MARCH 24, 1939

Full News Archive

• Headline: Eccles Pushes Congress on Spending Cuts. Impact: ECCLES' challenge to Congress to slash spending caused a ripple effect leading to the invention of the modern-day budget meme. This meme later became a favorite among college students, who thought budgeting was just a suggestion rather than a necessity.. Fact: Political speeches: where half the room is confused and the other half is just waiting for the free snacks..
• Headline: PAUL KAWECKI; Assistant Deputy Chief Clerk of Court a War Veteran. Impact: Paul Kawecki's job as Assistant Deputy Chief Clerk of Court led to a nationwide movement of veterans seeking bureaucratic jobs, inadvertently causing an explosion of paperwork that still haunts government offices to this day.. Fact: Being an Assistant Deputy Chief Clerk is like being a superhero without the cool powers—unless you consider the ability to find lost papers a superpower..
• Headline: DR. CLIFTON D. BRIGGS, ATTENDED CLEVELAND; Once Physician for President and Family at Summer Home. Impact: Dr. Clifton D. Briggs' connection to the presidential family led to an unusual trend of presidents seeking out former family doctors. This resulted in a bizarre 'doctor of choice' competition, where candidates bragged about their medical history rather than their policies.. Fact: Being a physician for a president must be exhausting—imagine having to keep up with their health AND their Twitter accounts..
• Headline: BIGGEST FARM BILL REPORTED TO HOUSE WITH PARITY PLAN; $1,067,274,427 Measure, Far Above Budget Figure, Goes In as Vote Trade Is Talked INVOLVES FUND FOR RELIEF Rural-Urban Groups May Unite to Pass Both Bills in Setback to the Economy Drive Talk of a Pooling of Interests BIGGEST FARM BILL REPORTED TO HOUSE Large Sum for Soil Conserving Woodrum Attacks the Bill. Impact: The biggest farm bill being reported to the House caused rural-urban divisions that lasted generations, eventually spawning a reality TV show called 'Farm Wars' where farmers and city folks traded barbs over who really knows how to raise crops.. Fact: Farm bills are basically Congress's way of saying, 'We care about your corn, but not your emotional well-being.'.
• Headline: CITY AIDE REINSTATED AFTER 5-YEAR FIGHT; Court Compromise Restores Pension Rights to J.M. Kelly. Impact: J.M. Kelly's reinstatement after a long fight set a precedent for future employees to think they can always get their job back. This led to the invention of the phrase 'You can't fire me; I know the law!'—a favorite among disgruntled workers.. Fact: Pensions are like unicorns—everyone talks about them, but very few ever see them in real life..
• Headline: Salvadorean Fliers Fete Italian. Impact: The celebration of Salvadorean fliers returning to Italy ignited a series of cultural exchanges that ultimately led to the invention of pasta tacos, a culinary masterpiece that no one asked for but everyone pretended to love.. Fact: Flying might seem glamorous, but the real magic happens when you realize how many snacks you can smuggle on board..
• Headline: MRS. CHARLES H. POND; Wife of Former Executive With J. P. Morgan & Co. Dies. Impact: The death of Mrs. Charles H. Pond highlighted the hidden struggles of women in the corporate world, sparking a movement that would eventually push for gender equality in corporate boardrooms—just not until after a few more decades of 'the good old boys' club'.. Fact: Being a corporate wife in the early 20th century was like being a trophy but without the shiny polish—just silent support and a lot of tea parties..
• Headline: HINES GETS 4 YEARS; MOVES TO APPEAL AS STRYKER QUITS; IS LOCKED IN TOMBS Tammany Leader's Age Is Weighed by Court in Sentencing LITTLETON NOW COUNSEL Writ Granted in Fight Against Verdict--Nott Warns of Attacks on Witnesses Sentenced to serve four to eight years in jail for his part in the Arthur (Dutch Schultz) Flegenheimer policy racket, James J. Hines, Tammany district leader, began serving the term yesterday in the Tombs Prison, leaving his cell only to confer with lawyers on an immediate appeal. Others on List Sentencing Is Brief HINES GETS 4 YEARS ON POLICY CHARGES Sons Are in Court Put in Single Cell SCHULTZ AIDE IS HELD Girsch, Fugitive Since '37, CoDefendant in Policy Case. Impact: James J. Hines' sentencing sent shockwaves through Tammany Hall, causing a ripple effect that led to the eventual rise of reality TV crime shows, where viewers could watch the downfall of corrupt leaders from the comfort of their couches.. Fact: Tammany Hall: where the real drama was less about politics and more about who had the best backroom deals—and possibly the worst hairstyles..