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 Tue, Mar 24 1992 Date: Tue, 24 Mar 92 05:43:45 EST Message-ID: DECISIONLINE: News USA TODAY Update March 24, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network CLINTON, BUSH HAVE WEAKNESSES: Both President Bush and Bill Clinton show strengths in attracting voters, but each is vulnerable on key issues, a new USA TODAY:CNN:Gallup Poll reveals. Bush's strengths are foreign policy, trade, defense, crisis management and character. His weaknesses are the economy and voter dissatisfaction. Clinton's strengths are the economy, health care and charisma. His biggest weakness: Character. PLANE WAS DE-ICED TWICE: The crew of USAir Flight 405 had the jet de-iced twice, yet still expressed concern about the weather before a takeoff try ended in a fiery crash, investigators said Monday. The La Guardia Airport crash Sunday night killed 27, including the pilot; 24 survived, including the co-pilot. Officials listened to a cockpit recorder recovered from the wreck but heard nothing startling. STAND ON WARMING COULD CHANGE: The Bush administration is poised to abandon its long-standing opposition and sign a treaty that could reverse the current global warming trend. Administration officials are urging President Bush to lead the U.S. delegation to a United Nations summit in June in Brazil. Environmentalists say a softening by the United States will end a stalemate and pave the way for the pivotal treaty. CHECK OUT THAT TUNA: Cat food labeled tuna for human consumption may still be around after federal agents hooked 38,640 cans in a warehouse Monday. The Food and Drug Administration says the decomposed fish product is part of a 1985 lot of up to 50 million cans produced in Canada. The 7th Heaven cat food was relabeled as Ocean King Chunk Light Tuna in Water. Other labels may include IGA, Blue Bay or National. CLINTON DENIES LATEST CHARGE: Bill Clinton Monday denied any impropriety in the awarding of a $750,000 state bond deal to a longtime political supporter suspected of using cocaine. The Los Angeles Times reported Monday the Arkansas governor in 1985 lobbied key legislators to award the contract for a bond sale for a state police communications system to Dan Lasater. Lasater was convicted on drug charges in 1986. IRAQ FLUNKS INSPECTION: Iraq has destroyed some ballistic missiles but has made no attempt to dismantle its major nuclear facility, U.N. officials said Monday. Bowing to world pressure, Baghdad said it has destroyed 89 Scuds, but U.N. ballistics inspectors say there could be more. U.N. inspectors Monday checked portions of the destroyed missiles. They plan to visit several more sites. U.S. TEAM INSPECTS ISRAEL: A U.S. inspection team in Israel Monday began checking allegations that Israel has illegally transferred Patriot missile technology to China. The team, which visited Patriot batteries dispatched to Israel during the gulf war, met with Israeli officials to probe charges raised by the State Department. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens said, "We have nothing to hide." LIBYA TO SURRENDER SUSPECTS: Libya offered Monday to release to Arab diplomats two suspects wanted in the 1988 Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270. Libyan diplomats also told U.N. Security Council President Diego Arria that Libya planned to hand the two suspects over to Arab League officials. No specific time was given for the move. CHECK SCANDAL DRAGS ON: The House ethics committee may not drop the other shoe in the check-kiting scandal for several weeks. The official list of the 24 worst offenders who abused their privileges at the House bank was supposed to be released Monday. But it's being delayed while the panel hears from lawmakers challenging the accuracy of the bank's record-keeping system. The full list will be out later. GOTTI PROSECUTION RESTS: The prosecution in the New York trial of reputed mafia leader John Gotti, apparently highly confident they've cornered him, rested its case Monday. The defense, which opens its case Tuesday, faced 37 prosecution witnesses and listened as Gotti and associates were heard in wiretapped conversations. The testimony of Salvatore Gravano was so damning prosecutors never called other turncoats. UNSETTLED WEATHER GOES WEST: An active weather pattern will make for unsettled weather in the western half of the USA Tuesday. Montana and parts of the Dakotas shiver as a shot of arctic air penetrates the region. A swath of showers will soak much of northern and central California. Texas and the southern Great Plains will be partly cloudy and mild. Most of the eastern half of the nation will enjoy dry weather. DOW JONES OPENS ON DOWNSWING: The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials opens Tuesday at 3272.14, after closing down 4.25 Monday. The New York Stock Exchange composite opens at 226.41, down 0.55. The American Stock Exchange market value opens at 401.36, down 0.67. The NASDAQ OTC composite opens at 621.83, down 2.45. 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