The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 03, 1992, Page 2, Image 2

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    News Digest Sews?**.
Today’s primaries decisive
NEW CARROLTON, Md. —
Maryland and Colorado may play
kingmakers Tuesday in anointing one
of the Democratic presidential con
tenders a national candidate.
With former Massachusetts Sen.
Paul Tsongas showing strength in late
polls in both states, Arkansas Gov.
Bill Clinton on Monday was looking
beyond Tuesday’s primaries even as
he tried to generate enthusiasm for a
last-minute surge
in Maryland.
Tsongas’ out
look in Colorado
and Maryland
improved after his
win in theleadoff
New Hampshire
primary. His pro-business economic
message plays well among the more
affluent, suburban voters found in
large numbers in both states.
The two states arc among seven
that hold primaries or caucuses Tues
day, with 383 Democratic delegates
at stake.
Tsongas is counting on a strong
Tuesday to propel him into the South,
where Clinton is expecting to get a
needed psychological boost.
“The criticism against me has been
that my ideas arc regional and that’s
why the Maryland and Coloradoelcc
tions arc important, to show you can
compete in other parts of the coun
try,” Tsongas told voters in Green
belt, Md., on Monday.
“1 am a prisoner of your expecta
tions and judgments,” he said. “I have
to do well here.”
Clinton promises a w in in Georgia
on Tuesday but says he may have
gotten his stride back loo late to over
come Tsongas inC'oloradoand Mary
land. The other contests, in Washing
ton, Minnesota, Idaho and Utah, are
unpredictable, he says.
Clinton said Monday as he cam
paigned in Maryland, “I think we’U
see a real turnaround in this election.”
“In the aftermath of New Hamp
shire, my economic message was
totally wiped away,” Clinton said
because he said he was forced to
defend himself against unsubstained
allegations of infidelity and sugges
tions he manipulated a deferment to
avoid the Vietnam draft.
“People arc beginning to get back
to the issues and are listening to my
message again.”
Maryland and Colorado are sig
nificant not only because they arc the
first major tests of the Democrats
outside their home regions, but both
arc considered bellwethers of Demo
cratic chances in the fall.
Court rejects ban on TV indecency
Justices let FCC
regulate material
only during day
WASHINGTON — The govern
ment’s bid to banish “indecency” from
the airwaves 24 hours a day was de
railed in the Supreme Court on Mon
day. The justices left intact a ruling
that such a round-the-clock ban vio
lates freedom of expression.
The Bush administration and ad
vocacy groups had asked ihc court to
revive the ban to protect children as
well as the privacy of all listeners and
viewers.
Indecent material is legally de
fined as describing “sexual or excre
tory activities or organs” in terms
“patently offensive as measured by
contemporary community standards
for the broadcast medium.”
Legally obscene material has no
constitutional protection, but mate
rial that is merely indecent docs.
Only Justices Byron R. White and
Sandra Day O’Connor voted to hear
arguments in the ease, but four votes
are needed to grant such review.
Justice Clarence Thomas did not
participate in considering the appeals.
He was a member of the U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia when it said prohibiting
indecent material 24 hours a day goes
too far.
The court’s refusal to review the
broadcast indecency case was hailed
by frec-spccch advocates.
On the other side, Bush admini
stration lawyers had said only a blan
ket FCC broadcast ban on indecent
material would protect young people.
Senator rejects calls for resignation
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Democrats
scrambled to save Sen. Brock Adams’
seat Monday alter he dropped his re
election bid amid allegations he sexu
ally harassed eight women.
Washington Gov. Booth Gardner
said he wouldn’t decide whether to
run for more than a week.
Adams resisted continued calls for
his resignation from Democrats and
Republicans alike.
Gardner told a news conference he
wouldn’t decide whether to seek
Adams’ seal until aflcr the state Leg
islature adjourns March 12.
Gardner also declined to immedi
ately call for Adams’ resignation.
“I think ... he can make the
judgment as to whether he is, in fact,
serving effectively and if he is not, I
think he’ll be the first to know,”
Gardner said. “But on speculation
that he doesn’t sec that and others of
us do, then l would talk with him by
private phone before making a public
statement.”
Asked if he believed the allega
tions against Adams, Gardner replied,
“I’m not going to make any judg
ment.” —
Adams dropped his bid for a sec
ond term Sunday, hours after The
Seattle Times published accounts from
unidentified former employees and
associates. One woman said Adams
drugged and raped her.
Adams, 65, told reporters: “I have
a job to do and I’m not resigning this
office.”
Reports reflect
better economy
WASHINGTON — Two hard
hit sectors of the economy got upbeat
news Monday as a key manufac
turing barometer climbed out of
recession territory in February and
the construction industry enjoyed
its best showing since last spring.
The Commerce Department
reported that
consumers
boosted their
spending a
lackluster 0.2
percent in Janu
ary, while their
incomes actu
ally fell by 0.1 percent.
Private economists said the
mixed reports were typical of an
economy at a turning point with
some sectors doing better than others
and supported the prevailing view'
thatthccountry should be launched
into a sustained recovery some
time during the spring.
Analysts were particularly im
pressed with the increase in the
National Association of Purchas
ing Management’s monthly index,
which jumped to 52.4 percent, up
from 47.4 percent the month be
fore.
A reading below 50 percent is
viewed as indicating a recession
in manufacturing while a reading
above 50 percent signals an ex
panding manufacturing sector. It
marked the first time the index has
been above the 50 percent mark
since last November.
Economists said the closely
watched manufacturing survey w as
good news for the one-fifth of the
economy engaged in manufactur
ing, a sector that had appeared to
be leading the country out of re
cession last spring only to falter
during the summer.
In a separate report, the Com
merce Department said that con
struction spending increased 1.3
percent in January, the first ad
vance since October and the strong
est gain since last April. The
strength was centered in residen
tial construction, a sector consid
ered crucial to leading the country
out of recession.
_
Construction
spending
Billions of dollars, seasonally adjusted
IT?
Source US Dept of Commerce AP
Personal
Spending
Trillions ol dollars
seasonally adjusted annual rate
F M A M J J A SON Ol'
1001 97
Jan '91 Dec '91 Jen. ’92
3 79 I l 3.96 j I 3.97 \
S——J —J 4——i
Source U S Dept of Commerce AP
9 countries join United Nations Jury selected in police beating tnal
UNITED NATIONS — Eight newly
independent Soviet republics and tiny San
Marino today joined the United Nations,
bringing the world body’s roster to 175.
The nine new members represented the
biggest single group admission since the
United Nations was formed in 1945 with 51
members.
Admission requires recommendation of
the 15-mcmbcr Security Council and a two
thirds vole of the General Assembly. The
formal vote usually is waived in favor of
acclamation, as was done today.
With admission of
Kazakhstan, Armenia,
Ajcrbaijan, Krygyzstan,
Moldova, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan, all former
Soviet republics except
Georgia will have joined
the world body. Georgia is not a member of
the Commonwealth of Independent Slates.
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — A jury with no
blacks was seated Monday in the assault trial of
four white Los Angeles police officers accused
of beating a black motorist a year ago this
week.
Most of those selected
said they had seen the widely
broadcast videotape of a
crowd of officers beating
Rodney King, butall prom
ised to put aside precon
ceptions and look at the case
anew.
“We believe they are going to be fair and
impartial,” said the prosecutor, Deputy District
Attorney Terry White, who is black.
“I’m not surprised by the makeup of our
jury,” said defense attorney Michael Stone,
who denied there was any defense plan to
exclude blacks from the jury.
Jurors include one Asian and one Hispanic.
The seven men and five women are middle
aged and included a computer programmer, a
housekeeper, an intensive care nurse and a park
ranger. One man has a brother who is a retired
police sergeant.
Grant
Continued from Page 1
-44
We can meet students’
needs most of the time.
Beacon
NU director of scholarships
and financial aid
-** -
Beacon said he was not sure if the
Senate bill would lead to a significant
increase in the number of Pell grants,
but he said other provisions in the bill
would increase federal aid to middle
income families.
If the bill passed into law, he said,
a Pell grant formula would be used to
determine who would be eligible for
the increased aid. Until the bill is
passed and that formula is established.
Beacon said it would be impossible to
know exactly how many more stu
dents could receive Pell Grants.
“From whatl’ve seen, I don’t think
the relief to middle-income families
is going to come from the Pell grant
program as from other federal pro
grams such as work-study, Perkins
loans and State Student Incentive
Grants," he said.
Beacon said increased federal
funding would help more students
attend UNL. But he said financial aid
should not be an obstacle to students
wishing to attend college.
“We can meet students’ needs most
of the time,” he said. “It may mean
they would have more indebtedness
than they would like, but we can help
them.”
Arboretum
Continued from Page 1
tat, he said.
Ode said the white-fringed orchid
was a “shy” plant and more difficult
to find, although a population of the
plant grows in Nine Mile Prairie.
“It’s a very showy orchid, but it’s
hard to know when they’ll bloom,
maybe every two or three years,” he
said. “It’s invisible in the grass when
it’s not in bloom.
Wc have stakes and flags to mark
it, but even then, you’ll find the flow
ers have moved four or five feet be
cause it has underground runners,” he
said. “It’s tricky.’
Ode said he would compare the
arboretum’s work to a space-backup
system.
“We go and collect viable seeds of
a population of endangered sjpecics to
try and save the gene pool,” Ode said.
“On a space-shuttle system there is
usually a computer, and a backup
computer if that fails, and then there’s
even a third. We’re providing nature
with a redundancy.
Ode said it was important for
Nebraskans to realize endangered
species and habitats existed in their
state and that all species of plants and
animals were worthwhile.
“Species that may have a specific
impact on human needs may be ig
nored until they arc studied,” he said.
“If the properties of a plant arc lost,
they are forever gone from the pool of
life. If it’s lost, we’ll never know how
it could be used.”
Nebn&kan
Editor Jana Pedersen
472-1766
Publications Board
Chairman Blit Vobejda
472- 2586
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 Friday during the academic
year, weekly during summer sessions
Readers are encouraged to submit story
ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan
by phoning 472-1783 between 9 a m and b
p m Monday through Friday The public also
has access to the Publications Board, ror
information, contact Bill Vobe)da. 472-2588
Subscription price is $50 for one year
Postmaster: Send address changes to the
Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 H
St ,Lincoln, NE 68588 0448 Second class
postage paid at Lincoln, NE
ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT
1992 DAILY NEBRASKAN