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, Sep 17 1992 Date: Thu, 17 Sep 92 04:53:17 EDT Message-ID: DECISIONLINE: News USA TODAY Update Sept. 17, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE CANCELED: The first scheduled presidential debate was canceled by a bi-partisan commission Wednesday when President Bush refused to agree to proposed conditions. The commission - which scheduled three presidential debates and one vice presidential - said a Sept. 22 match in East Lansing, Mich., would not take place because it would not have enough time to arrange it. CLINTON AGREES, BUSH DOESN'T: The Clinton campaign had agreed to the commission's terms for the presidential debates - three 90-minute debates with a single moderator. The Bush campaign refused, preferring two 90-minute debates with a three-member panel asking questions. Ross Perot hinted Wednesday he might re-enter the race if his 50 state coordinators urged him to, said a Los Angeles Times interview. PENTAGON, VA DENY EPIDEMICS: The Pentagon and the Veterans Administration defended handling of Persian Gulf War veterans' complaints about health problems Wednesday. At congressional hearings dealing with Gulf vets' unexplained illnesses, the Pentagon and VA said there's no evidence of major epidemics. Long-term studies are underway to track troops' medical status and create a medical registry for the Gulf troops. SENATE PANEL WANTS TO CUT SDI: A Senate subcommittee recommended cutting President Bush's request for Strategic Defense Initiative by $1.6 billion Wednesday, while providing $2 billion to help defense workers thrown out of work by spending cutbacks. The $250 billion bill also sharply cuts funding for development of tactical aircraft, to $3.4 billion from a Pentagon request of $4.1 billion, and for V-22 Osprey aircraft. BUSH PUSHES SUBSTITUTE: President Bush, his veto pen poised for use on Congress' latest family-leave bill, Wednesday rushed a tax-credit proposal to Capitol Hill as a substitute. Bush shipped lawmakers a bill that would allow businesses with fewer than 500 employees to write off up to $1,200 a year per employee for family emergency leave. Participation would be voluntary under Bush's plan. EUROPE SWINGS WON'T HURT U.S.: Europe's wild currency crisis and amazing interest rate swings most likely won't damage the already weak U.S. economy, experts say. But Wednesday, the United Kingdom's central bank was forced to pull the British pound from the system that controls European currency exchange rates. Economists hope the turmoil ends next week to limit the damage in Europe and keep U.S. exports flowing there. NEW YORK RESULTS STILL OUT: The results of the New York Democratic primary aren't official yet, but Sen. Alfonse D'Amato is already blasting away at his apparent Democratic challenger - Robert Abrams. More than 20,000 absentee ballots remain to be counted from the four-way primary, but Abrams was back on the campaign trail Wednesday morning. Geraldine Ferraro is less than 11,000 votes behind Abrams. FENWICK DIES AT 82: Millicent Fenwick, the outspoken Republican, pipe-smoking grande dame of Congress, died Wednesday in Bernardsville, N.J. Fenwick's son, Hugh Jr., said her health had been gradually declining for about a year, and "her heart just stopped beating" at 4 a.m. She was 82. The former model, editor and etiquette book author was elected to Congress in 1974. FCC CHAIR SUPPORTS COMPETITION: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Alfred Sikes, on the eve of important deregulatory decisions by his agency, emphasized his belief in a competitive communications market. Sikes criticized the cable TV, newspaper and local telephone industries for lobbying Congress to protect their turf. Thursday, the FCC is expected to vote on issues to further deregulate the local telephone industry. AUTO INDUSTRY FORECASTS LOW: The U.S. auto industry won't bounce back soon from its sluggish sales because consumers' incomes aren't growing fast enough, says veteran analyst Joseph Phillippi with Lehman Bros. He has cut his 1992 U.S. car and truck sales forecast to 12.8 million vehicles. That's down from his previous forecast of 13.3 million. Phillippi estimates automakers will sell 14.2 million vehicles next year. SURVIVING FAMILY GETS $25M: The family of a Michigan entrepreneur killed in the United Flight 232 crash in Sioux City, Iowa, three years ago agreed Wednesday to a $25 million settlement, believed to be the largest payment ever to a single family for a commercial airplane crash. Gary Bierlein, 39, was among 112 who died. About 20 suits settled for $2 million or less each; more than 40 remain. HOSPITAL RESUMES ABORTIONS: Chicago's Cook County Hospital resumed elective abortions Wednesday for the first time in 12 years after a judge rejected an attempt by abortion opponents to continue the ban. Activists on both sides of the abortion issue demonstrated outside the county's largest hospital, which is the primary health-care provider to the poor and uninsured. KEVORKIAN SAYS HE'LL CONTINUE: Suicide machine inventor Jack Kevorkian, who has helped three women end their lives, told the Michigan State Medical Society Wednesday he'll continue to help suffering patients. Kevorkian, who indicated he might take part in another one soon, played a tape from a 69-year-old woman asked Kevorkian to put her on his list. Michigan has no ban on physician-assisted suicide. MISSION IS EXTENDED ONE DAY: Japanese and U.S. scientists will have an extra day to run experiments aboard Shuttle Endeavour, NASA officials decided Wednesday. The shuttle's return to Earth now is scheduled for 7:22 a.m. ET Sunday at Kennedy Space Center. Astronauts will use the extra day to catch up on material science experiments delayed early in the flight because of an equipment problem. DOW JONES OPENS ON DOWNSWING: The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials opens at 3319.21 Thursday after closing down 8.11 Wednesday. The New York Stock Exchange composite opens at 231.07, down 0.07. The American Stock Exchange market value opens at 385.52, down 0.21. The NASDAQ OTC composite opens at 585.89, down 1.97. COLD FRONT ARRIVES IN ROCKIES: A cold front will pass through the northern Rockies and northern Plains. The Northwest will be on the cool side. Scattered storms will dot parts of the Southwest. Most of the Pacific coast states and Great Basin will stay dry. The upper Midwest remains warm, ahead of a cold front headed toward the region. The central and southern Plains will be hot. Rain hits the Gulf coast states. 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