Evening Newscasts Wrap

W A S H I N G T O N, June 21, 2004 —
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LEADS:

ABC and CBS lead with violence in Iraq. ABC: Martha Raddatz/ CBS: Kimberly Dozier. NBC leads with the Supreme Court ruling in favor of HMOs. Pete Williams reports.

Peter Jennings: "The latest ABC News - Washington Post poll finds that more than half of Americans now believe that the war was not worth fighting."

SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF HMOs:

Peter Jennings intro: "The court ruled that patients may not use state courts to sue HMOs for malpractice if they refuse to pay for treatment their doctors believe is necessary. It could save the HMOs millions of dollars." ABC's Manuel Medrano reports that the insurance industry is satisfied, having previously argued that lawsuits for damages only served to drive up medical costs. However, patients' rights advocates argue that because HMOs are profit driven, only the threat of lawsuits will hold them accountable for negligent decisions. There is now growing demand for lawmakers to pass a national patients' bill of rights.

NBC's Pete Williams reports Texas and a handful of other states allowed lawsuits against HMOs for malpractice to get compensation for harm suffered, but today the Supreme Court says state lawsuits will now violate federal law. Today the nation's HMOs say it will help quell the cost of Medicare. But patients' rights group say without lawsuits, patients lose leverage. NBC's Chip Reid reports on the effect the ruling will have on patients. With legal remedies for HMO malpractice all but eliminated today, in Congress some HMO critics say the decision is just what they need to reinvigorate the patients' rights movement. Congressman Dingle says he'll reintroduce the patient's bill of rights this week. Legal experts say without congressional action, patients will have little legal recourse after today's decision.

CBS' Wyatt Andrews reports the ruling is a "huge victory" for HMOs, but patients call the decision an "injustice." Andrews says this ends the Constitutional issue, but will "energize" it as a political/election issue.

NADER CHOSES A RUNNING MATE:

Peter Jennings reports "Ralph Nader has picked a running-mate. A Green Party activist from California, Peter Camejo. The choice increases Mr. Nader's chances of appearing on the ballot in at least 22 states where the Green Party has a line on the ballot. Mr. Camejo got nearly three percent of the vote in the California governor's race."

Tom Brokaw reports "in the race for President tonight, a candidate has picked a Vice Presidential running mate. Ralph Nader, an Independent, has chosen Peter Camejo who recently ran as the Green Party candidate for Governor of California. He heads an investment firm that supports companies with pro-environmental policies."

NEW FOOTAGE FROM RATHER'S CLINTON INTERVIEW:

Rather asks Clinton about bin Laden and North Korea. Clinton knew immediately it was bin Laden who was behind 9/11. Rather reports that Clinton says he did everything he could to capture bin Laden: "To the best of my knowledge, it is not true that we were ever offered him by the Sudanese…it's total bull." Regarding North Korea, the U.S. was never near the point of going to war, but the situation between the two countries was "very serious" in 1994. Clinton was "very determined" that North Korea not become a nuclear power. Clinton says Bush and other world leaders have to find a way to keep North Korea from becoming a "permanent nuclear power" because the country would be just too dangerous: not because North Korea would use the weapons, but because it would sell them.

CLINTON'S BOOK:

NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports former President Clinton is trying to shape his legacy by writing his version of history. The 10 million dollar advance is one of the biggest book rollouts in public history. He has 19 book signings in the next month and TV appearances galore. In Time Magazine, Clinton said former prosecutor Ken Starr "bankrupted us. He ruined us financially." Today Starr told NBC News "I understand the depth of his feelings. People tend not to like us prosecutors very much." Clinton's apparent goal is to get even with enemies like Starr and other targets like former FBI Director Louis Freeh and Yasser Arafat, shape his legacy, etc. Today he is once again red meat for conservative critics. The New York Times' Book Review called the book "sloppy, self indulgent, and often eye-crossingly dull." But with advanced orders of 1.5 million, Clinton's book is number one on Amazon and bad reviews may not matter at all.

PRISONER ABUSE HEARINGS:

Peter Jennings reports "still in Baghdad, there were pre-trial hearings today for three of the American soldiers accused in the prisoner abuse scandal. One of the defense attorneys did not turn up. He said he was concerned about security. The judge ruled that the Abu Ghraib prison was a crime scene and should not be demolished - which contradicts President Bush. He also ruled that the defense could question several of the most senior commanders in the military."

GITMO BAY DETAINEES:

CBS' David Martin reports many Guantanamo detainees are in "legal limbo." Most prisoners at Guantanamo are not, as Cheney had said, "the worst of a very bad lot." Also, the Pentagon is planning to release memos showing what interrogation techniques Rumsfeld okayed, including "water boarding."

CONNECTICUT GOVERNOR ROWLAND RESIGNS

NBC's Tom Costello reports Connecticut Governor Rowland called it quits today, facing mounting allegations that he had faced bribes and kick backs. Once Rowland was a Republican rising star in liberal New England, but in 2002 the allegations came. This is not the only case of corruption in Connecticut. Rowland's troubles are not over. He is still the focus of a federal investigation.

ABC:

1. News of the day from Iraq (Martha Raddatz, the Pentagon) 2. Exclusive repor: these days, a band of militants called the Mahdi army has made Sadr city one of the most dangerous places in Iraq. (Jim Sciutto, Sadr City, Iraq) 3. Pre-trial hearings for three of the American soldiers accused in the prisoner abuse scandal. 4. The government of Iran said today it had arrested eight British sailors and seized three British navy boats inside its waters near Iraq. 5. The Supreme Court awarded a significant victory to the nation's HMOs (Manuel Medrano, Washington) 6. Nader chooses a running mate 7. The first privately financed manned space mission. (Brian Rooney, Mojave, California) 8. Today's successful launch marks a major step toward the commercialization of space flight. (John Berman, New York) 9. A new study has concluded that only a very small number of women follow the American Cancer Society's recommendations on mammograms. 10. The US Geological Survey has said that drought conditions gripping some western states could be the worst since 1594. (Ned Potter, New York) 11. In Britain today, about 20 thousand people made the annual pilgrimage to Stonehenge in southern England to celebrate the summer solstice. 12. Martina Navratilova won her first singles match at Wimbledon in ten years. 13. More than 20 cities have either banned or restricted circuses in their areas (Bill Redeker, Denver, Colorado)

NBC:

1. Supreme Court rules in favor of HMOs (Pete Williams, Supreme Court) 2. How does the ruling affect patients (Chip Reid, the Capitol) 3. Supreme Court ruled there is no constitutional right to deny giving your name to policeman investigating a crime. 4. Pre-trial hearings for American soldiers accused in the prisoner abuse scandal. (Richard Engel, Baghdad) 5. First hearing for Lynndie England coming soon (Jim Miklaszewski, Pentagon) 6. South Korea has refused to give into demand of hostage takers. 7. Iran says today that it seized three British patrol boats today inside its waters near Iraq. 8. The Governor of Connecticut is facing a corruption scandal and impeachment (Tom Costello, Hartford, Connecticut) 9. New questions whether other Saudis inside the security forces have been helping al Qaeda with recent attacks in Saudi Arabia (Lisa Meyers, Washington) 10. Ralph Nader chooses a running mate. 11. Clinton's Book has already paid off (Andrea Mitchell, Washington) 12. The Dow was off more than 45 points today. 13. It was just like old times for Martina Navratilova today. 14. Man heads into space in a privately funded space flight (George Lewis, Mojave, California)

CBS:

1. Deadly day in Iraq with 4 dead Marines, kidnapped South Korean -- and more violence is on the horizon (Kimberly Dozier, Baghdad) 2. Iran captures British boats 3. Abu Ghraib declared a crime scene, so it cannot be destroyed 4. Many Guantanamo detainees are in "legal limbo" (David Martin, Pentagon) 5. Supreme Court police case decision) 6. Supreme Court HMO decision (Wyatt Andrews, Washington) 7. First flight into space by private pilot (Bill Whitaker, Mojave Desert) 8. Rebels take over parts of Nazran in Chechnya 9. Bill Clinton on terrorism -- new footage from Rather's 60 Minutes interview (Dan Rather pkg) 10. Connecticut Governor John Rowland resigns 11. Mattresses are not fire-safe (John Blackstone, Sacramento, CA) 12. There are many more Giant Pandas than we first thought (Barry Peterson, Beijing, China)