A rather packed news week, this first one of December 1991. Hostages were released. Among them were Joseph Cicippio, Terry Anderson and Alann Steen. The William Kennedy Smith rape trial began with testimony from, among others, Sen. Ted Kennedy. Former KKK figure David Duke decided on a run for the Presidential nomination in 1992.
David Duke: “We’ve investigated and looked at Republican primaries across this country and I have decided, and I formally announce today, that I will be a candidate for President of The United States in every primary that we can be placed on the ballot over the next few weeks.”
The economy was its usual self this week in 1991 with the recession going into its 17th month. John Sununu was knee-deep in the travel scandal. The Soviet Union was cutting funding for its Olympic Training facilities casting doubt if they would be showing up for the Barcelona Olympics. The New York Daily News filed for bankruptcy with the owner, British publishing magnate the late Robert Maxwell in big financial trouble. PanAm, whose ads extolling the virtue of making the going great, gave up the ghost and went out of business. Charles Keating was declared guilty over the Lincoln Savings And Loan scandal. Mass murderer Richard Speck died of a heart attack and the Shuttle Atlantis finally came back to earth.
Judging from the amount of news and scandal this December week in 1991, they probably wondered why they came back.