. . . or click on the link here for Audio Player – CBS World News Roundup – May 6, 1995 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection
If you were living in Dallas, this May 6th in 1995, you’d have the dubious distinction of living in the Hail Capital Of The Nation. Softball-sized hail and torrential rains caused some $1/2 billion in damage, as a major storm swept through Dallas the previous night. Responsible for the deaths of 8 people and more than 100 hurt, the storm wrought severe destruction and flooding, tearing off the roofs of homes and businesses and turning parts of the city into a war zone.
And on the subject of turning places into war zones – the Oklahoma City bombing investigation was amping up, with Complicity charges being leveled at Timothy McVeigh‘s Army buddy Terry Nichols, who was reported to have helped put the bombs together and drove the car which McVeigh escaped in. The Justice Department was reported to be preparing a large-scale reorganization of the bombing investigation and would soon announce a Lead Prosecutor in the case. Attorney General Janet Reno angrily rejected the charge that the bombing was justified and pay-back for the Government’s handling of the 1993 Waco Texas/Branch Davidian raid two years earlier. Reno repudiated the claims during an address at a Law Enforcement gathering in Newark New Jersey.
13 men who escaped Cuba on two boats were being forcibly returned to Havana by the U.S. as part of a new repatriation policy which treated Cubans as any other people trying to enter the U.S. illegally.
The fabled and seemingly endless OJ Simpson trial lumbered on, with Jurors sporting T-shirts from a local Pizza restaurant being sent home until Monday. Prosecution was readying its presentation for the DNA evidence portion of the trial, which was expected to be dull as dirt, but crucial in the case against Simpson. The Trial Of The Century was even trying to patience of Judge Lance Ito, who was getting snappy with Prosecution. Meanwhile, the Father and Sister of murder victim Ronald Goldman were filing a Wrongful Death suit against Simpson, alleging he brutally murdered the 25-year old waiter.
U.S./Japan Trade Talks were stalling again over the question of opening Japanese markets to more American made cars and auto parts. Trade representative Mickey Cantor said the talks were marred by Japan’s rigid ideological stance. The question of possible sanctions against Japan was the topic of high-level talks at the White House.
Tokyo was having its own set of problems as two burning bags of chemicals were doused in a busy downtown subway station, just moments before their fumes could have killed many people. it was the fourth incident in just over a month since the nerve gas Sarin was released in a Tokyo Subway, killing a dozen people and sicking 5500.
And Europe was jumping the gun on celebrations for the 50th anniversary of VE Day, which weren’t officially to begin until the 8th. Celebrations were already taking place with many of the participants being thousands of returning veterans for whom it was believed would be their last time to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany. As many as a million people were expected to attend events in London’s Hyde Park alone, with similar events taking place in cities throughout Europe. The only dignitaries missing would be President Clinton and Russia’s Boris Yeltsin. Germany’s Helmut Kohl would be there as part of Germany’s on-going reconciliation process with a solemn commemoration being held in Berlin.
And that’s just a little of what went on this May 6th in 1995, as presented by Mitchell Krauss and The CBS World News Roundup.
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