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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1991)
News Dieest -1- ^ ^ ^ ^ k Edited by Eric Pfanner Thomas denies sexual harassment allegation WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nomi nee Clarence Thomas “very forcefully denied” allegations by a law professor that he sexually harassed her when she worked for him a decade ago, a Republican senator said Sunday. And the White House dismissed the accusations as unfounded. But Democratic senators called the accusa tions very serious and one said a delay in Tuesday’s scheduled confirmation vote might be necessary. Thomas himself made no comment on the allegations by Anita Hill. The allegations were first disclosed by National Public Radio and Newsday. The University of Oklahoma law professor told the Judiciary Committee last month that Thomas had detailed scenes from pornographic movies to her when she worked in the early 1980s as his legal assistant at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to a source familiar with the allegations. Hill told the committee that Thomas had asked her out and when she refused, began to describe his sexual interests and the porno graphic scenes, but that he never touched her, the source said. The committee did not disclose Hill’s alle gations publicly before sending Thomas’ nomination to the full Senate late last month without recommendation. The committee told the White House of the accusations and a two day FBI probe ensued. While Thomas maintained his silence, the White House issued a statement saying it had “reviewed the (FBI) report and determined that the allegation was unfounded.” The White House said President Bush “continues to believe that Judge Thomas is eminently qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and expects him to be confirmed promptly.” A Senate vote had been scheduled for Tues day, and a majority of senators had indicated their support for Thomas, a conservative ap peals judge who would become the second black to sit on the nation’s highest court, suc ceeding the retiring Justice Thurgood Marshall. Sen. Joseph Biden JTTD-Del., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, could not be reached for comment on Hill’s allegations or the com mittee’s handling of it. But Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, called the allegations “very serious charges, very disturbing” and said the full Senate should review them before voting on Thomas’ nomi nation. Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill., hopes that senators’ questions on the matter can be addressed be fore Tuesday’s scheduled vote, but if they cannot be, the senator “believes it’s important enough that it might be necessary to delay the vote,” said Simon’s press secretary, David Carle. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said that “obvi ously every senator should read this (FBI re port) prior to his or her vote.” Hill contacted the committee staff on Sept. 12, but didn’t want her name used and didn’t want Thomas to be confronted with the charge, said a committee source, who spoke on condi tion of anonymity. On Sept. 23, Hill agreed to let the committee ask the FBI to check out her story and confront Thomas with the allegation. The FBI’s report was completed in two days. 1 dozen wrapped $14.99 cash and carry while supplies last Balloons, Silks, Gifts, and Crafts 474-2273 1 126 North l~3th I APFC TOURS (Armchair Pro Football Club) Monday Night Football Fun L.A. Raiders at K.C. Chiefs October 27-28 *2 DAYS *1 NIGHT TICKET ‘ROOM TRANSPORTATION ‘BREAKFAST AND APFC TAILGATE PARTY BEFORE GAME PQJPP NON MEMBERS... ONLY $124.95 APFC MEMBERS... ONLY $104.95 1 TOUR FILLING FAST-HURRY For Further Information Contact: APFC TOURS 6901 West Adams Lincoln, NE 68524 (402) 470-3603 (402) 467-4078 (402) 470-2306 ARROW HEAD SOLD OUT Check For Up Coming Tours The Computing Resource Center is offering free microcomputer seminars to UNL students. The seminars will feature an introduction to Microsoft Word and SuperPaint for the Macintosh and WordPerfect for IBM machines. Lab Location Dates Times Introduction to Microsoft Word for Macintsoh Andrews Tuesday, October 15 3:00 to 4:00 Advanced Microsoft Word for Macintosh Bancroft Monday, October 21 1:30 to 3:00 SuperPaint for Macintosh Andrews Monday, October 28 1:30 to 3:00 Intro to WordPerfect 5.1 on IBM Sandoz(IBM) Tuesday, October 8 3:00 to 4:3C Advanced WordPerfect 5.1 on IBM Sandoz(IBM) Thursday, October 10 3:00to4:3C Enjoy the Fun October 13th at the YMCA SHOOT OUT! The YMCA is sponsoring a SHOOT OUT to cel ebrate 100 years of the YMCA invention of bas ketball. The SHOOT OUT is scheduled Sunday, October 13th at the Downtown YMCA. Registration will begin at 12:30 pm and the SHOOT OUT will run from 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm. There will be 3 divisions - male, female and disabled as well as 10 different age categories. Entry fee is only $5.00 per person. YAYUCAMVBmai Awards and certificates will be presented. Don't Miss Out On All Of The Fun!!! Gorbachev breaks boviet silence on Jews, decries anti-Semitism MOSCOW — Breaking decades of silence by Soviet leaders, Presi dent Mikhail Gorbachev on Sunday I sharply denounced hatred for Jews and bemoaned their exodus from the r Soviet Union. • Gorbachev’s statement was car ried by the Tass news agency Sunday and read the night before at a cere mony marking the 50th anniversary of the Nazi massacre of thousands of Jews at Babi Yar, in a suburb of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. Gorbachev said persecution of Jews did not end in the Nazi era. In Soviet society today, he said, “Social ex pressions of anti-Semitism have not been surmounted and certain reac tionary circles are exploiting this fact.’’ Soviet and foreign Jewish leaders have been pressing Gorbachev for several years to speak out against anti-Semitism, He may have finally decided to do so now because since the August coup, he has been free of the hard-liners who resisted condemnation of anti Semitism. Gorbachev may also have wanted to please foreign Jewish lead ers who could support his drive for international aid for his country’s ailing economy. Many of the 1.4 million Soviet Jews say they are harassed daily and fear a revival of the pogroms aimed at Jews in Russia at the turn of the cen tury. Jewish writers have been beaten, anti-Jewish graffiti has appeared and hatemongers openly distribute leaf lets that borrow from Adolph Hitler to condemn the “Zionist menace” and call for attacks on Jews. Even the official press has carried blatantly anti-Semitic articles. The worsening economy and po litical upheaval of Gorbachev’s rule have caused many Soviets to look for scapegoats, and Jews have been prime targets. A poll released last month at the first international conference on anti Semitism held in the Soviet Union indicated that 11 percent of all Sovi ets want Jews to leave. More than 10 percent of those polled said all Soviet Jews should be moved to the Far East and more than half believe the fight 1 against Zionism should be strength ened. A A Haitian supreme Court justice reportedly considered for top post PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—The Senate president said Sunday that legislators were considering naming a Supreme Court justice to replace exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aris tide and calling elections within 90 days. Dejean Belizaire said no decision on such an appointment had been made but that it could come as early as today or Tuesday after talks with political and business leaders to settle i on a solution to the crisis. “We are not the government, but ■i we are the only legitimate civilian institution that can make decisions,” | Belizairc said of the National Assem bly, Haiti’s parliament, which was elected with Aristide last December. He said any proposal for resolving j the week-old crisis must be approved by the Senate and Chamber of Depu ties, which form the National Assem bly. Backing claims by Gen. Raoul Cedras, the armed forces’ provisional commander-in-chief, that the mili tary did not want to govern, Bclizaire said the army had refused to assume interim power. “We have no government to keep the state going,” the Senate president said. He said “there was very little time” to reach a solution. The proposal being considered Sunday was thought likely to bar Aristide from new elections, and it was not known whether lawmakers would allow him to return to Haiti. Under the constitution, no president can succeed himself. Beiizaire replied ambiguously to a reporter’s question about whether he favored Aristide’s return, saying: “We want the return of constitutional government.” Some lawmakers have accused Aristide of overstepping his constitutional authority. Beiizaire called a news confer ence at the Legislative Palace a day after a high-level delegation from the Organization of American Stales held two days of meetings with Haitian military, political and business lead ers. , The diplomats, representing eight nations, warned Cedras of possible hemisphere-wide sanctions if Aris tide is not returned to power. I Nebraskan Editor Jana Pedersen 472- 1766 Managing Editor Diane Brayton Assoc News Editors Stacey McKenzie Kara Weils Editorial Page Editor & Wire Editor Eric Planner Copy Desk Editor Paul Domeier Sports Editor Nick Hytrek Assistant Sports Editor Chuck Green Arts & Entertain ment Editor John Payne Professional Adviser Don Walton 473- 7301 FAX NUMBER 472-1761 The Daily Nebraskan(USPS 144 080) is published by the UNL Publications Board Ne braska Union 34, 1400 R St., Lincoln,'NE, Monday through Fnday during the academic year; weekly during summer sessions. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472-1763 between 9 a.m. and 5 Km. Monday through Friday. The public also is access to the Publications Board Far information, contact Bill Vobojda, 436 9993. Subscription price Is $50 for one year , ., Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan. Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St.,Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. Second-class postage paid at Lincoln, NE ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT _1991 DAILY NEBRASKAN_ FDA lacks power to stop faulty goods, report says WASHINGTON — Dangerously adulterated food, substandard medi cal devices and prescription drugs of dubious effectiveness arc reaching con sumers because the Food and Drug Administration can’t stop them, says a House report. 7 For example, said the report being released today, the FDA believed a particular brand of chewable Vitamin D tablets designed for children was too potent and a possible cause of elevated blood calcium levels that a&jftrkidneys and po^wy But the FDA cannot order recalls so the agency began negotiations with the manufacturer instead. No agree ment had been reached at the time the report was written, and the tablets were continuing to be sold. t, * - In another case, a hog producer in Indiana was feeding his animals seed com contaminated with a fungicide and pesticide. The FDA was con cerned that the chemicals would end up in the pork and absorbed by hu mans, but it had to ask the slate veteri narian to quarantine the hogs and the state chemist’s office to embargo the seed com because it lacked the au thority. T he process is extremely time con uming. While appropriate chan nc i were being pursued, the pork was so »n the market. /icse examples and more were c<n , ted the staff of the House f-n y and Commerce subcommit tee i ff on investigations and over si l *oshow why a bill scheduled for a s'. ’Committee vote this week is needed.
