July 1990

7/2/90

Imelda Marcos acquitted. The just-a-little-housewife defense works

Head of NEA intervened to deny grants to performance artists who have spoken out against Jesse Helms

Oil blockade of Lithuania ended

Slovenia dec sovereignty (laws precedent over Yug.) Kosovo did roughly same (from Serbia).


7/3/90

Evidently Bush will increase taxes. Just not income tax.

There has been a 51% drop in # of rural abortion providers since 1977. 1988 93% of rural counties have no one willing to do abortions, ½ urban counties, 82% all together

A soldier acquitted of murder for Panama invasion. After he lost his gun in a brothel, he & his buddies set up a fake fire fight to cover loss of gun

Ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi ordered Congress’ youth wing to keep out Amnesty Int people physically (a ban on AI was just lifted)

Gorbachev trying to stop “who lost E Eur” talk


7/4/90

It is confirmed that the prisoner who claimed to have sold marijuana to Quayle was placed in detention & barred from reporters at 1988 election on dir orders of Bureau of Prisons Director

David Owen may have wound up the SDP after getting fewer votes in a by-election than the Monster Raving Loony Party

Bulgarian PM on econ-policy making in a multi-party system: “The trouble with making love in public is not the embarrassment, it’s that everyone gives you advice.”

Bush says USSR must cut defense spending to get aid

CA moving to strip confidentiality of adoption records up to 1984, for the adoptees & adoptive parents & birth parents, after age 18.

There will be all-Ger elections Dec. Unification will come under the W Ger const, but Kohl wants it right after elections to get around W Ger’s 5% min. for parties. SPD disagrees


7/5/90

All sanctions are off Lithuania

Gorbachev gave himself 2 yrs to turn the economy around. The USSR CP congress meeting this week. It is suggested that Gorby now hostage to the right. His only institutional base is the CP

A Japanese woman won the 1st sex discrim case there, against a gov agency which promoted only men on basis of seniority

A trial relating to killing in Mexico of a US DEA agent indicates that the CIA trained Guatemalan guerillas on the ranch of one of the drug lords who was one of the killers. Unclear who these Guatemalans were

Serbian Parl suspends the Assembly & Exec Council or Kosovo, fires editors of its Albanian newspapers, manager of tv & radio. Complete dir (colonial, indeed) rule. The tv & radio were seized by cops in the middle of the night (possible because Serbian police took over 3 mos. ago). This follows a “hastily-called” referendum in Serbia to delay free multiparty elections in Serbia until the CP-controlled Parl adopts a new const--boycotted by Albanians. There was 6 days notice on the referendum.

White House says anti-poverty plans are perfect & needn’t be changed. Refused to est family planning services in schools because it would cost money & be seen as encouraging promiscuity. Major investment in children would have long-run payoff, admits, but “not likely to show an immediate reward.” Rejected a min. standard for child support payments, say $3,500, topped off by gov, as disincentive to work for absent parents (of the 5m women who should get child support by court order, 25% get partial only, 25% nothing). Rejected increase in earned income tax credit because it would hurt the budget deficit, though it would raise standard of living poor


7/6/90

NATO agreed on “change of police” to use nukes only as last resort. A far cry from no 1st use

Congress to kill SETI

Panama wondering why US can’t return papers seized, needed for trials in Panama

CA Senate kills a bill to expand open meetings (Brown Act) -- in a secret meeting

Yugoslav gov tells Slovenia to rescind dec of sovereignty, can’t change the const order unconstitutionally. I have no idea what it thinks about Kosovo

A videotape surfaces of the Bulgarian prez from last Dec., calling for tanks against protesters. He had to resign


7/7/90

Gore Vidal on 3rd parties: to be effective, you need 2 other parties

Wm Danneymayer says Mandela less like M L King than H Rap Brown or... Willie Horton

Vatican says there is no right ot pub dissent even where infallibility not declared

The Centers of Disease Control rules on AIDS-ed. material limits explicit language & shouldn’t offend people even not in target audience


7/8/90

Japan now outspends US on indust investment

NASA fucked up the $1.5b space telescope--it’s useless until shuttle repairs it -- scheduled for 1993.


7/9/90

Gorby increased the size of Politburo to strengthen his inf (added are republic heads)

Louisiana, after having a no-abortion bill vetoed, passes one allowing only for rape, incest, mother’s life. Would send drs. to jail for 10 yrs hard labor + $100,000. Added to bill reducing penalties for beating flag-burners. New Orleans has now lost the 1992 Demo convention

US bribes Greece $1b for 8 yrs extension of lease on bases.

Pentagon buying a $4b radar-jamming device that doesn’t work. Supposedly, gov only buys products after bugs worked out


7/10/90

Even without the new Louisiana abortion bill, hospital policy allows few abortions in the state

Hong Kong arrests 5 pro-demo. (in Ch.) activists for using megaphones without a permit (after police denied one of em a permit). In other kowtowing to Ch., Br arrested an Anglican priest for not presenting id & collecting $ w/out a permit, barring Ch. exiles


7/11/90

NEA will require artists to provide a “justification” of work that might be obscene

The Nixon library about to open is the only prez library privately run. This means it will keep out people it doesn’t like--like Bob Woodward.


7/12/90

Senate 94-6 passed a crime bill that added 11 Fed crimes subject death penalty (34 total). Limit appeals to 1 const ground. Ban for 3 yrs semiautomatic weapons. 2 of the opposed were NRA types, only 4 anti-death penalty--in the entire Senate. Gives Indian tribal councils right to impose death penalty

At USSR CP Congress, Gorby’s candidate for deputy leader beat Ligachev

Br Trade Sec Nicholas Ridley says handing power to Eur commission is like handing it to Hitler & monetary union is a Ger racket to take over all Eur. And the Fr are poodles

Japan undermining W sanctions on China, and Bush supporting it. The modest sanctions have/had been successful in stopping priv invest. as well

Gov has admitted the Hartford Nuke plant in Wash. 1940s-50s released lethal levels of radioactive iodine. Esp affects children through cow milk. Comparable to levels of radiation in Marshall Islands natives & comparable to Chernobyl

Israeli Parl refused to investigate soldiers’ charges that ex-Defense Minister Rabin ordered bones broken. Current Defense Minister Arens says the gov has to account to the Knesset & the voters only during elections. Rabin is the most popular Israeli politician, poised to replace Peres as head of Labor

The top S&L regulator wants investigation of whether fed officials delayed closing Neil Bush’s S&L before the 1988 election.

At USSR CP Congress, Democratic Platform quit to form party. Yeltsin also quit, saying his position as head of Russian Republic means he needs to represent will of all the People

HK legalizes homosexuality

The last telephone party line dismantled


7/13/90

FCC says children watch tv 24 hrs a day, so there should be a total ban on indecent programming

Congress enacts anti-discrim for the disabled, inc AIDS

Poland to give all citizens shares in state-owned comps to be privatized, workers can buy ½ price

Mandela is in Kenya, failing to mention that Kenya is jailing advocates of pluralism. Mandela says West has no right to teach Af democracy. Excuse me?

Heads of City Councils Moscow & Leningrad left the party
-Ligachev retiring.
-Yeltsin not to head any alternative party
-Feb. 25 pro-democracy demos, USSR used a phone-in lottery & a movie called “The Sex Mission” (at 9 am) on tv.


7/14/90

AEC knew that Hanford was leaking. 1/20 residents near it 1944-7 absorbed radiation 1,200X what is now considered safe


7/15/90

Nicholas Ridley resigns

Christopher Matthews on the RR presidency: “We digested his presidency like a plate of Chinese food, an hour later, we were hungry again.”

The new Politburo contains only 2 from previous

Sandinistas may yet “rule from below.” Their latest strike may have stalled free-mkt plans & plan to return confiscated lands

Gorby ends CP monopoly of tv


7/16/90

Gorby will accept united Ger in NATO

Ukraine dec self sovereign

16 states w/⅓ of US pop are in or near recession

Bush admin increases its estimate of the deficit for fiscal 1991 by 2/3, to $169b

Economist says Sununu is lying down in front of the environmental bandwagon, Bush jumping on & reaching for the brake


7/17/90

China to extend death penalty to pornography, which is the West’s fault.

Ukraine says the republic will be a neutral state & non-nuclear. Kiev city council has changed local time to western. U. dec. right to use separate currency, military force, citizenship

The Kohl-Gorbachev agreement on unification says Ger will limit size of army, refrain from nukes, bio. or chem. weapons. The interesting thing is that it was W Ger that negotiated the terms
-At unity talks, guaranteed Polish borders


7/18/90

Atlanta Appeals Court rules banks are liable for environmental damage/toxic waste of comps they have a role in financial mgmt of. Foreclosure can also create such liability.

US has released Orlando Bosch who blew up a Cuban plane in 1976 & other bombings, in a deal. Has refused to deport him to Cuba, or detain him as an undesirable alien, which it can do forever

US to open talks w/VN on keeping Khmer Rouge out, & withdraws recognition of the coalition. Won’t normalize relations w/VN, of course


7/19/90

House Republican Conf (all in House) voted a resolution against tax increases

One re-unification issue in Ger: abortion -- E Ger has it on demand, W Ger requires 2 doctors’ approval & counselor. Women will also lose 4 weeks’ leave for child’s sickness -- W Ger has 5 days

Lithuania will draft its men into nat. force to get around USSR draft

Soviet banking official dec. illegal Russian republics move to seize control of state banks

Russian Parl to abolish privileges for officials (exclusive stores, housing, etc)

George Bush also has unknown financial issues. He was in business in 1960 w/one Jorge Diaz Senrano, whose firm was used as CIA cover for covert ops in Mexico & was convicted 1983 of defrauding gov. Key records of the Bush-Serrano relationship 1960-6 “inadvertently destroyed” by SEC a few months after Bush became VP


7/20/90

US claims Ch. to stop arms to Khmer Rouge


7/21/90

Justice Brennan resigns. Time to move.


7/22/90

New Serbian law says pol parties can only be organized on territorial basis

A study on right-to-die cases says courts give less weight to women’s wishes, denigrating their ideas as less rational than men’s. And significance for abortion judicial bypasses?

Italian tv says the semi-masonic P-2 terrorists were paid by CIA. President calls for investigation

Br censors have banned a rather bizarre Pakistani film in which a fictional Salman Rushdie presented as pro-Israeli drunk, is killed by lightning, on grounds of criminal libel. Rushdie opposes the ban.


7/23/90

The opposition in S Korean parl, 80 of 239 seats, calls for new elections

E Ger est same 5% min as W Ger has

Bush getting set to veto the civil rights act. Bush vetoed 13 bills in his 1st 17 mos, compared to 6 for RR, 3 Carter. They’ve been claiming that, although it specifically does not require quotas, employers will use quotas to avoid suits. This was not the case before Sup Court decisions, so it won’t be now. Most surreal moment was Quayle’s attack. Evidently young Danforth is concerned that unqualified minorities will get into college through affirmative action instead of unqualified WASPs whose fathers get them in.


7/24/90

Iraq is massing troops on border of Kuwait, which it is accusing of driving down oil prices by selling more than OPEC quota. US sending ships.

Miguel Bernal, soc critic in Panama & chair of dept of public law U. Panama, protested for clinking glasses as protest against a torturer they saw in a restaurant. Was arrested by Panamanian officers and US MPs. The military being rebuilt by VP Calderón, who warned critics of his use of Noriega’s people, “he will not tolerate criticism.”

Bush’s ban on assault weapons can be easily gotten around w/modifications that do not affect its lethality.

Bush appoints to Sup Court one David Souter. 50. Fed appeals court judge appointed by then governor Sununu to State Sup Court. Bush claims not to know his views on abortion. Bush wanted someone w/out a paper trail on abortion. By constantly reiterating that there shouldn’t be a litmus test, he’s setting stage for stonewalling on the q. Souter has never given a speech, written a book or article. Did side on state Sup Court 1987 that gays may be barred from adopting. Voted to uphold sobriety checkpts. 1988 that jury should have been allowed to consider provocative behaviour of a rape victim. As state atty gen argued against injunction to block public flags being flown half-mast on Good Friday

Many of SE Asians not happy w/Bush shift on Cambodia as making Khmer Rouge more likely to take a military solution. So basically the position is determined more by domestic than foreign policy.


7/25/90

Parental leave veto sustained 232-195

Gorby to allow Yeltsin to take over Russian banks w/60% of banking assets of USSR. Will turn them loose as share-issuing commercial banks

Souter ruled people could be forced to use “Live Free or Die” license plates

SA arrested a high-level ANC official (and some lower) who returned under amnesty, for organizing plans for insurrection should talks fail


7/26/90

Thornburgh pressing the Bar Assoc to rescind policy favoring abortion rights or lose role in selection of fed judges

Souter on board of a hospital 1973, voted to allow abortions
-And 1981 wrote letter to NH state lege against a judicial bypass to parental notification w/out guidelines -- would present a dilemma to judges on moral grounds

NRC’s decision not to regulate low-level radioactive waste made despite concerns by its staff & EPA

Seems there were close ties between Ollie North & George Bush. When Bush travelled, North gave him plans to solicit for countries. Bush met Amiran Nir Sep85 & July86 & briefed North, well before he claims to have known. The censored North diaries used by cmte on I-C were missing the bits on Bush.
-Mar85 North & McFarlane met 4 R reps to discuss getting around ban on contra aid -- inc Henry Hyde & Bill McCollum, latter on the cmte
-Bush’s terrorism task force inc an office, secret, headed by North, who mostly worked on Contras & Iran.
-From North diary, 7/26/86: “$14 million to finance came from drugs.”

Moldavia has adopted powers to veto Moscow laws

Justice Marshall says he never heard of Souter & he doesn’t understand Bush’s action in appointing him. Says Brennan hadn’t either


7/27/90

It is claimed (by Warren Rudman of NH, pushing Souter’s nomination) that Souter laid condition that he not be asked by Bush about specific issues. Bush says he did no such thing.

Byelorussia dec sovereignty (that’s #8 of 15)

Republican (Bush & Congress R’s) budget proposal is to limit deduction for state & local income tax to $10,000. Would hit higher incomes, but also expensive states.

Rad Muslims try to take over... Trinidad?

Israeli science minister says it can respond to Iraqi chemical attacks w/it own-- 1st admission

Both Houses have voted econ sanctions on Iraq for human rights & threatening its neighbors (who had to agree to lower OPEC quotes. Bush opposed

DeKlerk has urged Mandela to exclude Joe Slovo, head of CP, from negotiations on SA’s future (CP to est a legal party)

Bulgarian Min Interior resigns after protests against plans to have ex-head Zhikov testify to closed session, w/television delayed & censored

The 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Act banned all fed benefits to those convicted of drug trafficking or possession. Bill Bennett decides this applies to broadcast licenses & applies to any of a comp’s officers, directors, holders of 5% or even nonvoting stock. But if someone’s convicted of murder or rape, the FCC will cont. to consider mitigating factors.

In Colombia, says Village Voice, 80-90% of the murders are by armed forces. In 1989, 18,000 murders, 70 solved. Under this, the once third party has been liquidated. 1,071 Patriotic Union activists have been murdered over past 5 yrs, inc presidential candidate -- no one could be found to replace him. Dead inc 2 senators, 3 reps, 89 regional council members. None of the 1,071 solved

Great article June 12 on McMartin trials & child-abuse-in-day-care hysteria. Another hung jury today for Ray Buckley, who has spent 5 yrs in jail


7/29/90

Bush is like Gerald Ford w/out the pizzaz

People are complaining about Japanese buying America. Somewhere there’s a Navajo saying, at least they pay

Gorby reasserts Soviet control over banking, taking back banks from Russian republics

Israel for 4 yrs has run covert program in which reporters given gov guidance on what to report to stations worldwide. The owner of a Jerusalem radio station, who employed these people, claims they were paid his money, not gov’s. this is 12 people, 1/5 of radio journalists in Israel. They free-lance for mostly Spanish-lang. & Christian fundy stations in US


7/30/90

Doe of Liberia near to collapse under rebels. Today, gov troops massacred 600 refugees of another tribe

The Muslim loons still have the Trinidadian PM hostage

Eugene Hasenfus (who flew a plane to Contras & was shot down) is suing Richard Secord for misleading crew on the cargo & inadequate safety equipment. At trial Richard Gadd of air force said he’d been told by Robert Dutton 1986 that Bush discussed the supply network w/Felix Rodriguez

Israel building housing units for 70,000 Jews in E Jerusalem, which would make Jews a majority

1st conviction in England/Wales of a man for rape of his wife w/out a separation by court


7/31/90

Cyprus & Malta have applied to EEC

$100b will be needed for S&L bailouts next yr. There’s much pressure to reduce insurance coverage or limit it to 1 account

Hanford nuke plant in Wash. has tanks of radioactive waste that could easily explode

Ukraine wants its draftees back & wants them out of areas of ethnic violence

In 1976 when Souter NH atty gen, his office submitted a brief that state should not provide Medicaid funds for “the killing of the unborn.” The asst atty gen who wrote it says Souter never saw it

Fed troops raided Humboldt looking for marijuana

Noriega heard of the invasion when a Marine called his mother & complained it would interfere w/his vacation