Anything but a dull week, this one ending December 8th in 1991. Heading the news were reports of the release of long-time hostages Terry Anderson, followed by Joseph Ciccipio and Alann Steen. A collective sigh of relief from the families but there were more hostages waiting to be accounted for.
Among the other news, the William Kennedy Smith rape trial was continuing with cross-examination of the victim characterized as excruciating. And Smith vowed exoneration.
Notable Ku-Klux Klan figure David Duke made his intentions known at a press conference where he announced his candidacy for President in 1992. The Bush camp weren't terribly amused, but then they were dealing with the abrupt departure of John Sununu from the Bush inner circle, along with a report of 6.8% unemployment and a dragging recession, the longest since the 1930's, clocking in at 17 months. One rabid racist didn't seem to be that big a deal in light of the bigger picture.
On the subject of financial troubles for this week in 1991 - PanAm went straight out of business, not able to sustain life under chapter 11. Also filing for bankruptcy was the New York Daily News, with a bigger financial problem and pension fund scandal brewing with the owner Robert Maxwell.
Charles Keating of the famous Lincoln S&L debacle was handed a guilty verdict and was facing a 10 year prison sentence. Crowds outside the court house cheered.
Cheering on the other side of the planet were the people of the Ukraine, who voted hands-down for independence from the Soviet Union. The former "evil empire" was indeed shrinking.
And convicted killer of 8 student nurses in 1966 Richard Speck died of a heart attack at age 49. The original prosecutor in the trial observed that justice, even though it moved slow, moved sure.
So went the week. And a lot of us managed to survive it.
And thanks to ABC World News This Week for December 8, 1991, we get to hear all about it.
