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 Fri, May 1 1992 Date: Fri, 1 May 92 05:15:09 EDT Message-ID: DECISIONLINE: News USA TODAY Update May 1-3, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network LOS ANGELES IS A WAR ZONE: Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley Thursday declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew and announced restrictions on the sale of bullets and gas. Seventeen have been killed, 13 by gunfire, in riots following the acquittal Wednesday of four white police officers in the beating of Rodney King. One hundred million dollars' worth of damage has been done, 450 have been injured and 300 people have been arrested. POLL SAYS KING VERDICT TAINTED: The not guilty verdict in the Rodney King beating case is evidence of racism, a majority of blacks and whites agree in a USA TODAY poll. Nintey percent of blacks and 63% of whites blame racism. Virtually all blacks polled and 86% of whites thought the verdict was wrong. The poll by Gordon S. Black Corp. had a margin of error of 4% for whites and 6% for blacks. HOUSE VOTES DOWN GAG RULE: After a debate about "killing babies" or "killing free speech," the House voted Thursday to overturn the Bush administration's rule forbidding family-planning clinics from counseling women on abortion. But the 268-150 vote was short of the number needed to override a threatened presidential veto. With all House members voting, 290 votes are needed to override a veto. FINANCING BILL PASSED: The Senate Thursday passed a bill to overhaul the way congressional campaigns are financed, but fell nine votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override an expected veto from President Bush. The measure, including incentives to limit spending and obtain partial public financing, passed 58-42. A House vote last month fell 23 votes short of a two-thirds margin. CHILD KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT: An elderly Chicago motorist who hit the gas instead of the brake drove his car into a crowd of third-graders Thursday, killing one girl and injuring 88 other people, police said. Seven were critically hurt in the accident at O'Hare Airport. The pupils, from a Sycamore, Ill., elementary school, had just left two school buses when the car ran into them on a sidewalk. No charges were filed. ABORTION PROTESTS TO END: Operation Rescue leaders Thursday said their demonstrations against abortion in Buffalo will end Saturday, as scheduled. Originally, the group said it would protest up to four weeks. There were no protests Wednesday or Thursday. Abortion-rights supporters, who have kept clinics open since demonstrations started two weeks ago, derided the protests as "Operation Fiasco." PEACE TALKS ROUND ENDS: The latest round of Middle East talks ended in Washington Thursday with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Benyamin Netanyahu hailing them as "the first businesslike meeting" in the talks. The parties agreed to meet for the next round of talks in Rome, perhaps in May, but the Arabs are wary of giving Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir any edge in Israel's June 23 elections. BAKER URGES OK OF AID PACKAGE: Approval of a Russian aid package is the most important thing the USA can do to boost struggling democracies in the former Soviet Union, Secretary of State James Baker told Congress Thursday. The plan is part of a $24 billion international aid package to be administered through the International Monetary Fund, which welcomed Russia and 13 other republics into membership this week. GORBACHEV ON U.S. TOUR: Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev takes his bows - and collects his fees - in a tour of the USA that opens in Santa Barbara Saturday. Former President Ronald Reagan and wife Nancy will greet Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa, as they begin a two-week tour that may raise $1 million. Despite low approval ratings at home, Gorbachev still is a hot ticket in the West. DAUGHTER PLEADS INNOCENT: Sue Gifford, daughter of an Alzheimer's patient abandoned at an Idaho greyhound racetrack March 21, pleaded innocent in Portland, Ore., to charges of theft and welfare fraud. Gifford, 40, is accused of withholding $9,947 of her father's pension checks that were to help pay for his care. John Kingery, 82 stirred a national outcry when he was found at the track in a wheelchair. DOW JONES OPENS ON UPSWING: The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials opens Friday at 3359.12 after closing up 25.94 Thursday. The New York Stock Exchange composite opens at 228.30, up 1.72. The American Stock Exchange market value opens at 390.61, up 4.83. The NASDAQ OTC composite opens at 578.68, up 8.74. SHOWERS TO THREATEN NORTHEAST: Much of the USA will be dry and summer-like this weekend, although clouds and the threat of showers will blanket the Northeast. Hot conditions will scorch the Great Plains and lower Midwest. By Sunday, isolated thunderstorms in northern Illinois and lower Michigan will mark the leading edge of cooler air. 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