Russia's president Boris Yeltsin is back at the Kremlin after taking a few days off at a rural retreat. Meanwhile, his country slides into economic chaos as the value of the rouble falls faster than lead. Their market plunge, apparently triggered by the government's decision to devalue the rouble (while all the time denying that they were doing so), restructuring of domestic debt and defaulting on some foreign debts, was accelerated by the central bank's decision to indefinitely suspend all foreign currency trade on a key exchange. The Russian Trading System's benchmark RTS1-Interfax shares were at their lowest recorded levels ever since its introduction in '95. Millions of Russians have made a run on the banks, attempting to swap roubles for dollars.

Just a bit of a financial recap here: German stocks tumbled five percent; Britain's FTSE 100 index slid more than four percent. France's also lost over four percent. Wall Street plunged 357 points, or 4.19 percent. Tokyo responded by dropping to its lowest level in 12 years, down 3.46 percent. The dollar, generally a safe haven during times such as this, was not spared as it dropped, too. According to the chief economist at Morgan Stanley (Japan) Ltd. "The drops are so large, it's not just fundamentals driving this, people are scared."

Madrid plunged eight percent and Athens plunged more than seven percent. The sad state of share markets was punctuated by the flight to bonds, with German Bunds and British gilts being pushed to record highs in the wake of gains by U.S. treasuries. Gold opened in Europe at a new 18-1/2 year low of $275.40 an ounce as Australian gold producers continued unloading bullion and the market was holding its breath due to concern that Russia might be forced to sell some of its gold reserves. Thursday's trading at the New York Stock Exchange was the second-biggest volume day ever - but that is not taken as a good sign. There is also concern developing over Latin American economies being pulled into this turmoil.

Wednesday August 26 about 2:00 CST plasma from a solar eruption impacted the Earth's magnetic field causing a sudden storm commencement (ssc) and the possible beginning of a significant geomagnetic storm. A series of solar X-ray events have been reported by NOAA's Space Environment Center since August 19. These events can potentially cause auroral activity that could be seen in the continental U.S. It is difficult to predict whether the storm will become severe or not. The Sun emits not only light but a continuous stream of charged particles or plasma, known as the "solar wind." It travels at more than a million miles per hour. The Earth's magnetic field protects us from this deadly particle radiation. If conditions are right, eruptions on the Sun can hit the Earth, resulting in large erratic fluctuations in the magnetic field that can cause power outages, satellite failures, disruption in communications, and the aurora borealis. The number of geomagnetic storms on Earth increase and decrease in concert with an 11-year sunspot cycle. The next solar sunspot maximum is scheduled to occur in the year 2000, and as our dependence on sophisticated electronic equipment grows, so does our vulnerability to the effects of these storms.

Solar winds blowing at more than a million miles per hour hit the Earth's magnetic field on Wednesday. U.S. government scientists say this could be a significant geomagnetic storm. The U.S. Geological Survey said charged particles from a solar eruption hit the Earth's magnetic field about 2 am CDT. Resulting fluctuations in the field could possibly cause power outages, satellite failures, disruption in communications, and the aurora borealis. Some accounts have indicated the aurora being seen from northern California, northern Utah, and Denver. A severe magnetic storm in March 1989 caused the collapse of the Hydro-Quebec power system in Canada, leaving about six million people without power.

By day, he was a defendant on trial for allegedly laundering $770,000 in drug profits through his demolition business. By night, he was working with the very people who were prosecuting him in an attempt to catch three people trying to tamper with his jury. During a break in the trial, the defendant, Thomas Schwab, 43, was approached by two men. One of the men had a cousin on the jury who would deadlock the deliberations and deliver a mistrial, for the right price. Schwab notified his lawyer, who alerted the court and prosecutors. Then Schwab agreed to cooperate with the federal investigation.

Schwab met with the two men and agreed to pay $175,000 but first insisted on proof. They agreed that the woman, a bartender-waitress, would wear a green jacket to court and remove it when Schwab signaled her by emptying a glass of water and setting it upside-down on his table. When the gal took off her jacket, hidden cameras in file folders and fake briefcases recorded her on videotape. Schwab paid $5,000 Monday night and $20,000 the next day at a Hooter's restaurant. After the second payment the men were arrested. The woman and two men will face charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and bribery. The judge declared a mistrial in Schwab's case but he does face a retrial on the charges.

While it is generally known that too much exposure to the sun can be harmful, now we learn that even low amounts of sunlight can increase the risk of developing cataracts. According to John Hopkins University where research was recently conducted, there is no safe dose of UV-B. Everyone is at equal risk of developing cataracts. Researchers described average sun exposure as spending an hour outside at lunch time between May and September, without sunglasses or hat. The simple act of wearing a wide-brimmed hat can cut the dose of ultraviolet-B by about a third. Plastic sunglasses do the best job of absorbing UV-B, and cheap glasses are just as good as the expensive, designer models. Clear prescription glasses can also block a large amount of UV-B, even if they do not have the special UV coating that many opticians are selling these days. The damage to the eye is cumulative, so it's never too late to start protecting yourself.