The Week July 10-16

NATION

No Invasion — Just Yet

U.S. Marines began rehearsing an emergency evacuation of all American citizens from Haiti, but in Washington the invasion scenarios faded — for now. Sam Nunn, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, cautioned against military action, saying Haiti, though clearly important, was not a “vital” American interest. Meanwhile, 104 human-rights monitors were expelled by Haiti’s military regime for allegedly disrupting security on the island, and U.S. embassy officials investigating reports of a massacre found the remains of 12 men in shallow graves just outside Port-au-Prince.

Friendly-Fire Report

A Pentagon investigation of the downing of two U.S. Army helicopters by Air Force fighter jets over northern Iraq determined that the accident was caused by multiple human errors. “It’s a tragedy that never should have happened,” said Defense Secretary William Perry at a news conference. All 26 people aboard the two helicopters were killed.

The Flood Recedes

Georgia’s Flint River crested at 37.15 ft. in Bainbridge, well below the 45- ft. levels that had been predicted. But the statewide death toll rose to 32. Surveying the scene from a helicopter, President Clinton announced a $60 million aid package for the stricken areas of Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Fingering the Glove?

Initial DNA tests on the bloody leather glove found at O.J. Simpson’s estate strongly suggested a match with the blood of victims Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman but failed to show any definitive link to Simpson’s blood, according to a source close to the Simpson case. Police confirmed that they had found Simpson’s passport and $10,000 in Al Cowlings’ Ford Bronco after the famous freeway chase.

Admiral’s Promotion Denied

Is the post-Tailhook Navy being overly sensitive to political correctness? Absolutely not, said Naval Operations Chief Jeremy Boorda, as he explained why the Navy had withdrawn its prime candidate for the Pacific command. Boorda argued that a lengthy (and possibly hostile) Senate confirmation hearing for Admiral Stanley Arthur, who has been criticized for his handling of a high- profile sexual-harassment case, would leave a dangerous command vacancy that must be filled as soon as possible.

Makeover for the Greenback

In a move to counter domestic and overseas counterfeiting, the Treasury is giving U.S. paper currency its first new look in 65 years. Larger portraits, color-shifting ink that goes from green to gold depending on the viewing angle, computer-designed interactive patterns that turn wavy when copied, and machine-detectable fibers embedded in the paper are just a few of the high- tech tricks intended to foil counterfeiters. First candidate for the makeover is the $100 bill, now the easiest to copy.

Zapping the Burger

Federal health officials recommended that at least some of the nation’s ground beef be irradiated to kill off virulent new strains of bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration has approved irradiation of poultry and some dairy products.

Travels of Tabitha

After 12 days, 32,000 airborne miles and last-minute advice from a psychic, Tabitha, the flying feline, was reunited with her owner. The striped tabby had secreted herself in the ceiling of the plane’s cargo hold.

The Legacy of Baby Jessica

A Governor, a judge, and two desperate families continued their fight over 3 1/2-year-old “Baby Richard,” who was ordered taken from the adoptive parents he has lived with since he was four days old. Illinois judge James D. Heiple’s decision to give the child to his biological father (who has never laid eyes on him) outraged Governor Jim Edgar, who wondered “how the justices who prevailed in this case will be able to sleep at night.” The Illinois Supreme Court delayed the order to give the boy to his biological father until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether it will hear the case.

The Legacy of Willie Sutton

One of the most successful bank robbers in the nation’s history confessed to heists in California, Texas and Washington — many committed with his wife’s help. Arrested after an anonymous tip, Johnny Madison Williams Jr. had scrupulously recorded every one of his 56 holdups in a handwritten log. His total take: $879,357.

WORLD

North Invites South to Funeral

North Korea issued a highly unusual invitation to South Koreans to visit the normally isolated North for Kim Il Sung’s funeral and then postponed the services for two days. As speculation rose about the succession of Kim Jong Il to power, South Korea said it would not relax its prohibitions of visits to the North. U.S. officials are expected to meet with a North Korean delegation in New York this week to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program.

Middle East Peace Talking

Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan’s King Hussein will meet publicly for the first time next week in Washington, President Clinton announced, to push ahead with peace agreements between the two sides. The leaders will address a joint session of Congress and be guests of honor at a White House dinner. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators meanwhile were meeting in Cairo to discuss expanding Palestinian self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank beyond the town of Jericho, and other security issues.

Rwandans Flood into Zaire

Hundreds of thousands of Hutu refugees fled from advancing Tutsi-led rebels, crossing the frontier into Zaire at a rate of up to 30,000 an hour. The rebels now control three-quarters of the country, including the capital of Kigali, a virtual ghost town without water, electricity or food. The rebels say they are willing to share power with their enemy, the ethnic Hutu majority, to form a new government because as much as half of Rwanda’s Tutsi population has been massacred.

Pro-Russian Prez in Ukraine …

Leonid Kuchma, former director of the world’s largest missile factory, defeated incumbent Leonid Kravchuk in Ukraine’s presidential election. An advocate of economic integration with Russia, Kuchma said he would honor the pledge made by his predecessor to give up Ukraine’s nuclear arsenal, the world’s third largest.

… And Another in Belarus

Alexander Lukashenko, sometimes called “the Belarus Zhirinovsky” for his vague promises of an easy fix for his economically devastated former Soviet republic, was elected Belarus’ first President. The onetime state-farm director won 80% of the vote, campaigning on a platform of anticorruption and stronger economic and political ties with Russia.

A Foreign Role for Germany

Germany’s highest court ruled that the country’s armed forces may take part in international missions such as the Persian Gulf war if a parliamentary majority agrees to the deployment. The move should strengthen Germany’s campaign for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

National Hero vs. Berlusconi

Antonio Di Pietro, a prosecutor who became a national hero in Italy for his campaign against bribe-taking politicians, asked to be reassigned in a protest against a decree issued by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing government. The decree would eliminate the prosecutors’ ability to detain corruption suspects, a powerful tool used against thousands of prominent citizens.

BUSINESS

Comcast Stuns CBS

Just hours before the boards of CBS and QVC were to vote on a planned merger, Comcast Corp. — the nation’s third largest cable company and a minority shareholder in QVC — launched a surprise bid for the QVC cable network it helped found. As CBS chairman Laurence Tisch quickly dropped the merger offer and announced a $1.1 billion stock buyback, analysts speculated that the network remains vulnerable to a takeover.

A Software Giant Settles

After a four-year investigation of what the Justice Department termed “illegal monopolistic practices,” the government announced a settlement in its case against Microsoft, the dominant company in the software industry. Microsoft admitted no guilt but agreed to loosen licensing arrangements with computer manufacturers, which often pre-load their machines with the firm’s operating systems. The deal may spur more competition for Microsoft, but it removes the threat that the government will try to break up the behemoth.

Macy’s and Federated to Merge

R.H. Macy & Co. officially abandoned hopes of emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy as an independent, publicly held company with the announcement of a merger with Federated Department Stores, Inc. With more than 300 stores, the new Macy-Federated chain will become the nation’s largest department-store company.

Buy the Friendly Skies

Pilots, office workers, customer-service agents and ground crews became the proud new owners of United Airlines as UAL shareholders approved an employee buyout of the Chicago-based carrier. In exchange for $4.9 billion in wage cuts and other concessions, the 54,000 new owners will receive 55% of the company, their choice of Gerald Greenwald as chairman and ceo, and three seats on the board of directors.

SCIENCE

A Viral Link to Heart Disease?

A common human virus may play an integral role in coronary disease, according to preliminary findings by National Institutes of Health researchers, by inhibiting the action of a gene that normally limits cell growth. Up to half of patients who undergo balloon angioplasty to relieve arterial blockages suffer renewed arterial narrowing within six months. Researchers may have ! identified the cause: the cytomegalovirus, which appears to limit the protective benefits of the p53 gene, thus leading to the regrowth of muscle cells in vessels treated with angioplasty.