Crash Course
Nine people were killed in two workplace shootings. In
Honolulu , a Xerox employee allegedly killed seven co-workers.
A day later, a man shot four employees at a Seattle shipyard, killing two. The Honolulu suspect has been
arrested, while the Seattle shooter remains at large. Hawaii has some of the
nation's strictest firearm regulations. The gun lobby's spin: See, gun laws
don't stop bullets. The gun controllers' spin: That's because the laws
aren't strict enough . Everyone else's spin: Who's next?
A second man was convicted in the Matthew Shepard killing.
Aaron McKinney was sentenced to two life terms for second-degree murder. A
judge prohibited McKinney's lawyers from using the "gay panic" defense, which
attributes violent acts to an unconscious reaction to homosexual advances.
Legal analysts' spin: The jury's rejection of first-degree murder shows they
were sympathetic
to McKinney . Gay activists' spin: The judge's rejection of "gay panic"
means that hate crimes won't be excused .
Weather is hampering the investigation of the EgyptAir crash.
Officials located Flight 990's "black boxes," but high winds will delay
recovery until the weekend. New radar data indicate that the plane did not fall
directly to the ocean, but dived and recovered, eventually breaking up at
10,000 feet. Investigators cautioned that they had few clues to go on, but
early speculation focused on: 1) the thrust reverser flaw that downed a similar plane in 1991; 2)
recent threats of terrorist attacks against airlines; and 3) inconsistent
regulation of foreign
carriers' safety. NBC's Robert Hager said the new radar evidence reduced the
likelihood that thrust reversers caused the accident.
Feminist author Naomi Wolf has been outed as an adviser to Al Gore's
campaign. Wolf, whose controversial work has focused on women as sex
objects, has reportedly advised Gore: 1) to speak from the heart; 2) to dress
in more reassuring earth tones; and 3) to change his image from "beta male" to
"alpha male." Gore's spin: She's a "valued
adviser" who helps him connect with women and youth. Skeptics' spin: She's
a liability whose presence proves that Gore is no alpha male (Richard
Cohen). (
Slate
's Jodi Kantor asks, "How did Wolf
start out as Betty Friedan and end up as ?" But
Slate
's
William Saletan argues that the complaints about Wolf are .)
British researchers transplanted hair from one person to
another. The two scientists, who are married to each other, performed
the experiment on themselves. They took follicles from the husband's head and
grafted them to the wife's forearm. She grew four hairs and did not experience
immune-system rejection of the foreign tissue. Scientists said the research
held promise for more successful organ
transplants and a cure for baldness .
George W. Bush is campaigning in New Hampshire. After missing
last week's Republican presidential forum, Bush made numerous appearances and
delivered key policy speeches in the state. Although Bush retains his lead in
New Hampshire, John McCain has gained ground. The dismal spin: Bush looks
less confident and more desperate for votes. The rosy spin:
That's exactly the image he needs.
President Clinton participated in Middle East peace talks in Oslo,
Norway. He joined Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat to begin designing the "framework" for peace, which
they've agreed to complete by February. A final pact is scheduled for
September. The primary issues are: 1) the creation of a Palestinian state; 2)
Israeli settlements in the West Bank; 3) the governance of Jerusalem; and 4)
the status of Palestinian refugees. Clinton's spin: The peace process is
revitalized . The cautious spin: The tough part is
still ahead.
A
federal judge ordered New York City to restore funding to the Brooklyn Museum
of Art. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani had withdrawn $7.2 million last month when
the museum opened its "Sensation" show, which included a depiction of the
Virgin Mary adorned with elephant dung. The city said it would appeal the
decision, which held that the mayor's actions violated the First Amendment. The
New York Times
reported that the exhibit had been
largely funded by those with financial interests in the artwork. Giuliani's
spin: They're using the First Amendment to "put money
in the pockets of multimillionaires." The museum's spin: No, we're
using it to thwart censors like you .
Football legend Walter Payton died at 45 of complications from liver
disease. He holds the NFL rushing record (16,726 yards). He was
remembered as one of football's funniest and most generous players, and his
nickname, Sweetness, "was a tribute to his personality more than his running
style" ( ESPN ). Chicago Bears Assistant Coach Fred O'Connor,
who believed Payton was destined to be a legend from the outset, said, "God
must have taken a chisel and said, 'I'm going to make me a halfback.' "
( Chicago Tribune ).
T
he online auction of models' eggs may be a
fraud. Five of the eight models have already dropped out, and
journalists who tried to place bids received no response. The proprietors'
explanation: We're inundated with responses and will be up and running shortly.
The journalists' explanation: The site is a sham, intended only to drive
traffic to the owner's porn sites. (William Saletan dissects the ethics of the
sale in ".")
