The thread for News on January 27th in 1996 seemed to have a lot to do with standoffs and face-downs. Starting with news that chemical heir John DuPont shot and killed Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz and had barricaded himself in the bedroom of the mansion on his 600 acre estate outside Philadelphia and was forcing a standoff with Police had people wondering about the lethal combination of wealth and mental illness.

A standoff of another kind was averted. This one on Capitol Hill where a Stop-Gap Spending Bill was given an eleventh hour approval and instant signing by President Clinton, thus averting a third threatened government shutdown. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wasn't happy, saying it was all media's fault that he didn't get his way and was promising fireworks when the issue would be creeping up again after March 15th.

Another kind of stand-off/face-down went on with the Whitewater Probe. The Grand Jury had finished hearing testimony of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and there were hints this thing was going to get political, with the ever-present Ken Starr in charge of the probe hinting at further questioning of Clinton in the near future.

And the OJ Simpson Civil Suit trial was put on hold as his Grand Jury Deposition seemed to drag on forever.

But everyone was looking forward to Super Bowl XXX which was scheduled to get going the next day.

When in doubt, throw a football.

And so went this particular day in Paradise, for January 27, 1996 as reported on The CBS World News Roundup.

While our own particular grasp on Planet Earth goes wildly askew today, I thought it would be least sympathetic to look back on another particular April 29th as some sort of assurance that yes, the world has always been at least a little wacko.

So April 29th 1998 comes flashing on the screen - and maybe a dull one by comparison, but not without its own brand of nutiness as a reminder.

On April 29th 1998 the Senate Finance Committee investigated abuses by the IRS, with hearings bringing out stories of thuggery and Police state tactics. Meanwhile, the inimitable Kenneth Starr was shoveling his own stall of detritus with the Whitewater Hearings. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was visiting China, ahead of a state visit by President Clinton. Imelda Marcos, giving a tear-filled concession speech, ended her bid for Presidential election in the Philippines and the hopes for a "get out of jail free" card in the process. Prosecutors in the Unabomber case recommended Ted Kaczynski get Maximum Security Prison since it was felt he was capable of doing anything. Child Day Care workers were discovered to be making on average of $12K a year and most thought that was wildly unfair. Speaking of offspring, there was a call to ban infertility treatments that would result in multiple births. And scientists in England discovered a potential cure for tooth decay by using strains of Tobacco.

But don't take my word for it - here is a broadcast of the CBS World News Roundup for April 29th, 1998.

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