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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1995)
--- News Digest Tuesday, November 7, 1995 Page 2 i _ _ ^ 4 killed in Boston eatery I 2 suspects arrested; police offer no motive BOSTON—Two gunmen walked through a busy restaurant in the city’s rough Charlestown section Monday and opened fire in front of a booth, killing four customers and critically wounding another. Two plainclothes police officers who happened to be eating lunch there followed the suspects outside and ar rested them in the parking lot. Police gave no motive for the shoot ing in the working-class, mostly Irish neighborhood, which has long had a reputed “code of silence” that has sunk many a murder investigation. Police Commissioner Paul Evans discounted speculation that it was an organized crime assassination. “If it was a hit, it was a very sloppy hit in broad daylight in a very crowded restaurant,” Evans said. Witnesses said the men fired at least 13 shots inside the 99 Restaurant & Pubs around lunchtime. A hush fell over the room when the shots rang out, then people started screaming and run ning for cover. “I heard, Pop, pop, pop.’ I hit the deck,” said Bill Sewall, 57. “I ran out the front door, and I’m still shaking.” Steve Maurer was in the bar when he heard what sounded like a balloon popping. “I looked over to see if there was a party going on,” he said. “Then I heard another shot and saw smoke and realized it wasn’t a party.” Maurer said he heard other patrons yelling, “Get down! Get down!” He ran through the kitchen and hid behind a row of cars outside. The victims’ names were not im mediately released. The two men who were arrested were identified as Damien Clemente, 20, of Medford and Vincent John Perez, 27, of Boston. They were to be charged in Charlestown District Court on Tuesday with four counts each of homicide and several weapons charges. Charlestown, sandwiched between Boston Harbor and the Mystic River, is known to tourists as the home of the Bunker Hill monument and the USS Constitution, the 19th-century war ship dubbed Old Ironsides. But to police, it is a place where murder witnesses rarely talk. Earlier this year, one local group said half of the 50 murders they have tracked in Charlestown since 1975 remain un solved. “It’s to the point where you don’t want to buy the newspaper anymore; you don’t want to watch the news,” said Terry Titcomb, a neighborhood activist whose son was shot and killed a year ago. Several residents complained that the shootings leave the impression the whole neighborhood is lawless. “It’s never the good stuff, just the bad. It’s a few people who give (Charlestown) a bad name,” said Anne McCarron, 63. “Ninety-five percent ofthe people in Charlestown are warm, great people.” News 1 _ in a - Minu _i Government postpones borrowing WASHINGTON — The government indefinitely postponed $31.5 billion in borrowing Monday, avoiding violation ofthe federal debt limitr but raising new talk of the first default in the nation’s history. House Republican Leader Dick Armey of Texas predicted that Congress would raise the limit this week. But the issue is deeply tangled with the dispute between Congress and President Clinton over federal spending, making the long-range outcome less certain. Historic default on U.S. debt repayment “is a very major threat,” said economist Elliott Platt of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corp. in New York, though he also forecast that “late this week or early next week, there will be some sort of agreement on a temporary debt limit increase.” Announcing postponement of the scheduled major borrowing, the Treasury Department said, “These postponements are necessary be cause Congress has not completed action on legislation to increase the statutory debt limit to permit issuance of the notes on Nov. 15.” Gates acquires Russian museum’s images NEW YORK—Software billionaire Bill Gates’ extensive connec tions to the world’s great art broadened Monday with a deal to make electronic images from the collection of Russia’s famed Hermitage museum. Corbis Corp., die digital media company Gates owns, will be able to make computerized versions of several thousand pieces of art at the museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Hermitage is perhaps most famous for its collection of impres sionist and postimpressionist paintings, including “Woman Combing Her Hair” by Edgar Degas and “The Dance” of Henri Matisse. AMA: Doctors lack sexual assault training CHICAGO—While victims of sexual assault often keep quiet about what has happened to them, the one person many say they would talk to — their family doctor — is often ill-prepared to help them. Tochange that, the American Medical Association took aim Monday at doctors’ lack of training in diagnosis and treatment. Doctors are not asking the right questions about violence in their patients’ lives, said Dr. Lonnie Bristow, president of die doctors’ group, a news conference. j; “There are clues and tips that physicians can be alert to,” he said. “Doctors should ask questions designed to elicit the information.” The AMA is sending guidelines to emergency room doctors, gyne cologists and primary care physicians to help them help ask those questions and decide what to do if a patient has been sexually assaulted. Nefciraskan Editor J. Christopher Hain Night News Editors Julie Sobczyk 472-1766 * Matt Waite Managing Editor Rainbow Rowetl Doug Peters Assoc. News Editors DeDra Janssen Chad Lorenz Brian Sharp Art Director Mike Stover FAX NUMBER 472-1761 The Daily NebraskanOJSPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Ne braska Union 34,1400 R St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, 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 Dhoning 472-1763 between 9 am. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public also has access to the Publications Board. For information, contact Tim Hedegaard, 436-9253,9 a.m. ^ ^ iubscription 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. bt.,Lincoln, nc ^LLMATERiAL COPYRIGHT 1995 DAILY NEBRASKAN I EPA says 33 regions still must clean up air WASHINGTON — Thirty three regions, many of them metro politan areas, have yet to clean up their air enough to meet federal smog standards, the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday. About 90 million people live in areas that still violate federal health standards for smog, compared with 140 million people five years ago, the EPA said in its annual air qual ity report. “In the last five years, our efforts to protect public health have re sulted in 50 million more Ameri cans who are now breathing far healthier air,” EPA Administrator Carole Browner said in a statement. The EPA found air quality im proved significantly along the New Hampshire seacoast as the Ports mouth-Dover-Rochester area met federal standards. It had been clas sified as having serious pollution. San Diego, while still not meet ing federal standards, shifted from “severe” to “serious” pollution, showing slightly improved air qual ity, while Sacramento, Calif., went in the opposite direction, from seri ous to severe, the agency said. Many cities with dirty air are not expected to bring their air quality into federal compliance until the middle of the next decade. Under federal law, they must attain com pliance within two to 13 years, de pending on the severity of the pol lution. A violation of federal health stan dards means that the ozone level in the air on some days exceeds 0.12 parts per million. Ground-level ozone, a key component of smog, causes respiratory problems as well as irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes. The EPA said there were eight areas with “moderate” smog prob lems, compared with 14 a year ago. Those in the “marginal” pollution category dropped from seven to four. Panel advises FDA to approve new initial therapy for AIDS SILVER SPRING, Md. — The drug 3TC should be approved as the first new initial therapy to treat AIDS* since re original AIDS drug AZT, advisers told firewood andt Drug Administration on Monday . A combination of 3TC and AZT boosted the immune system of pa tients and lowered the amount of the HIV virus, which causes AIDS, in their blood. But more significantly, the drug combination showed more effect in patients who had never taken AZT than in those who have taken AZT alone, as is standard for most patients, manufacturer Glaxo Wellcome said. The FDA advisers agreed, although they cautioned there are a lot of unan swered questioned that patients must be aware of before choosing to try the combination therapy over AZT alone. “I am very uncomfortable giving this regimen in a widespread way” because of all the questions, said Dr. DouglasJS/teyers of Walter Reed Army tJnstit&eedHfesearch in Washington, a consultant to the panel. All other AIDS drugs sold today are for use after AZT fails and are not used in combination with it. Early data “support the argument for initial aggressive therapy,” Glaxo research chief Marc Rubin said. “3TC AZT was consistently associated with greater and more sustained response.” In a statement issued by Glaxo Wellcome headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C., Rubin said the company was pleased by the recom mendation, “and we look forward to working with the FDA in comingdays to resolve any remaining questions related to Epivir,” the trade name for 3TC, which is also known as lamivudine. The panel agreed that early data was sufficient to approve 3TC for moderately to advanced AIDS patients as well as offering it as an initial therapy. The advisers also recommended that the FDA allow Glaxo to sell strawberry banana-flavored drops of the drug for children, although there was little if any evidence that the children experienced a benefit like that seen in adults. Doctors argued that children' shouldn’t be denied the potential that the therapy works, but the committee cautioned that the drug must carry a warning that it may cause dangerous pancreatitis in children. The FDA is not obliged to accept the recommendations of advisory pan els, but it usually does* Retroactive per-cmld tax cut considered WASHINGTON—Some leading congressional Republicans want to make the $500-per-child tax cut that’s a cornerstone of the “Contract With America” retroactive to 1995. If it became law, taxpayers would receive at least a partial benefit when they file returns early in the election year. Legislation passed by the House and Senate calls for making the tax break effective Jan. 1,1996. But Re publican leaders in both houses have discussed the possibility of pushing back the effective date by a few months, if not all the way to Jan. 1, 1995. For example, an Oct. 1, 1995, effective date is under discussion. “I’d like to do it, but I’ve got to lode at the entire package,” House Majority Leader Dick Armey said re cently, reflecting a widespread con cern that the change may be too ex pensive to fit into the GOP balanced budget legislation. Armey, R-Texas, is one of the idea’s strongest proponents, although House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., said last Friday he, too, is interested, if the funds can be found. Officials said Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R Kan., is likewise interested. The proposal has political appeal because Republicans could trumpet the tax break as an early benefit of their legislative program — before the GOP-inspired spending cuts begin to bite. Some Republicans, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said it could give them political advantage in a showdown with President Clinton, who is expected to veto the overall balanced-budget bill because of its curbs in spending on Medicare, Med icaid and other programs. The individual tax cuts aside, law makers participating in House-Senate negotiations are virtually certain to make the capital gains tax reduction proposal retroactive to 1995. The House-passed measure would make the cut effective Jan. 1, 1995. The Senate bill calls for an Oct. 14,1995 effective day. , Capital gains taxes are levied against the profits on sales of invest ments. By making that cut retroactive but the child tax credit effective Jan. 1 of next year, Republicans might be open to fresh Democratic criticism. ' Fur ral Continued from Page 1 “I had to pinch myself to believe what I am seeing ” said government spokesman Uri Dromi, notingthe Arab robes and headdresses that dotted the rows of dignitaries. King Hussein forged a strong bond with Rabin in decades of secret and open negotiations that culminated in a peace treaty between Jordan and Is rael last year. “You lived as a soldier, you died as a soldier for peace,” said Hussein, who wore a red-and-white checkered Arab headdress. “I believe it is time for all of us to come out openly and to speak of peace.” Rabin, who led Israel to triumphs on the battlefield, then stretched out a hand of peace to his Arab neighbors, was buried with full military honors in a pine glade atop a hill overlooking the volatile city where he was bom 73 years ago. His widow Leah, sitting in the first row, wept through much of the cer emony, supported by her son, Yuval, her daughter, Dalia, and her grand children Noa and Yonatan. Clinton called Rabin “a martyr for the casket, which was then lowered into the grave. Members of the burial society scooped earth into containers and covered the casket. A rabbi intoned the prayer, “God, Full of Mercy.” Peres and other dignitaries put wreaths at the grave, and hundreds of Israelis left flowers and pebbles, a traditional Jewish mourning custom, peace but... a victim of hate.” Rabin aide Eitan Haber spoke last, reading from the bloodstained sheet of paper with the words of the “Song for Peace” that Rabin had sung at Saturday night’s rally. Rabin put the paper in his jacket pocket just minutes before he was shot. “Let the sun rise and the morning light our ways,” Haber read. “We miss you, Yitzhak.” After Haber spoke, Rabin’s coffin was carried about 200 yards to the gravesite. A blue-and-white flag with the Star of David was removed from