DECEMBER 14, 1969

Full News Archive

• Headline: Boxing Inquiry Reveals Mafia Connections. Impact: If Brenner hadn't been subpoenaed, boxing might have remained a 'gentleman's sport'—and who knows, maybe we'd have a boxing league full of poets and philosophers instead of modern-day gladiators.. Fact: Subpoenas: the official way to say, 'We need to talk about your shady dealings.'.
• Headline: Housing Plans Near Mental Hospitals. Impact: Had the state built housing on hospital land, it might have sparked a suburban real estate boom, leading to a reality where everyone’s neighbor is a former mental health patient—because nothing says 'community' like shared anxiety.. Fact: Urban planning: because someone has to decide where to put the houses next to the insane asylums..
• Headline: New England Liquor Price War Conference. Impact: This price war might have sparked a national trend of liquor stores becoming the new battleground for capitalism—next thing you know, we're all fighting over who gets the last bottle of overpriced gin.. Fact: Massachusetts and New Hampshire: proving that even liquor prices can incite regional rivalries..
• Headline: Editorial Cartoon 3 -- No Title. Impact: This cartoon may have inspired future generations of artists to use their pens instead of their fists—though judging by modern political cartoons, the fists are still quite popular.. Fact: Editorial cartoons: the original memes, only with more ink and less cat videos..
• Headline: Is It Essential to Classify Klee?. Impact: If Klee had been properly classified earlier, we might have seen an entire movement of Klee-inspired art that made modern art less confusing and more... well, still confusing, but at least it would have had a backstory.. Fact: Klee: the artist who proved that a simple line can have more meaning than most political speeches..
• Headline: Tactics on Panthers. Impact: The systematic effort to eliminate the Black Panther movement could be viewed as the moment when the government decided that civil rights were optional—an idea that would echo through decades of activism and oppression.. Fact: The Black Panthers: proving that sometimes, even in a democracy, you have to fight for your rights... with a side of breakfast..
• Headline: Justice Department Stand on Pretrial Detention. Impact: The Justice Department’s stance could have set a precedent for pretrial detention laws, leading to a future where 'innocent until proven guilty' became more of a suggestion than a rule.. Fact: Pretrial detention: where the legal system takes 'better safe than sorry' to a whole new level of inconvenience..
• Headline: TWO SOVIET AIDES ARE LEAVING CHINA; Negotiators Are Expected to Consult in Moscow on Border Talks. Impact: The departure of Soviet aides could be seen as a pivotal moment that influenced how international negotiations unfold—imagine if they had just decided to stay and host a tea party instead.. Fact: Soviet diplomats: masters of the art of leaving right when things get interesting..