The Week

□ Mr. Sam Walton, proprietor of the Wal-Mart chain, lost $1.1 billion—yes, billion—on Black Monday, and just shrugged.

□ To counter the anti-minority image Robert Bork’s enemies were busily limning, a black law professor named John T. Baker planned to testify in Bork’s favor before the Senate Judiciary Committee. But the day before he was set to appear, Baker got a phone call from an old acquaintance, Linda Greene, who warned him that he would get a tough grilling, and his personal and professional reputation could be badly hurt. Did he really want to go through with it? Baker decided he didn’t, and cancelled his appearance. When the story came to light, Miss Greene insisted she’d called Baker strictly as a friend: it was incidental that she works for a Judiciary subcommittee headed by Howard Metzenbaum. Fortunately for her, members of Congress and their staffs are immune from prosecution under laws against tampering with witnesses.

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□ Mr. Sam Walton, proprietor of the Wal-Mart chain, lost $1.1 billion—yes, billion—on Black Monday, and just shrugged.

□ To counter the anti-minority image Robert Bork’s enemies were busily limning, a black law professor named John T. Baker planned to testify in Bork’s favor before the Senate Judiciary Committee. But the day before he was set to appear, Baker got a phone call from an old acquaintance, Linda Greene, who warned him that he would get a tough grilling, and his personal and professional reputation could be badly hurt. Did he really want to go through with it? Baker decided he didn’t, and cancelled his appearance. When the story came to light, Miss Greene insisted she’d called Baker strictly as a friend: it was incidental that she works for a Judiciary subcommittee headed by Howard Metzenbaum. Fortunately for her, members of Congress and their staffs are immune from prosecution under laws against tampering with witnesses.