DECEMBER 5, 1997

Full News Archive

• Headline: New Jersey Assembly Overrides Abortion Veto. Impact: This vote set off a chain reaction where lawmakers everywhere began to think they could actually override decisions. Next thing you know, cats were leading parades for women's rights, and everyone was wearing purple hats. The world became a much more colorful place.. Fact: Did you know that overriding a veto is like a game of 'who's more stubborn' between politicians? Spoiler alert: they both lose..
• Headline: NBA's Firm Stand on Player Conduct. Impact: Sprewell’s suspension made it fashionable for athletes to behave badly, leading to a boom in reality TV shows featuring ex-athletes. Because nothing says 'role model' like a former star with a penchant for dramatics.. Fact: Fun fact: the NBA's strong action against Sprewell was about as surprising as finding out that water is wet..
• Headline: India Schedules Early Elections in 1998. Impact: This premature election call sparked a trend of political instability that would lead to endless cycles of elections. Kind of like that time you tried to fix your relationship by going on a romantic getaway, only to realize you both forgot how to communicate.. Fact: Did you know that in India, calling for new elections is like refreshing your social media feed? You just keep hoping something better will show up..
• Headline: With the Federal Deficit Falling, The President Weighs a Tax Cut. Impact: Clinton's musings about tax cuts led to a national obsession with budget surpluses, causing people to start hoarding money like it was going out of style. The Great Piggy Bank Crisis of the late '90s was born.. Fact: A tax cut proposal is basically the political equivalent of a cookie jar: everyone wants a piece, but nobody wants to clean up the mess afterward..
• Headline: Student Tickets at Ailey. Impact: The introduction of student tickets created a future where every arts organization started offering discounts, leading to a generation of broke art students who now have more cultural knowledge than money.. Fact: Did you know student tickets are just a polite way of saying, 'We know you can’t afford this, but we still want you to feel cultured... for cheap'?.
• Headline: Atlantic City and State Battling on Crowded Schools. Impact: The battle over school space led to a nationwide trend of school overcrowding, ultimately resulting in 'classroom camping' becoming a popular sport among students. Who knew learning could be an extreme sport?. Fact: In case you were wondering, the only thing more crowded than Atlantic City schools was the line for the nearest buffet..
• Headline: Governors I. Urged as Site For a Casino. Impact: The idea of a casino on Governors Island initiated a trend of urban gambling that would eventually lead to the proliferation of casinos everywhere, turning cities into adult playgrounds. Because who needs parks when you have slot machines?. Fact: Fun fact: proposing a casino on a historic site is like suggesting a pizza place in a yoga studio. Totally logical, right?.
• Headline: CHRONICLE. Impact: Stan Fischler’s book launch at the Transit Museum inadvertently created a culture of subway nostalgia that would inspire countless hipsters to start collecting vintage metro maps. The hipster subway guidebook is a direct descendant of this event.. Fact: Did you know that the Subway Museum is like Disneyland for urbanites? No rides, just a lot of nostalgia and weird smells..
• Headline: S.E.C. Staff Accuses KPMG Peat Marwick of Securities Violations. Impact: This accusation kicked off a new era of accounting scrutiny, where accountants started showing up to work in bulletproof vests. The 'accounting wars' of the early 2000s were just around the corner.. Fact: Fun fact: 'Securities violations' is just a fancy way of saying, 'Oops, we might have played with fire and set the whole place ablaze.'.
• Headline: Adelma Grenier Simmons, 93, Authority on Herbs, Is Dead. Impact: Simmons' passing marked the end of an era in herbal medicine, leading to a resurgence of interest in alternative therapies. Whole Foods stock soared as everyone tried to channel their inner herbalist.. Fact: Adelma Grenier Simmons was basically the original Pinterest board for herbal remedies—before Pinterest was even a thing. Talk about ahead of her time!.