Week of May 15, 1988

A crowded church bus burst into flames when it was struck head-on by a pickup

truck traveling on the wrong side of an interstate highway in Kentucky, killing 27

people, most teens.

Failure - After eight years - the Soviet Red Army begins its withdrawal from

Afghanistan. They never overcame a determined Afghan guerrilla force which

was aided by the U.S.

Embattled Atty. Gen Edwin Meese III fires the Justice

department’s chief spokesman, Terry Eastland, for not

defending him aggressively enough. Meese’s speechwriter

abruptly quits in new turmoil stirred by inquiries into

Meese’s ethics and finances.

President Reagan, taking questions from reporters,

suggests that “there is more than meet the eye” in the

firing of terry Eastland as chief spokesman for the Justice

Department under beleaguered Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese

III.

White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater says he is “afraid” to put his daily news

briefings on television because the television camera “judges” and “distorts

information. Fitzwater made the comments in responding to requests by

television reporters that their cameras be permitted during a briefing being held

at the White House by a State Department official.

Security Adviser Robert C. McFarlane is identified as an Iran-Contra co-

conspirator in Oliver North’s motion to be tried separately from his three co-

defendants.

Carlos Lehder Rivas , the biggest foreign drug dealer

ever brought to trial in this country, is found guilty of

running a smuggling operation what shipped tons of

cocaine from Colombia to the U.S.

In Winnetka, Illinois - A woman walked into a second-

grade classroom and opened fire with a handgun, killing

an 8-year -old boy and critically wounding five other

people before barricading herself in a nearby home after

shooting a young man.

Week of May 15, 1988

The surgeon general declares that nicotine is addictive like heroin and cocaine.

Eastman Kodak agrees to settle for $150 million a class-action lawsuit resulting

from its now-defunct instant camera line. Kodak stopped selling instant cameras

and instant film after a federal court in 1985 said the company had violated

patents held by Polaroid Corp.

Technology -

IBM is taking steps to ensure it will get back fees for cloning. The company says

it will seek back royalty fees from manufacturers of unauthorized “clones” of its

original line of personal computer before giving them permission to use patents

for IBM’s new PC models. After introducing its first personal computer line in

1981, IBM became the PC leader. But its sales lead eventually narrowed as a

flock of companies - most of which paid no royalties, came on the market with

compatible machines.

Sports - Thomas (Hit Man) Hearns says about his

hero/idol - Muhammad Ali: “Seeing him the way he

is today, it hurts. He went out there one time too

many.” Ali suffers from Parkinson’s syndrome, which

leaves him shaky and his speech slurred.

Radio news -

Rap Radio Show - “Rap It Up” - a two-hour

syndicated radio show is now heard on 22 radio

stations. The show is hosted by Glenn Ford and

Tony DeVon. Jorge Hinojosa, the manager of Sire

rap artist “Ice T” is the show’s business manager.

Entertainment news -

Passing - Voice actor Daws Butler (71) of a heart attack. Mr.

Butler was the voice for numerous and famous Hanna-Barbera

cartoon characters - Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw,

Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Peter Potamus and others.

Fawn Hall , the pretty secretary to Lt. Col.

Oliver North is getting TV deals. This week,

she interviews a Samburu warrior on an ABC-

TV special: “M & W: Men and Women.” And last week, she co-

hosted the syndicated “Hour Magazine.”

Week of May 15, 1988

Music news -

James Brown is released from an Aiken Country (SC) jail after another run-in

sparked by a fight with his wife.

Tommy Mottola , the newly named president of CBS

Records domestic, says he sees no executive changes at

the label.

For “Whitney” and “Whitney Houston” albums - Whitney

Houston becomes the first artist to have two albums certified

for U.S. sales of 6 million or more copies by the RIAA.

Wal-Mart says it will not carry Prince’s “Lovesexy,” album

because of Prince’s suggestive pose on the cover.

David Ruffin, former lead of the Temptations, is in jail after he failed to appear in

a Detroit court to answer a cocaine possession charge.

Salsa is making a big comeback and being played more on all the Spanish-

language New York AM Stations - WJIT, WSKQ, WKDM and WADO. Many are

saying it’s as big now as during its ‘70’s heyday, probably because many Puerto

Rican artists are recording and performing the genre.

Television News -

Heard on MTV’s “Remote Control” - “If you squandered your life watching TV,

‘Remote Control’ is the game for you.” The show features players lounging in la-

Z-Boy recliners waving remote transmitters at an oversize TV set.

Fox Broadcasting will re-new its Sunday night lineup with all-new programs and

will launch a new Monday movie next spring. All Saturday night shows will be

dumped. Its weeknight “Late Show” which has been struggling will have no

changes. Comedian Ross Shafer has been hosting the show for the past month.

Passing - Character actor Andrew Duggan (64).

Saturday night television -

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

NBC - Facts of Life, 227, Golden Girls, Amen, Hunter, Best

of Saturday Night Live

ABC - Movie, Spenser: Fir Hire

HBO - Women of the Night II, Movies

Showtime - Fleetwood Mac Concert

TBS - Nighttracks

Week of May 15, 1988

ESPN - Sportscenter, Pro Wrestling, Auto racing, Karate

Tour of Duty - Percell goes AWOL after shooting a young Vietnamese boy.

Woman of the Night II - Joy Behar, Susie Essman, Carla Filisha, Diane Ford.

Top Album Rock Cuts -

Black and Blue - Van Halen

Only a Memory - The Smithereens

Bruce Hornsby & The Range - The Valley Road

After Midnight - Eric Clapton

The Flame - Cheap Trick

Under the Milky way- The Church

Ten men Workin’ - Neil Young

Rhythm of Love - the scorpions

Ship of Fools - Robert Plant

Beds are Burning - Midnight Oil

Lost in You - Rod Stewart

Top Hits In Britain -

Blue Monday 1988 - New Order

Perfect - Fairground Convention

Theme From S-Xpress - S’Xpress

Loadsamoney - Harry Enfield

I Want You Back - Bananarama

Mary’s Prayer - Danny Wilson

Who’s Leaving Who - Hazell Dean

With a Little…/She’s Leaving Home - Wet Wet Wet

Top Country -

Old Folks - Ronnie Milsap & Mike Reid

Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses - Kathy Mattea

What She Is (Is A Woman In Love) - Earl Thomas Conley

Baby I’m Yours - Steve Wariner

I Told You So - Randy Travis

True Heart - Oak Ridge Boys

No More One More Time - Jo-El Sonnier

He’s Back and I’m Blue - The Desert Rose Band

Young Country - Hank Williams Jr.