Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.news From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: news Wed, Mar 4 1992 Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 05:50:52 EST Message-ID: DECISIONLINE: News USA TODAY Update March 4, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network CLINTON, TSONGAS EMERGE ON TOP: Bill Clinton and Paul Tsongas both fared well in the Democratic primaries and caucuses Tuesday, while Jerry Brown got good news in Colorado and Bob Kerrey trailed in all contests. Clinton was solidly ahead in Georgia and finished a strong second to Tsongas in Maryland, where the former Massachusetts senator's win helped him shed the regional-winner's label pinned on him after New Hampshire. KERREY TRAILS IN EVERY RACE: While results were incomplete in Washington, Idaho, Minnesota, Utah and American Samoa, Bob Kerrey was trailing in all eight Democratic primaries and caucuses. Tom Harkin was favored in Minnesota. In Colorado, Jerry Brown, with an anti-Washington, anti-special interest message, was neck and neck with Bill Clinton and Paul Tsongas. His anti-nuclear message may have helped. BUCHANAN SHAKES UP BUSH: George Bush won Republican primaries in Georgia and Maryland, but challenger Patrick Buchanan gave the president a scare in Georgia. Exit polls showed a 30% to 40% base ready to cast an anti-Bush vote, regardless of the state. Clayton County, Ga., GOP chairman Gerald Kopp said the results were "a vote against Bush." Bush was leading in Colorado, Minnesota and Washington. VIRUS TO HIT COMPUTERS FRIDAY: An unknown computer hacker has created the Michelangelo virus, which is supposed to cripple probably millions of PCs worldwide Friday. Viruses are codes that can destroy information stored in a personal computer. Michelangelo was first detected in the Netherlands. Experts say more than 400,000 IBM-compatible PCs in the USA may now be infected. AT&T TO USE VOICE RECOGNITION: AT&T says it will use computers that understand the human voice to handle collect calls, third number billing and calls using AT&T's calling card. The firm hopes to cut about 6,000 of its 18,000 long-distance operators. AT&T says the new technology will hit Jacksonville, Fla., and Seattle, Wash., in June and will be used nationwide by early 1994. NON-WINTER SETS RECORD: The winter that never was turned out to be the USA's warmest on record. From Dec. 1 to Feb. 29, meteorologists' winter, temperatures in the 48 contiguous states averaged 36.87 degrees, warmest since the first recording in 1895. The National Climatic Data Center's Richard Heim says the warm winter was regional and not indicative of a global warming trend. BAKER DENIES ISRAELI AID CUT: Secretary of State James Baker, on the defensive about U.S. foreign aid, denied Tuesday that he intends to slash Israel's $3 billion aid budget. He was also grilled sharply by a House subcommittee about a 300% increase in funding for U.N. peacekeeping forces. The Senate Appropriations panel considering Israel's request for the loan guarantees is putting the issue on hold. CONGRESS BLAMED FOR TAX HIKE: President Bush said Tuesday he made "a mistake" by agreeing to raise taxes in 1990 and said Congress tricked him. "I thought this one compromise ... would result in no more tax increases," Bush said. Until this week, he had defended accepting a lid on federal spending in exchange for $168 billion in higher taxes over five years. He signed the bill a few months after the recession began. REPORT CRITICIZES CONCESSIONERS: The 75 largest concessioners operating shops, hotels and restaurants in the national parks had sales topping $486 million in 1990 but they paid the U.S. government just $12.3 million in franchise fees, a report out Tuesday shows. "The government is being taken to the cleaners," says Bill Chandler of the National Parks and Conservation Association, which issued the report. CITY DECLARES END TO DROUGHT: Santa Barbara, Calif., Tuesday became the first jurisdiction in the state to end water restrictions, declaring an end to its three-year drought. The announcement came just a day before the USA's largest municipal desalination plant opens in the city. Heavy rains are helping areas like Santa Barbara that use local water sources. RAIN AND WIND TO HIT GULF COAST: Showers and thunderstorms will douse the Gulf Coast states from eastern Texas into Louisiana and Mississippi Wednesday. Snow and rain will whip across Colorado, while rain dampens Kansas into Missouri. Increasing clouds will blanket the Southeast with rain Thursday. The Northeast and mid-Atlantic states will be sunny. DOW JONES OPENS ON UPSWING: The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials opens Wednesday at 3290.25, after closing up 14.98 Tuesday. The New York Stock Exchange composite opens at 228.43, up 0.23. The American Stock Exchange market value opens at 415.49, down 1.30. The NASDAQ OTC composite opens at 634.25, down 1.22. News Editor: Beth Mann. (919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM