The Week July 3 -9

NATION

The Simpson Case

After six days of testimony in a California courtroom and on national television, Judge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell ruled -- not unexpectedly -- that there was sufficient evidence to order O.J. Simpson to stand trial for the < murders of his ex-wife and her friend. As part of its case, the prosecution called a police expert who testified that some blood found near the murder victims matched Simpson's -- a match, the expert said, that existed for only 0.43% of the population. Earlier, in a major defeat for the defense, Judge Kennedy-Powell ruled that because police feared an emergency situation after spotting blood on Simpson's Bronco on the night of the murder, they acted properly when they entered Simpson's property without a warrant.

Fatal Fires and Floods

Record heat and extreme drought combined to ignite the fire season in 11 Western states. On Colorado's Storm King Mountain, 14 fire fighters were killed when they were overtaken by a wind-whipped blaze. In the East, heavy rainfall from the stalled remnants of tropical storm Alberto caused severe flooding in Georgia and Alabama, claiming 24 lives.

N.Y.P.D. Blues

Releasing the final report of a two-year corruption probe into the New York City police department, a special commission concluded that a "willfully blind" system of accountability in the nation's largest police force had permitted highly organized "crews" of rogue officers to deal drugs, skim money and terrorize residents. Despite pockets of corruption, the commission stressed, most N.Y.P.D. officers were honest.

A B.C.C.I. Plea Bargain

In one of the most significant developments in the U.S. prosecution of the global financial scandal involving the Bank of Credit & Commerce International, the former chief executive of the bank, Saleh Naqvi, pleaded guilty to broad federal charges including fraud.

Yes, It Really Happened

Correcting a previously flawed study, the American Jewish Committee released a new Roper poll showing that 91% of Americans believe the Nazi Holocaust really happened. A 1992 Roper poll set off alarm bells when a confusing question yielded results indicating that 22% doubted that the Nazi extermination of Jews occurred.

AIDS Czar Resigns

Kristine Gebbie submitted her resignation as President Clinton's AIDS policy officer. Several dissatisfied AIDS groups had criticized her lack of political savvy. No successor has been named.

WORLD

The "Great Leader" Dies

North Korean ruler Kim Il Sung died of a heart attack at age 82. The world's most durable communist leader, he had ruled his country since 1948. His death came just as U.S. and North Korean negotiators were meeting in Geneva to resume discussions over North Korea's nuclear program. Kim's heir apparent is his son Kim Jong Il, 53, known as "Dear Leader."

Zigging and Zagging on Haiti