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 Wed, Sep 2 1992 Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 04:30:34 EDT Message-ID: DECISIONLINE: News USA TODAY Update Sept. 2, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network CLINTON ATTACKS ELDERLY POLICY: Bill Clinton Tuesday accused President Bush of an economic "shell game" that wallops the elderly. But that slashing, populist line of attack could call attention to Clinton's own commitment to deficit reduction. Clinton said Bush's call for cuts in entitlement programs would add $2,000 to the average Medicare recipient's medical bill over five years. BAKER JOINS NEGOTIATIONS: White House chief of staff James Baker is expected to meet with Mideast peace negotiators before they recess for Labor Day, State Department officials said Tuesday. The move by the former secretary of State is an apparent effort by the Bush administration to give a boost to the talks prior to the recess in what's expected to be a month-long session in Washington. SCHOOL REFORM STILL WAY OFF: A movement to reform the nation's middle schools has taken root and started to grow in 27 states but still has "a long, long way to go," says a report out Tuesday. The report measures progress toward goals spelled out in 1989 by a Carnegie Corp. task force and funded by a $1.6 million grant. Just 15% of middle schools are now involved in some kind of reform, estimates the study. SOMALIS CRITICIZE U.N. EFFORT: Frustrated Somalis - tired of seeing armed bandits steal humanitarian relief - charge the United Nations is mishandling relief efforts. Somali refugees and popular leaders demand the international community involve Somalia's traditional "pastoral democracy" - tribal leaders - to protect relief shipments. Until now, the aid has been arranged through political rivals. TEACHERS STILL WALKING OUT: Teacher walkouts extended summer vacation Tuesday for 168,000 public school students in Detroit and thousands of others in Michigan, Illinois, New Jersey and Rhode Island. The Detroit union's 10,500 members say they are underpaid and want an 8% raise to equal surrounding districts. The school board has offered a 3% bonus, in exchange for attending 50 hours of workshops without pay. NEW YORK TEACHERS WITHOUT DEAL: The union representing Philadelphia's 20,000 teachers have authorized a strike for Sept. 8, one day after the current contract expires. More than 690 teachers walked out in six school districts in Illinois Tuesday, idling more than 11,000 students. Detroit isn't the only big-city school system at risk; teachers in New York City's school system are working without a contract. NEW EFFORT MADE FOR BRADY BILL: Backers of handgun control launched a new effort Tuesday to get the Brady bill through Congress before the Nov. 3 elections. But the web of partisan wrangling on Capitol Hill makes the task difficult. Even if the bill is broken from its link to an overall crime bill, President Bush is likely to veto it. The bill would require a five-day wait and background check for handgun purchases. GROUPS WANT WIDER DEFINITION: Dozens of AIDS groups will meet in Atlanta Wednesday to ask the federal Centers for Disease Control for a broader definition of AIDS. Health officials now define it as one of 23 infections and cancers that signal an immune system breakdown. To more accurately reflect the epidemic, the definition should include signs more common in women and poor people, say AIDS groups. CUBA SEVERS TELEPHONE CALLS: Fidel Castro's Cuba has basically cut off telephone calls between the USA and Cuba following Hurricane Andrew's damage to AT&T facilities. Cuba is refusing to let AT&T reroute calls on alternative calling routes, AT&T says. Cuba will only accept calls routed through Italy, which AT&T managing director of operations Thomas Cavanagh says makes U.S. connections virtually impossible. STUDY SHOWS LOWER MEDICINE GAP: A report by the American Medical Association shows the gender gap in medicine is shrinking. About 40% of first-year medical school students are female. But black student enrollment barely budged in five years, up from 1,254 to 1,290. The report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found stiffer competition and more Asian:Pacific Islanders in med school. FISCHER TO DEFEND CHESS TITLE: Bobby Fischer - playing despite word he would violate United Nations' sanctions against Yugoslavia - opens defense of his world chess title Wednesday against Boris Spassky in Sveti Stefan, Yugoslavia. Fischer, 49, could face 10 years in jail and $250,000 in fines for accepting any of the $5.5 million prize. Fischer, who has not played for 20 years, is favored in the match. DAMP DAY AHEAD FOR GREAT LAKES: Showers and increasing humidity will sweep into the Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley Wednesday, while thunderstorms pop up across Dixie. The mid-Atlantic will be sunny and mild, but showers should creep in by evening. New England will enjoy pleasant, sunny conditions. The Great Plains will be warm, though a few heavy thunderstorms may form from Kansas into central Texas. DOW JONES OPENS ON UPSWING: The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials opens at 3266.26 Wednesday after closing up 8.91 Tuesday. The New York Stock Exchange composite opens at 229.02, up 0.99. The American Stock Exchange market value opens at 381.44, up 0.66. The NASDAQ OTC composite opens at 565.61, up 2.49. 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