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, Aug 12 1992 Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 04:31:16 EDT Message-ID: 08-12 0000 DECISIONLINE: Business Law USA TODAY Update Aug. 12, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network OFFICIALS LINKED TO THEFT: The House Judiciary Committee adopted a staff report Tuesday that accuses Justice Department officials of stealing a valuable computer program from Inslaw Inc., and called for an independent counsel to investigate the case. The report says high-level Justice officials deliberately ignored Inslaw's rights to the program and raised concern that a high-level conspiracy against Inslaw existed. LORAL UPS THE ANTE: Loral Corp., leading a group that is bidding against Martin Marietta to buy LTV's missiles and aircraft divisions, raised its offer Tuesday to $475 million from $445 million. The bid by Loral, the Carlyle Group and Northrop exceeds Martin Marietta's bid by $35 million. A bankruptcy court is scheduled to hear Marietta's bid Wednesday. `ROVING WIRETAPS' PASS: Use of "roving wiretaps" passed its first test by a federal appeals court Monday. The devices, authorized by a 1986 law, allow authorities to tap multiple telephones, including public phones. The 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals said privacy rights are not violated and law officers need the devices to track sophisticated criminals who use many phones to avoid detection. GROUPS WANT RULES BLOCKED: Environmental groups asked a Washington, D.C., federal judge Tuesday to block EPA air-pollution regulations that would permit some companies to emit additional pollutants without public notice. The EPA said the new rules implementing clean-air standards are sound. AGENCIES PUSH COLLECTION BILL: The Justice Department, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and Resolution Trust Corp. endorsed a bill to improve their ability to collect restitution from people convicted of banking and savings-and-loan law violations. The bill, sponsored by Frank Annunzio, D-Ill., chair of the House Banking subcommittee on financial institutions supervision, would make restitution due at sentencing. GUIDELINES FOR RESTITUTION: Rep. Frank Annunzio, D.-Ill., said some judges delay a restitution date until after prison sentences are served, giving felons time to dissipate or hide assets. The collection bill would provide guidelines on ordering restitution and help eliminate confusion over which government agency should collect. It would prohibit judges from recognizing a defendant's ability to pay. FLORIDA FIGHTS SEMINOLES' SUIT: Florida is fighting a Seminole suit seeking the right to offer casino-style gambling on Seminole reservations. A federal court is expected to rule later this year on a lawsuit filed last year by the Seminoles, who claim the state failed to negotiate a gaming compact with them, as mandated by law. Both sides are so confident they may ask for a summary judgment instead of an actual trial. ACTION WOULD REAUTHORIZE CFTC: House Agriculture Committee members conceded a key point Tuesday that has been blocking commodity futures reform legislation, but other unresolved issues will delay final action until the fall. The legislation, pending for three years, also would reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the industry's federal regulator. INSURERS WANT QUAKE PROGRAM: Fearing $40 billion in losses, market failures and bankruptcies when "The Big One" hits California, insurers asked Congress on Tuesday to pass a national earthquake insurance program. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency said such a program isn't necessary because a catastrophic earthquake in California won't cripple the insurance industry or financial markets. REP. PUSHES PENSION LAWS: Rep. J.J. Pickle, D-Texas, vowed Tuesday to push through legislation that would force employers to properly maintain pension plans for their workers and avoid another thrift-like bailout. Pickle warned that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. may be forced to cover an estimated $40 billion in benefits for millions of workers whose companies do not adequately fund their pension plans. DAT MARKETS OPENED UP: Legislation that opens up new markets in the United States for the sale of digital audio technology equipment was approved Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee. The legislation, drafted by Rep. William Hughes, D-N.J., is designed to break an impasse that has delayed the release of DAT tapes and equipment in this country for years. GAS RETAILERS DEFENDED: Oklahoma Democratic Rep. Mike Synar's bill to protect independent gasoline retailers from predatory pricing by refiners and big oil companies won quick approval from a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee Tuesday. Most subcommittee members say their action was aimed more at prodding big oil companies to negotiate than it was in backing specifics of the bill as written. ATTENTION ON GLASS CEILINGS: Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin and Small Business Administrator Patricia Saiki signed a joint agreement Tuesday to bring increased attention to the glass ceiling - the invisible barrier which keeps qualified women and minorities out of top-level management. The agreement is designed to expand the awareness of diversity issues to small businesses, which employ about 58% of the workforce. DAILY NEWS ON BLOCK: Meetings to decide the fate of the New York Daily News, a former unit of Maxwell Communication Corp., are set to start Thursday. The three potential buyers of the paper, under bankruptcy protection, are Conrad Black, a Canadian publisher and the owner of Hollinger Inc.; Mortimar Zuckerman, publisher of U.S. News & World Report; and Silver Screen Partners, a group of investors. 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