Because of technical difficulties, Today’s Papers will not appear today. As a substitute, here are some links to the day’s top stories. Today’s Papers will return tomorrow.
The big story of the day is the Senate’s passage of permanent normal trade relations with China. The New York Times has the story here, calling it one of President Clinton’s “crowning foreign policy goals.” The bill passed 83-15. The Washington Post leads with PNTR for China as well, saying its passage heightens “the prospect of a historic economic opening by the world’s most populous country.” The Los Angeles Times calls it “the most significant step in U.S. policy toward China since the two countries opened diplomatic relations in 1979.” USA Today says PNTR “paves the way for U.S. companies to gain greater access to China’s vast market of 1.3 billion consumers.” The story tops the Wall Street Journal’s worldwide news box, too.
The NYT fronts a big picture of George W. Bush on the Oprah Winfrey show above the fold. The story leads with Bush’s comment on the public’s biggest misperception of him: “I’m running on my daddy’s name,” he said. “You know, if my name was George Jones I’d be a country and western singer.” The WP fronts a picture of Bush and Oprah as well. The WP story leads with Bush’s favorite things: “sandwich (peanut butter and jelly on white), what he can’t live without (running) and his favorite historical figure (Churchill).”
The NYT fronts word that NBC’s ratings for the Olympics are the worst ever. NBC suggests three reasons for the low ratings: A late-September Olympics is forced to compete with National Football League games and the baseball pennant race, the 24-hour news cycle means that viewers already know the results before NBC broadcasts tape-delayed events, and the subpar performances of the U.S. gymnastics teams have lowered interest.
Evidence of NBC’s plight might be found in the WP, which off-leads Norv Turner’s decision to stick with Brad Johnson as the starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins. The Olympics get a reefer box at the bottom-right corner of the page.
The WP also fronts Joel Klein’s resignation as head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division.
The LAT and WP front stories on yesterday’s Cuban plane crash, in which nine Cubans were rescued at sea after trying to flee the country. One body was pulled from the ocean, the LAT reports.
