The NRA Shoots To Kill
The House passed compromise gun control legislation. The
measure requires background checks on gun-show sales but reduces the time
authorities have to perform them from three days to one. A tougher measure
resembling last month's Senate legislation was defeated, despite ardent
lobbying by President Clinton and Janet Reno . Everyone agrees it's a coup for the
National Rifle Association, which had been taken for dead after Littleton.
Democrats explained the loss by asserting that 1) the NRA distorted the stricter
measure, claiming it would lead to confiscation and a national gun registry;
and 2) House Republicans are aware of their constituents' support for gun
control but are unwilling to defy the NRA on the cusp of an election year.
The House authorized states to decide whether to let the Ten
Commandments be displayed in public schools. Proponents offered the
bill as a response to "children killing children." Detractors called it an
unconstitutional violation of the church-state line. The spins: 1)
Conservatives sincerely believe that this will prevent youth violence. 2)
Conservatives sincerely believe that by attributing youth violence to immorality, they can relieve
pressure to pass gun control legislation.
Kosovo update: 1) Western diplomats urged Russia to end its
occupation of Kosovo's main airport. Russia agreed to share control of the
airport but still demands its own peacekeeping zone. Western officials say that
Russia is too Serb-friendly to be entrusted with such authority and that
Kosovars won't resettle in a Russian-controlled zone. The likely compromise: a
Russian "zone of responsibility" inside a NATO-controlled area. (Read
Wednesday's "" for gloating in the Russian press.) 2) Britain estimated ethnic
Albanian casualties at 10,000 and unearthed a Serbian torture chamber full of
hideous paraphernalia and photos of suspected victims. 3) More than 33,000
Serbs have fled Kosovo, fearing Kosovar Albanian reprisals. NATO and Serbian
church leaders urged them to trust the peacekeepers and stay. Meanwhile,
more than 46,000 Kosovar Albanians streamed back in, despite NATO's warnings of
land mines. 4) U.S. officials say President Clinton approved a CIA plan to
bring down Milosevic's government. They claim the plan isn't directed at
Milosevic personally.
A former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army was
arrested. The FBI located Kathleen Ann Soliah, a well-to-do doctor's
wife and mother of three, through tips from viewers of America's Most
Wanted . She was indicted in 1976 for allegedly placing pipe bombs under
police cruisers (the bombs didn't explode). Her Minnesota neighbors expressed
shock, citing her community involvement and her terrific casserole.
Coke is making Europeans ill. Coca-Cola products were removed
from store shelves in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands after
dozens of drinkers complained of nausea and intestinal trouble. (See "" for a
European reaction.) The company traced the problem to a preservative used on
shipping pallets and a bad batch of carbon dioxide, neither of which presents a
serious health threat. Financial experts say the serious threat is to Coke's
overseas sales, which make up 73 percent of its profits.
Al Gore declared his candidacy for president. His speech and
accompanying interviews stressed his independence from Bill Clinton. But George
W. Bush called Gore "the status quo," and the White House agreed that Clinton's
agenda will be "a very successful platform for the vice president to run from."
Despite Gore's announcement, the
New
York Times
and the
Washington Post
printed editorials about Bush
euphoria.
Thabo Mbeki replaced Nelson Mandela as the president of South
Africa. This is the country's first handover between democratically
elected governments. Mandela received a unanimously fond farewell . Former
apartheid supporters called him "a saintly man," and a conservative white paper
declared that he will be "sorely missed."
Amazon.com bought a stake in Sotheby's. Their joint online
site will auction antiques, collectibles, and rare books. Spins: 1) It's a
revolution in online auctioning! 2) No, eBay had already cut a deal with
Butterfield & Butterfield, another art auction house. 3) The partnership
between the venerable institution and the brash startup will be awkward. 4)
Sotheby's CEO says they're a good match: "We both got started as booksellers.
... It's just that we got started 251 years earlier."
Phil Jackson will coach the Los Angeles Lakers. He'll make $30
million for five years. Predictions: 1) Jackson will work the same magic with
the Lakers that he did with the Chicago Bulls. 2) The magic was all Michael
Jordan's; no amount of coaching could save Los Angeles' underachieving
egomaniacs. Click here for the mostly jubilant local reaction.
George W. Bush kicked off his presidential campaign in Iowa and New
Hampshire. Vice President Gore will do the same Wednesday in
Tennessee. The spins: 1) Bush's declaration marks the earliest start ever to a
presidential campaign. 2) No, he's been campaigning for months. 3) So when will
he lay out his positions? (Read
Slate
's "" on how
Bush flaunts the courage of his clichés. Click here for Time 's luminous cover profile of Bush and
here for Newsweek 's more skeptical version.)
Kenneth Starr may release a final report criticizing the
Clintons. The New York Times says he won't try to indict them
but might publish a damning account of their behavior. The consensus prediction
is that this would jeopardize Hillary's senatorial ambitions. Starr vows to
plot his course independent of the political consequences, but Maureen Dowd
says he's "still on revenge autopilot ." David Carr and Jill Stewart
digest Starr's move--and Bob Woodward's new book--in "."
The New York Knicks reached the NBA Finals. They are the first
eighth seed (i.e., lowest-ranked playoff team in their division) ever to
accomplish this feat. They will face the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs. Sports
writers debated whether it's a triumph for 1) Knicks guard Allan Houston, a
previous underachiever who scored 32 points in the decisive game; 2) Coach Jeff
Van Gundy, who had nearly been fired earlier in the season; or 3) New York,
whose prestige was already bolstered by cleaner streets and lower crime.
Scientists are trying to clone human embryos. The
Washington Post
reports two attempts by private
companies to grow embryos--a practice banned among federally funded researchers
but allowed in the private sector. The sanguine spin: The companies are just
growing stem cells to cure diseases; they're not cloning humans. The
pessimistic spin: One will lead to the other.
