News beyond the farm

For the week preceding this Saturday, November 16th, 1996, here's what made the News Beyond the Farm:

In other UN news, the mission in Bosnia was extended Nov 15th to June 1998. US troops will be members of the contingent the entire time; President Clinton had once promised that all would return by the end of 1996. The UN forces, previously the "implementation force" or IFOR, will now be called the "sustaining force" or SFOR.

The US Army will be facing severe scrutiny in the coming weeks for its treatment of female recruits. Twenty officers at the Aberdeen MD boot camp were suspended Nov 11th for literally hundreds of cases of sexually abusing females recruits. On Nov 12th, three non-commissioned officers at Fort Leonard Wood MO were charged with sexual misconduct. Treatment of all female recruits is now underway. [Please note that there is (currently) no Navy sex scandal, which was incorrectly reported last week.]

They're Talking About It:

• Johnathan Schwartz was convicted Nov 12th of second degree murder in the death of Scott Amadore. The two had appeared on the Jenny Jones talk show, with Amadore saying he was in love with Schwartz. Schwartz had been told that a secret admirer would appear on the show.

• A spokesman for Michael Jackson announced Nov 14th that the entertainer will marry the woman carrying his baby, Debbie Rowe. Rowe is the nurse of Jackson's plastic surgeon.

In Shorts:

• David Brinkley made his last regular appearance on television Nov 10th, interviewing President Clinton for the final "This Week with David Brinkley." On the show, Clinton accepted Brinkley's apology for unflattering comments made election night on ABC.

• Representative Steve Largent (R-OK) called Nov 10th for Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to step down from his position until an ethics investigation is completed.

• In Lithuanian run-off elections Nov 10th, the Conservative party won 70 of 137, completing the removal of former Communists from power.

• A Pakistani national was shot and killed in Ramallah, West Bank, in Palestinian territory Nov 10th.

• 13 people were shot dead at a Veteran's observance in Moscow, Russia Nov 10th. Gang motives were suspected.

• Severe weather hit several states west of the Allegheny mountains Nov 10th. The worst precipitation occurred in Cleveland, whether 14 inches of snow fell in two hours, and the total snow base on the ground reached 40 inches by Nov 13th.

• A long-awaited cease-fire took effect in Guatemala Nov 11th, ending a decades-long civil war.

• President Clinton seemed to state support for a Balanced Budget Amendment Nov 11th. However, by Nov 13th chief of staff Leon Panetta was explaining that the administration would only support it if it contained an exception for times of downturn, and by Nov 15th, the president himself had essentially retracted his previous statement.

• An earthquake registering 6.4 on the Richter scale shook southern Peru Nov 12th, killing over 700 people.

• Laura D'Andrea Tyson resigned as head of the National Economic Council Nov 12th; she will move to a professorship at UC Berkeley.

• Jesse Jackson called for a boycott of Exxon by African-Americans Nov 12th after not finding satisfaction from discussions with company leaders. The company agreed to a $176 million settlement Nov 15th, but that did not avert a protest led by Jackson Nov 16th.

• Mortar fire prompted Muslims to flee Gajevi, Bosnia, in Serb-held territory Nov 12th, the first military action in that nation in months.

• Sunbeam announced Nov 12th that it would close 18 of 26 manufacturing plants and lay off half of its employees.

• 349 people were killed when a Saudi Arabian 747 and a cargo plane from Kazahkstan collided at India's New Delhi airport Nov 13th. Communication problems apparently caused the incident.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a trip to the United States Nov 13th in an attempt to finish a peace agreement; it still seemed out-of-reach Nov 16th.

• A gunman entered a Ford plant in Wixom MI, killed one person, and shot at many others Nov 14th.

• Jordan was given "special partner" status by the United States Nov 14th in recognition of its strategic partnerships with the rest; this is apparently a strictly symbolic gesture.

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 6300 for the first time Nov 14th; it was up to 6348 Nov 15th.

• Croatian President Franjo Tudjman was reported ill Nov 15th; he may travel to the United States for treatment.

• North Korea announced Nov 15th that it would again ignore its nuclear treaty obligations.

• Lockeed Martin and Boeing survived the first design round of a new fighter for the US military; McDonnell Douglas was eliminated from the competition by the Pentagon Nov 16th.

• 32 people were killed by a mysterious building explosion in Kaspiysk, Dagestan, Russia early Nov 16th.

• The Russian space agency reported losing contact with its Mars probe Nov 16th.

• All 11 people aboard survived the crash of a small plane in central Virginia Nov 16th.

• Chicago Catholic Cardinal Joseph Bernardin died of cancer at the age of 68 Nov 14th.

• Alger Hiss died Nov 15th at the age of 92.

Finally:

And that's what made the News Beyond the Farm.

News Beyond the Farm is designed to provide a fairly short summary of a week's events for people who would otherwise have no chance to keep up with current news. It is distrubuted by direct e-mail and is published by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute's student newspaper, "Newspeak," when that institution is in session. It may be distributed, re-posted, or forwarded anywhere. Check http://www.uhra.com/nbtf.html on the World Wide Web for back issues and further information. Comments, criticisms, and requests for e-mail subscription additions or deletions should be e-mailed to "nbtf@uhra.com." Congratulations for keeping up with the world around you!