Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.news,americast.usa-today.news From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: news Thu, Aug 27 1992 Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 05:59:07 EDT Message-ID: DECISIONLINE: News USA TODAY Update Aug. 27, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network ANDREW SLOWS DOWN: Hurricane Andrew finally weakened Wednesday - first becoming tropical storm Andrew, then a nameless low pressure system - as it pushed slowly inland across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Meteorologists predicted the remains would bring heavy rain and high winds to Natchez, La., Wednesday night, then hit Greenville and Tupelo, Miss. Thursday. Damages are estimated at $20 billion. MIAMI CLASSES POSTPONED: The University of Miami postponed the start of classes from Wednesday to Sept. 14, President Edward Foote said. It needs the time to recover from Hurricane Andrew. Officials wonder what to do with 2,500 freshmen, 1,000 parents and assorted faculty who arrived on the Coral Gables campus for orientation Sunday, before Andrew. They've been in dorms, with electricity and food but no water. BUSH MAY GET `NO-FLY' CRITICS: President Bush is unlikely to face any serious military challenges to a no-fly zone in southern Iraq announced Wednesday - but he may take criticism the move is politically motivated. Bush's action comes after a spate of defiant moves by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. A USA TODAY:CNN:Gallup Poll last week showed nearly half said Bush's re-election was a reason for military action. SERBIANS WARNED BY WORLD: Serbia was warned by world powers at a conference in London Wednesday to stop the carnage in Bosnia or face even tighter sanctions. Acting Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger told Serbian leaders unless they change their war policy Serbs face "a spectacularly bleak future." British Prime Minister John Major said pressure would increase on Serbia unless it cuts off its war. BUSH TO DELAY TAX DETAILS: President Bush made it official Wednesday: He'll release no details of his proposed tax cuts until he submits a budget in January - if he's reelected. Bush said he did not want to get "all bogged down in a lot of detail. ... " The lack of detail gives the Bill Clinton campaign ready-made attack lines. GEORGE CASE ENDS IN MISTRIAL: The Iran-contra case against ex-CIA spy chief Clair George ended in a mistrial Wednesday after the jury - leaning strongly toward acquittal - couldn't reach a unanimous verdict. But George, 62, the highest-ranking CIA official charged in the long-running Iran-contra probe, is not yet off the hook. A new trial was immediately scheduled for Oct. 19. CHAO MOVES TO UNITED WAY: Peace Corps Director Elaine Chao, the highest ranking Asian-American in the Bush administration, will quit to become president of the United Way of America. Chao, 38, a China native who came to the USA in 1961, will leave the Peace Corps post by November. United Way has struggled since February to regain public trust weakened by accusations against former president William Aramony. SAT SCORES RISING: SAT scores are increasing for the first time in seven years. The average score of the 1 million students who took the Scholastic Aptitude Test this year is 899 (1600 is perfect), The College Board announces Thursday. That's up from 896 last year but still below the 900-plus averages posted through most of the 1980s. The SAT verbal average has climbed to 423, the math average is up to 476. DOWN SYNDROME TEST FOUND: A new blood test should double or triple the detection of Down syndrome and better target the use of riskier amniocentesis, says a report out Thursday. Down syndrome affects about one in 650 infants. The new "triple screen" test, in New England Journal of Medicine, says measuring three proteins in the mother's blood can help detect 60% to 70% of fetal Down cases. PEACE TALKS ADVANCE: Middle East peace talks gained momentum Wednesday after Israel presented its first detailed proposals for Palestinian self-rule in the occupied West Bank and Gaza strip. Palestinian negotiators and PLO officials studied the Israeli documents as Israelis held formal sessions at the State Department with Syrian, Jordanian and Lebanese delegations. NAFTA MAY SPREAD: The North American Free Trade Amendment may spread to South America in the next two years, U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills said Wednesday. Hills says the Bush administration may take the first steps toward bringing Chile into the proposed NAFTA by year's end. Many Central and South American countries are liberalizing trade and signing limited agreements with neighbors. AIRLINES REVERSE PLANS: Reversing earlier decisions, USAir and American Airlines said Wednesday they won't accept discount coupons offered by Northwest Airlines or other carriers on fall travel. Instead, the two airlines are cutting fall leisure fares up to $50 for travel Sept. 6 through Dec. 14. The coupon fare war, reducing fares $35 to $50, began Sunday when Northwest put ads with the coupons in newspapers. DOW JONES OPENS ON UPSWING: The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials opens Thursday at 3246.81 after closing up 14.59 Wednesday. The New York Stock Exchange composite opens at 277.48, up 1.01. The American Stock Exchange market value opens at 379.65, up 0.13. The NASDAQ OTC composite opens at 558.80, up 4.58. WARM IN WEST, NORTHWEST SHOWERS The West will bask under bright sunshine Wednesday. Warmer conditions and dry air will cover the northern and central Plains south to central Texas. Warmer weather is expected for the Rockies westward. Northwest temperatures will be warm, though a cold front will push cooler readings and mountain showers across northern Washington and the coast. News Editor: Kate Coughlin. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution purposes 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