Week of March 15, 1988

Panama orders a U.S diplomat out of the country and breaks-up protests by

hundreds of disgruntled hospital workers by tear gas.

Sen. Paul Simon wins the democratic presidential primary

in Illinois as Vice President Bush soundly beats Bob Dole in

the republican side.

A federal grand jury in Washington indicts former national

security adviser John Poindexter, Lt. Col. Oliver North and

two arms dealers on conspiracy charges in the diversion of

Iranian arms sales profits to the Nicaraguan Contra rebels in

the most sweeping criminal prosecution of White House

officials since the Watergate scandal.

Thousands of American solders begin arriving because of an alleged incursion

by Nicaraguan troops and a Honduran official says his government had given the

Sandinistas 24 hours to get out. President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua responded

that his army was “ready to combat and liquidate the famous forces of the 82 nd

Airborne Division.”

Thousands of people across the nation join spreading protests against the

sending of U.S. troops to Honduras and more than 350 were arrested after

blocking federal buildings in Chicago, Boston and San Francisco.

Beginning to run low on food, ammunition and medical supplies, the Reagan

Administration says it will press Congress to approve emergency aid for the

Nicaraguan Contras.

The Reagan Administration stops an attempt to case

Panamanian strongman Manuel A. Noriega into exile

after he rejected the U.S. offer.

President Reagan, marking the fifth anniversary of his

“Star Wars” proposal says the United States would

move to deploy elements of the space-based missile

defense system as soon as they are ready, thereby

denying the soviets “confidence in their ability to

achieve any objectives through the use of ballistic

missiles.” Put the President gave no indication of any

scientific breakthroughs that would allow initial deployment before the early

1990‟s.

Week of March 15, 1988

Two British soldiers in civilian clothes were stripped, stripped, beaten and shot to

death after their unmarked car was trapped in an IRA funeral procession in

Roman Catholic West Belfast.

Marine Lt. Col. Oliver L. North says he may summon the nation‟s “highest

ranking officials” to testify in his defense against criminal charges in the Iran-

Contra affair, announces he will retire from the Marine Corps on May 1.

In a remark he immediately regretted, President Reagan says he sometimes

doesn‟t tell Congress everything it wants to know. The subject arose when

Reagan was asked about his former national security adviser, Robert McFarlane

pleading guilty last week to four misdemeanor counts of withholding information

from Congress. “He just pleaded guilty to not telling Congress everything it

wanted to know. I‟ve done that myself,” said the President.

Looks like those Bob Big Boy statues may disappear. . New

owner Marriott is seriously considering it. They confirm that

it is converting a handful of the coffee shops into a new

“family” restaurant concept without the famous statues of a

smiling chubby boy with his thumbs tucked into the

suspenders.

Federal regulators, striving to head off the collapse of the

largest bank in Texas, give an emergency $1 billion loan to

First Republic Bank Corp of Dallas and pledges that all

depositors would be fully protected from any financial losses.

Sears, Roebuck & Co. moving beyond its traditional department stores,

announces plans to buy Western Auto Supply Co., one of the nation‟s oldest and

best-known auto parts chains, in a deal valued at $402 million.

Sports - The Cardinals get permission from 26 National Football League owners

to move to Phoenix from St. Louis.

Off-road racer and promoter Mickey Thompson , along

with his wife are murdered outside their S. California

home. So far, police have no clues.

No female umpires please - Houston Astros pitcher Bob

Knepper says he doesn‟t think Pam Postema should be

umpiring major league games because that‟s not a

woman‟s role in life.

Week of March 15, 1988

Technology -

Apple Computer files suit against Microsoft and HP, contending that the two

companies are illegally infringing on the copyrighted audio-visual display

technology used on apple‟s popular Macintosh personal computers. The suit

could have a major impact on the development of thousands of new software

programs expected to be developed in the next several years to run under the

new computer operating system OS/2 developed jointly by Microsoft and IBM.

Delco Electronics plans to supply digital audiotape

players (DAT) for GM cars this summer. Ford also

expects to bow a digital audiotape player. Ford‟s DAT

players are expected to go for about $1,200 each.

Music news -

CBS Records, the industry‟s largest CD manufacturer,

announces that next month, it will join other labels in lowering CD prices on most

releases, But the company said it will not drop prices from the current suggested

retail level of $17.98 on a “superstar” product.

Featured at the National Assn. of recording Merchandisers convention - three

major labels announce imminent rollout of a 3-inch compact disc.

“ Man in the Mirror ” makes Michael Jackson

the first artist ever to land four No. 1 pop hits

from one album. The others are “Bad,” “I Just

Can‟t stop Loving You,” and “The Way You

Make Me Feel.”

The Hard Rock Café will now get its own TV

program - Look for “Coca-Cola Presents:

Live From the hard Rock Café” and hosted

by Dan Aykroyed The program will probably

originate from one of the restaurants,

although some segments may be filmed at a

hard Rock replica built on an NBC sound

stage.

Radio news -

Hollywood Hamilton (nee Tim Bello) - heard 6-10pm on KIIS-FM Los Angeles,

signs to host “Flip, a Saturday morning kids show on CBS-TV, along with his

sidekick Dr. George Brothers. The show will focus on entertainment topics and

Week of March 15, 1988

tee-related insights. It is scheduled to air after Pee-Wee‟s Playhouse. Hamilton

hosts the syndicated radio show “Rock Confidential.” “Flip” will debut in

September.

Entertainment news

Dean Martin is hospitalized in fair condition with kidney

problems, but the Rat Pack reunion concert tour with

frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. will go on without

him, at least temporarily. Martin is 70.

Unexpected - Hollywood producer Merv Griffin offers

$250 million for the stock of casino operator Resorts

International. The $35-a-share bid comes on the ever of

a court hearing that is crucial to resorts Chairman Donald

Trump‟s $22-a-share plan to take the company private.

New York Financier Donald Trump files suit against Merv

Grffin, alleging violation of securities laws in Griffin‟s $225 million offer to buy

casino operator Resorts International. Griffin‟s offer, the complaint said, was

designed to interrupt Trump‟s pending tender offer.

Rob Lowe’s fling with Princes Stephanie of Monaco is

apparently over: “We were from two different worlds, we

weren‟t relating very well. She speak French, I don‟t She

wears a crown, I don‟t. She sings, I don‟t She designs

bathing suits, I don‟t. She doesn‟t pay taxes, I do,” said

Lowe.

A Pepsi commercial starring Michael J. Fox is named „world‟s

best video commercial” of 1987 at the 28 th International

Broadcasting awards.

Michael Jackson‟s “Bad” tour is getting rave reviews.

Saturday night television -

CBS - High Mountain rangers, Tour of Duty, West 57 th

NBC - Facts of Live, My Tow Dads, The Golden Girls, Amen, Hunter, Saturday

Night Live

ABC - Dolly, Dhara, Spenser for Hire

Fox - Boys will be Boys, Women in Prison, Adventures of Bean Baxter, Mr.

President

PBS - Peter, Paul & Mary 25 th Anniversary Concert.

Week of March 15, 1988

Saturday night live - Robert Mitchum hosts with musical guests Simply Red.

Top Album Rock Cuts -

Angel - Aerosmith

Heaven Knows - Robert Plant

Damn Good - David Lee Roth

Check it Out - John Cougar

Mellencamp

Get It On - Kingdom Come

Be Still My Beating Heart - Sting

I Wish I Had A Girl - Henry Lee Summer

Devil Inside - INXS

Magic Tough - Mike Oldfield

Cloud Nine - George Harrison

Top Country -

Turn It Loose - The Judds

Life Turned Her that Way - Ricky Van

Shelton

Love Will Find (Its Way To You - Reba

McEntire

This Missin‟ You Heart of Mine - sawyer Brown

Touch and Go Crazy - Lee Greenwood

Famous Last Words of a Fool - George Strait

Wilder Days - Baillie and the Boys

I Wanna Dance With You - Eddie Rabbit

Santa Fe - The Ballamy Brothers

Shouldn‟t It Be Easier Than This - Charley Pride

I‟ll Always Come Back - K.T. Oslin

Top Hits In Britain -

Together Forever - Rick Astley

I Should Be So Lucky - Kylie Minogue

Beat Dis - Bomb The Bass

Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car - Billy Ocean

Doctorin‟ the House - Coldcut Feat. Yazz & The Plastic People

Gimme Hope Jo‟Anna - Eddy Grant

Suedehead - Morrissey

Crash - The Primitives

That‟s The Way It Is - Mel & Kim

Week of March 15, 1988

Hot Hits -

Father Figure - George Michael

I Get Weak - Belinda Carisle

Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astely

She‟s Like the Wind - Patrick Swayze Feat. Wendy Fraser

Endless Summer Nights - Richard Marx

Just Like Paradise - David Lee Roth

Out of the Blue - Debbie Gibson

Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car -

Billy Ocean

I Want Her - Keith seat

Rocket 2 - The Jets

Hysteria - Def Leppard

Girlfriend - Pebbles

Dock of the Bay - Michael Bolton

I Found Someone - Cher

Devil Inside - INXS

Be still My Beating heart - Sting

Some Kind of Lover - Jody Watley

Where Do Broken Hearts Go - Whitney

Houston

Wishing Well - Terence Trend D‟Arby

Check It Out - John Cougar Mellencamp

Top albums -

Faith - George Michael

Dirty Dancing - Soundtrack

Skyscraper - David Lee Roth

Tiffany - Tiffany

The Lonesome Jubilee - John Cougar

Mellencamp

Hysteria - Def Leppard

Whenever You Need Somebody - Rick

Astley

Whitney - Whitney Houston

Blow Up Your Video - AC/DC

Tunnel of Love - Bruce Springsteen

Good Morning Vietnam - Soundtrack

Heaven on earth - Belinda Carlisle

Appetite for destruction - Guns N‟

Roses

Cloud Nine - George Harrison