Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.law From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: law Wed, Jul 22 1992 Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 04:31:58 EDT Message-ID: 07-22 0000 DECISIONLINE: Business Law USA TODAY Update July 22, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network RANCHER TO FILE COMPLAINT: Rancher Diana Hansen-Young says she'll file a complaint against the city of Honolulu with the Department of Justice because it is trying to revoke a permit allowing her to house homeless people on her land. Hansen-Young says the city is drumming up violations so it can revoke the permit. City officials have not offered a response. ADA DEBUTS SUNDAY: A new law takes effect Sunday that will forever change the way employers deal with the 33.8 million U.S. citizens who have physical or mental disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act, signed in 1990, includes controversial plans directing employers with at least 25 workers to make accommodations for disabled workers. Critics say the law is too vague. COMPANIES WILL ADJUST POLICIES: The Americans with Disabilities Act, which goes into effect Sunday, will force companies to change some long-standing employment practices: Questions about past drug or alcohol abuse are now illegal. Also off limits are questions about prior worker's compensation claims, health insurance claims or psychiatric histories. Physical exams prior to a job offer are also illegal. B.A. BUYS PART OF USAIR: Struggling USAir agreed Tuesday to sell a 21% stake to British Airways for $750 million. Despite financial problems, analysts say USAir was far from landing in Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection. Recently, USAir has shown signs of getting back on course. TRUST SUED FOR OMISSIONS: Western Investment Real Estate Trust said Tuesday it is being sued by Carole J. Westrick, trustee, on behalf of the Carole J. Westrick Profit Sharing Plan. Bloomberg Business News reports that Westrick alleges misrepresentations and omissions in the company's dealings with Connolly Development Inc. Western said it believes the allegations are without merit. SEARS SETTLES WITH N.J.: Sears has reached an agreement with the state of New Jersey over alleged fraud at the retailer's auto repair shops. As part of the agreement, Sears will contribute $200,000 to create an Automotive Repair Industry Reform Fund, run by the state, to develop regulations against repair fraud. The accord with New Jersey is similar to one Sears made with the state of California. GREENSPAN HINTS AT MIDPOINT: Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan insisted Tuesday the economy was more than halfway through a painful effort to pay its debt of the 1980s. In delivering the Fed's midyear outlook to Congress, Greenspan said unemployment would not show significant declines until next year. Some members of the Senate Banking Committee accused the Fed of timidly fighting the weak economy. STEELMAKERS' VIEWS CONFLICTING: The world's largest steelmakers Tuesday gave federal investigators starkly conflicting views on whether steel products are being unfairly dumped in America. At stake is access to the largest open market in the world - the United States - and whether overseas competitors are unfairly undercutting and damaging the American steel industry. BRYAN WANTS FTC PROBE: Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said Tuesday he plans to ask the Federal Trade Commission to investigate alleged bait-and-switch scams involving automobile repair shops. The action follows a hearing Tuesday before Bryan's Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee during which several witnesses claimed they were victims of repair scams. UNITED WINS APPEAL: The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York Tuesday granted United Airlines' motion to stay a lower court ruling in a lawsuit brought by the Association of Flight Attendants. The suit would have prevented the airline from establishing a new flight attendant base in Paris. The appellate court's decision allows United to open the base as planned on Aug. 1. MARION MERRELL NAMED IN SUITS: Marion Merrell Dow Inc. said Tuesday it is named in several lawsuits alleging the company and its officers made false and misleading statements or omitted information about its allergy drug, Seldane. The suits say the company and its officers violated federal securities laws and common laws, according to a form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. HOUSE LIMITS CHINA TRADE: The House voted Tuesday to put conditions on President Bush's continuation of China's most-favored-nation trade status. After a 258-135 vote - short the two-thirds majority needed to override a threatened veto - to overturn Bush's one-year extension of the preferential treatment, lawmakers voted for renewal conditions to force China to improve human rights policies. Business Law Editor: Kate Coughlin. (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