part I...
Police technician Dennis Fung revealed the long-questioned glove in the OJ Simpson trial Apr 4th. However, this was soon overshadowed when Judge Lance Ito threw out a sixth juror Apr 5th. When the juror implied that the jury members had been discussing banned topics, the trial was stopped for an investigation; it will not begin again until at least Apr 11th. Meanwhile, Rep. Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY) imitated Judge Ito in an insensitive manner on a national radio show Apr 6th.
They're Talking About It, Part II...
On Apr 7th, Speaker Gingrich called for the removal of Rep. Robert Toricelli (D-NJ) from the Intelligence Committee. Toricelli had revealed the source for his allegation that Guatemalan Col. Julio Roberto Alpirez, who had been on the CIA payroll, had ordered the killing of Efran Velasquez, whose American wife had gone on a hunger strike for information earlier this year.
In shorts...
A bomb under construction in the Gaza Strip exploded and killed 8 Palestinians Apr 2nd...Connecticut won the women's NCAA basketball championship Apr 2nd; UCLA won the men's competition Apr 3rd...the "regular" players reported to baseball camp Apr 3rd; the season will begin Apr 26th...the Federal Reserve attempted to intervene on the Asian markets in defense of the dollar Apr 3rd without success...another massacre of 400 Hutus occurred in northeast Burundi Apr 3rd, prompting an exodus of refugees bound for Tanzania, many of whom were being sent back to Burundi in a confusing mess Apr 5th...British Prime Minister John Major visited the US Apr 4th; Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto followed Apr 5th...Richard Daly easily won re-election as mayor of Chicago Apr 4th...the Dow Jones Industrial average topped 4200 for the first time Apr 4th...Francisco Martin Durand was convicted Apr 4th of attempted murder of President Clinton...Quebec's premier Jacques Parizeau set the referendum on the province's independence for the fall Apr 5th...a rebellion was reported in Somaliland Apr 5th...on Apr 5th, Amtrak announced its final cuts to take effect June 1st, with midwest service in Illinois hit the hardest; the City of New Orleans and California Zephyr routes were reduced to quad-weekly and the Broadway Limited was pared back to New York-Pittsburgh...the Senate passed $16 billion in social spending cuts 99-0 Apr 6th...Senate hearings Apr 6th highlighted anti-terrorist legislation that most Muslims believe singles them out for legal persecution...Turkey withdrew 3500 troops from Northern Iraq Apr 7th, but still had almost 30,000 pursuing Kurdish rebels...Russia captured the village of Somosky, one of the last Chechen strongholds, Apr 8th as the war in Chechnya appears to be winding down...a Philippine commission concluded Apr 8th that a maid executed by Singapore, Flor Concepcion, probably was not guilty...6 teenagers were killed in a grade crossing incident Apr 8th in Castle Rock, CO; the Association of American Railroads estimates that four such incidents (not all fatalities) occur in the United States EVERY DAY--Look, Listen, and Live!
Corrections...
The combined wealth of Mitsubishi and Tokyo Banks after their merger would be $800 BILLION, not $800 million as reported last week.
Finally...
Emma Bouchard observed a graphic fatality traffic accident last year. It affected her so greatly that she is now seeking $50,000 from her insurance company for pain and suffering.
And that's what happened Beyond the Farm.
Sources this week included All Things Considered (NPR), the Associated Press Newswire, the BBC Newshour (BBC/PRI), the Bernie Ward Program (KGO-AM), the Christian Science Monitor, the Dr. Dean Edell Show (EFM), Marketplace (PRI), Newsdesk (BBC/PRI), the Reuters newswire, and the World News Roundup (CBS radio). Compiled by: Lance Gleich, Stanford CA Special thanks to Avery and to Imran Maskatia!
Beyond the Farm is designed to provide a reasonably short summary of a week's events for people who would otherwise have no chance to keep up with current events. It may be distributed/forwarded/ posted anywhere. Archives are located on the World Wide Web at " http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~lglitch/". Comments, criticisms, and requests for e-mail subscription additions or deletions should be e-mailed to "lance.gleich@leland.stanford.edu." Congratulations on keeping up with the world around you!
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