Hello there
You have asked about the top three news stories of the last two months
as reported in the USA. Since this month is not yet completed, I will
go back two and a half months in order to cover a complete two month
period for you.
I will give you the top news stories on a weekly basis as measured by
coverage in The Washington Post, USA Today, and NBC Nightly News -
beginning the week of July, 10 - 16th. Each story has a points rating
system. The story with the most points during the time period will be
the top story. It may also be that there are stories with "tied"
point ratings. When that is the case, then all stories making up the
'tie score' must be considered as of equal importance in the ratings
and you will have to choose which best fits with your needs.
The point system is as follows: - "...5 points for news stories
appearing on the front page of The Washington Post, 3 for stories on
the next two pages of the "A" section, and 1 thereafter. Same formula
for USA Today, except the values are doubled to account for its
national circulation. Stories carried on NBC Nightly News receive 10
points if they run before the first ad break, 6 between the first and
second break, and 2 thereafter. Anchor-read stories earn 2 points
early, 1 point late." You will find this point system explained at
the top of each link I give you.
July, 10 - 16
Taking Account - 197 points - "The bill might have looked yellowed
and cobwebbed a few weeks ago, but the Senate quickly approved an
auditing-accountability bill 97-0. Under the plan, the Securities and
Exchange Commission would create an oversight board for auditors with
the power to set rules, inspect accounting firms, and discipline
wrongdoers, replacing the accounting industry's system of
self-regulation. House and Senate negotiators are eager to reconcile
the Senate bill with a House bill passed in April.
"One proposal wasn't loaded on the bandwagon: requiring the cost of
executive stock options to be counted as an expense. Coca-Cola's stock
rose after its announcement that it would count its options that way.
Other major corporations are considering the change, but many
high-tech firms aren't eager to follow. Microsoft argued that if it
had treated its stock incentives as an expense, its reported profit
would have been $5.1 billion, not $7.3 billion, a 30 percent drop.
—Tim Graham" - - Find it here"
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/07-27-02/opening_7.asp ) -
website of World Magazine
July, 17 - 23
Repeating History? - 186 points - "Tumbling stocks ensured a return
to "The Economy, Stupid" coverage, complete with intimations that
perhaps George Bush the Second was another successful war president
without a knack for boosting economic confidence. The Dow Jones
Industrial Average tumbled below 8,000 for the first time in almost
four years, and market losses have wiped out about $8 trillion of
stock wealth since 2000. Investment advisers like Prudential's Edward
Yardeni said, "I don't recall so much pessimism about both the
short-term and long-term outlook for stocks." Reporters followed the
gloom, detailing every sign of decline from curtailed vacation plans
to sinking 401(k) retirement plans.
"President Bush insisted "the platform for growth is in good shape,"
as the White House touted figures in June showing strong gains in U.S.
industrial production, very low inflation, and further declines in
jobless claims. They hope market concerns help break the deadlock on
granting the president authority to boost demand with new
international trade pacts. —Tim Graham" - -
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/08-03-02/opening_2.asp ) -
website of World Magazine
July, 24 - 30
The Quecreek Nine - (153 points) - "The human-interest value of the
"Quecreek Nine" propelled the 77-hour saga of trapped Pennsylvania
coalminers and the happy ending to TopNews status. Television and
newspaper reports even allowed God to have some of the credit for the
miners' safe rescue after being trapped 240 feet underground. The word
miracle made it into stories on all the major networks, The New York
Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and other papers. At the same
time, the coverage praised the resilience of the miners and the
community. This theme, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was typical:
"[T]hose who saved them and those who prayed for them reflected on the
remarkable triumph of engineering, technology and, most significantly,
the human spirit."
"The miners were trapped after breaching the wall of a flooded and
abandoned mine next to them, releasing a torrent of ground water into
the area where they were working. But rescuers drilled a 26-inch-wide
rescue shaft and lifted the miners to safety one by one. Most of the
rescued miners, after several decades in the business, said it was
time to change jobs. "I've got seven grandkids, and I want to see them
grow up," said Thomas Foy, 51. Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker said
he would appoint a special commission to examine the mining company's
conduct, the state permitting process for mines, and mine accident
rescue procedures. -Tim Graham" - -
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/08-10-02/opening_2.asp) -
website of World Magazine
July, 31 - Aug. 6
Iraq Attack? - 104 points - "Talk in Washington grew hotter about
the prospects of a war to force Saddam Hussein out of Iraq. TeamBush
rejected an Iraqi offer to allow members of Congress to tour suspected
nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons sites. Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld dismissed the idea: "I can't think of anything funnier
than a handful of congressmen walking around. They'd have to be there
walking around for the next 50 years trying to find something. It's a
joke."
"With war talk in the air again, Democrats grew nervous about an
"October Surprise," the possibility that American forces would go in
just weeks before the midterm elections. But Sen. Joseph Biden
(D-Del.) said the president's aides assured him that Congress would
have time to debate military action before any was taken. The debate
is possibly more divided within the administration. Hawks like Vice
President Dick Cheney are growing increasingly frustrated with
opposition to a new war within the Joint Chiefs of Staff. —Tim Graham"
Aug, 7 - 13
Corporate Scandals - 119 points - "While the number of new scoops
waned in the newspapers, NBC kept pounding away at corporate scandals
with seven major stories, including a focus on how many Enron
employees will receive severance packages capped at $13,500, while top
executives like CEO Kenneth Lay left with millions. Reporter Lisa
Myers explained that Republicans are expected to suffer more from
continuing revelations (like NBC's), since they are more closely tied
to business.
"Some stories gained wider play. Revelations that WorldCom improperly
booked another $3.3 million shook the company's plans to emerge from
bankruptcy. ImClone CEO Sam Waksal was charged with multiple counts of
securities fraud for tipping off insiders to the financial impact of
the Food and Drug Administration's rejecting quick approval of
ImClone's colorectal cancer drug Erbitux. Congressional committees are
now talking about subpoenas for Waksal friend Martha Stewart, who sold
her $227,000 pot of ImClone shares the day before the company
announced the FDA ruling. —Tim Graham"
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/08-24-02/opening_4.asp ) -
website of World Magazine
Aug, 14 - 20
A Lingering Memory - 95 points - "The anniversary coverage of Sept.
11 promises to last for several weeks. In reviewing the chaos
following the terrorist attack, New York City officials are admitting
to reporters that poor training and communications equipment marred
the emergency response. Reports prepared at the city's request by the
management consultant McKinsey and Company suggest that a century-old
rivalry between the police and fire departments may have been
responsible for lost lives.
"Anticipating another attack, the Bush administration has approved a
plan designed to evacuate all federal workers within 15 minutes of a
threat of an impending biological, chemical, or radiological assault.
The plan would empower the directors of three federal agencies-the
Office of Personnel Management, the General Services Administration,
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency-to release up to 350,000
government workers in the Washington area and 1.8 million nationwide
once a threat is confirmed. -Tim Graham" - -
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/08-31-02/opening_8.asp ) -
website of World Magazine
Aug, 21 - 27
Deja Vu all over Again? - 119 points - "If U.S. forces finally hit
Iraq, the initial strike will have to be the most telegraphed punch in
the history of modern warfare. A small media uproar surrounded
TeamBush arguments that the president can launch an attack on Iraq
without approval from Congress. Administration officials argued the
1991 Gulf War resolution authorized the use of force against Iraq to
enforce UN Security Council resolutions on weapons of mass
destruction, resolutions with which Saddam Hussein has failed to
comply.
"More than any other topic, the debate starred figures from the first
Bush presidency, with old Bush hands like former National Security
Adviser Brent Scowcroft and Secretary of State James Baker arguing
against military action. In a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars
in Nashville, Vice President Dick Cheney-defense secretary during the
last war on Iraq-represented the hawkish view, saying that while some
think "until he [Saddam] crosses the threshold of actually possessing
nuclear weapons, we should rule out any pre-emptive action. That logic
seems to me deeply flawed." c -Tim Graham" - -
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/09-07-02/opening_3.asp ) -
website of World Magazine
Aug, 28 - Sept 3
Chatty & Wealthy - 190 points - "The search for potential terror
attacks focused on Sweden, where a 29-year-old Muslim named Kerim
Chatty was arrested for trying to smuggle a firearm onto a flight to
London. Mr. Chatty's contacts with violent Muslim radicals in prison
and a bumbled set of lessons at a South Carolina flight school in 1996
led Swedish authorities to deny bail requests. An avid bodybuilder,
Mr. Chatty was jailed in 1997 for brawling with U.S Marines in a
Stockholm bar and had been convicted of several firearm offenses.
"International teams working to separate al-Qaeda from their funding
sources are not always succeeding. U.S. investigators told The
Washington Post that financial officers of al-Qaeda and the Taliban
have quietly shipped large quantities of gold out of Pakistan to Sudan
in recent weeks, enough gold to indicate that the terrorist forces
still have large financial reserves. Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan
from 1991 to 1996."
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/09-14-02/opening_4.asp ) -
website of World Magazine
Sept, 4 - 10
Vote of the Decade - 299 points - "President Bush wants a
congressional vote authorizing an attack on Iraq's dictatorship by
mid-October, when Congress will want to adjourn so members can return
home to run for reelection: "I will seek congressional support for
U.S. action to do whatever is necessary to deal with the threat posed
by Saddam Hussein's regime."
"Democrats who received classified briefings from TeamBush said the
information did not persuade them to hold a pre-election vote.
Democrat leaders don't want war to overshadow a domestic-spending
political agenda they believe will favor them in the fall elections.
Senate leader Tom Daschle put his aides to work researching former
Sen. Bob Dole's rationale for holding off an Iraq war resolution as
the 1990 elections approached. The vote was held in January 1991.
"In public, Democrats argued the proximity of the fall elections would
somehow taint the war debate: "I do not believe the decision should be
made in the frenzy of an election year," said Rep. Tom Lantos
(D-Calif.), who supports ousting Saddam Hussein. Republicans argued
there is no more crucial political question, and voters should not be
shielded from it: "People are going to want to know, before the
elections, where their representatives stand," said Rep. Tom Davis
(R-Va.). "This could be the vote of the decade, so why wait?"
"The stakes are even higher for the United Nations: "Will the United
Nations serve the purpose of its founding," President Bush challenged
the world body in a speech, "or will it be irrelevant?" The
president's tough Sept. 12 speech put timid domestic and international
leaders on the spot by declaring that Saddam has already "made the
case against himself." Mr. Bush said he was prepared to lead the
United States to "make that stand" against an Iraqi dictatorship that
has engaged in a "decade of defiance" of multiple UN resolutions.
"Delegates to the United Nations," he said, "you have the power to
make that stand, as well!"
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/09-21-02/opening_4.asp ) -
website of World Magazine
Sept, 11 - 17
Arrested Development - 234 points - "The atmosphere of uncertainty
about where and when the war on al-Qaeda would move next ended when
Pakistani authorities captured major operative Ramzi Binalshibh, 30,
and turned him over to U.S. authorities. In initial interrogations,
Pakistani authorities said Mr. Binalshibh readily admitted his
involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks, but would not give away al-Qaeda
names or locations. Said one American official: "He's got American
blood all over his hands," including the 2000 bombing of the U.S.S.
Cole, which killed 17 U.S. sailors.
"The focus also veered to the Buffalo suburb of Lackawanna, N.Y.,
where five Yemeni-Americans were arrested on charges that they
provided support to al-Qaeda forces. Some of the defendants said the
group was present at the terror group's camp near Kandahar,
Afghanistan, when Osama bin Laden visited. If prosecutors prove they
were admitted to the camp, convicting them of aiding al-Qaeda should
be easy, since admittance usually requires an oath of allegiance."
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/09-28-02/opening_5.asp ) -
website of World Magazine
Sept, 18 - 24
Strike 16, Strike 17... - 271 points - "TeamBush worked hard to prod
the United Nations into a new resolution demanding that Iraq disarm,
instead of enforcing the 16 resolutions Iraq has violated for years.
Iraqi officials made clear they would not obey any new resolutions.
The president stressed again that the UN had the choice between
relevance and weakness, and "for the sake of world peace, I hope
they're relevant."
"Political warfare broke out when Washington Post reporter Dana
Milbank reported that the president said in New Jersey on Sept. 23
that Senate Democrats are "not interested in the security of the
American people." Two days later, Majority Leader Tom Daschle took to
the Senate floor, accused the president of politicizing the Iraq
debate, and belted out this emotional vibrato: "You tell those who
fought in Vietnam and in World War II they are not interested in the
security of the American people. That is outrageous."
"Mr. Bush was referring not to Iraq, but to the Department of Homeland
Security bill, and did not directly refer to Democrats. "The House
responded, but the Senate is more interested in special interests in
Washington and not interested in the security of the American people."
The Washington Post's editing of the president's remarks removed
important context. Two sentences later, Mr. Bush added, "And people
are working hard in Washington to get it right in Washington, both
Republicans and Democrats. See, this isn't a partisan issue. This is
an American issue." In July, 88 House Democrats voted for the bill the
president wants to sign."
( http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/10-05-02/opening_2.asp ) website
of World Magazine
That takes us up to three days ago.
The top three stories for the time period covered are:
1 - Sept, 4 - 10 - Vote of the Decade - 299 points - regarding
congressional vote dealing with attack on Iraq.
2 - Sept, 18 - 24 - Strike 16, Strike 17... - 271 points - regarding
G. Bush and the United Nations and related homeland security issues.
3 - Sept, 11 - 17 - Arrested Development - 234 points - regarding the
next moves in the war on terrorism.
The synopsis of each of the stories included above provide clues as to
public reaction and governmental positions. Also when you scroll down
and review other stories on each of these pages, you will often find
reactions and public sentiments relating to the lead story. The
website I am recommending is basic "one stop shopping" covering all
the information you requested.
If I may clarify anything, please ask.
Cheers
digsalot |
