Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1997)
- —- ■ _rr ^ --—: mfon/woiJfc_| Supreme Court rules against tobacco companies WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a Florida law that makes it easier to sue tobacco companies to recover Medicaid money spent treating smoking-related illnesses. The justices turned down industry arguments that the measure un lawfully seeks to “stack the deck” in the state’s favor. Florida is (me of about 20 states that have sued tobacco companies in attempts to get reimbursed for Medicaid funds spent to treat smok ers. Its claim is aided by a law, believed to be the only one of its kind in the nation, that aims to help the state recover money from anyone be lieved responsible for a Medicaid patient’s illness. Zairians panic as rumors fly about Mobutu’s health KINSHASA, Zaire -— Panicked residents fled the capital Monday while rebels boasted they would take city after city, and rumors spread that the only president a generation of Zairians has known was seriously ill. The autocratic, charismatic Mobutu Sese Seko, who has ruled Zaire for nearly 32 years, remained hospitalized Monday in Monaco. He had surgery for prostate cancer in August. The government announced Mobutu was “functioning normally,” but The Associated Press learned that the president was in serious con dition and had undergone surgery after being admitted Friday. The streets of Kinshasa were rife with rumors that the 66-year-old Mobutu was dead and that the military was plotting to take over the government. There is great concern in the capital that if Mobutu dies or if the army attempts a coup, riots would break out among soldiers and civil ians. Riots in 1991 and 1993 killed hundreds of people and destroyed many businesses. Judge won’t delay McVeighto Oklahoma bombing trial DENVER — The judge in the Oklahoma City bombing case Monday refused to delay Timothy McVeigh’s trial despite a stream of news sto ries about his purported confession. U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch said jury selection would begin as planned March 31. Die stories about McVeigh appeared in recent weeks in The Dallas Morning News, Playboy and Newsweek. In get-well note to Clinton, Dole offers to fill in WASHINGTON — Thanks for the card, Bob, but don’t wait by the phone. -'X Bob Dole, the unsuccessful RepuWicah candidate for president, sent get-well wishes to President Clinton, on the mend from a tom knee tendon. His note read: “Dear Mr. President. Should you need someone to fill in and run the country during your recovery, give me a call. From one who once fell off a stage and onto the front pages everywhere, best wishes for a speedy recovery and a successful summit with President Yeltsin.” During last year’s campaign, Dole fell off a stage but did not injure himself. Clinton got a chuckle out of the note, presidential spokesman Mike McCurry said Monday. Free Computer Classes! Information Technology Support offers FREE classes to UNL students. Classes are held in Bancroft, Room 239. Seats are available first come, first served (12 seats available for each class). If you have any questions call: 472-9050. Classes will be held throughout the semester. Introduction to BIGRED Email Tuesday, March 18: 11:00 to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19: 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. Monday, March 31: 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Thursday, April 3: 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. Friday, April 4: 10:30 to 12:00 noon Advanced Email on BIGRED Wednesday, March 19: 10:30 to 12:00 noon Tuesday, April 1: 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. Netscape Tuesday, April 1: 11:00 to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 2: 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 4: 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Microsoft Word Thursday, April 3: 11:00 to 12:30 p.m. Microsoft Excel Wednesday, April 2: 10:30 to 12:00 noon Lake probably would have been confirmed, some say. WASHINGTON (AP)—Anthony Lake, whose nomination for CIA di rector appeared strong alter surviving stiff GOP resistance, asked President Clinton to withdraw his name from consideration. Clinton reluctantly accepted the request. Lake and Clinton reached the de cision together in a private meeting Monday afternoon in the White House living quarters, a senior White House official said. “I have believed all my life in pub lic service. I still do,” Lake, the former White House national security adviser, said in a letter to Clinton. “But Wash ington has gone haywire. I hope that sooner, rather than lata, people of all political views beyond our city limits will demand that Washington give priority to policy over partisanship, to governing over ‘gotcha.’” The development was a surprise because Lake had weathered several GOP attacks to emerge relatively un scathed from last week’s confirmation hearings. The questioning was less harsh than expected, and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee said privately he would probably be confirmed. Lake's withdrawal raised immedi ate questions as to whether a new al legation cropped up at the last minute to submarine his nomination. Lake’s nomination triggered a steady stream of questions. They in cluded his support for a secret 1994 policy that allowed Iranian arms to flow to Bosnia and his failure to sell $280,000 worth of energy stock after being told to do so to avoid possible conflicts of interest. More recently, Lake said that as national security adviser he was never told by subordinates about FBI suspi cions that China was looking to influ ence U.S. congressional elections. Questions also were raised about the NSC’s role in White House policy that allowed several circumspect Demo cratic donors access to the White House during the 1996 elections. Albanian TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Gun men nd£ci much of southern Albania on Monday, demanding hefty fees from those wanting to flee the coun try and robbing a bank as police watched helplessly. Hundreds of Albanians clogged the ports, trying to join nearly 7,000 oth ers who already have reached Italy. Many of the boats heading across the choppy waters of the Adriatic were dangerously overcrowded. In the Adriatic port of Durres, hun dreds of people crowded a beach in hopes of getting passage west. Gun men charged $250 — an enormous sum for residents of Europe’s poorest nation — for a place on a speedboat that would carry passengers to a larger ship docked in the harbor. Calm returned Monday to Tirana, the Capital, and Albania’s hew' prime minister, Bashkim Fino, held a Cabi net meeting to figure out how to handle the rebellious south. He told state television he would travel around Albania, starting with his southern hometown of Gjirokastra. The Greek private television sta tion Mega reported from Gjirokastra that a meeting of southern rebels lead ers there gave President Sali Berisha three days to resign. The insurgents said they supported Fino’s government “provided it does not cooperate with Berisha. If it does, we will withdraw our support.” Some weapons were recovered from civilians who looted armories over the past two weeks — state TV put the number at 2,064 Kalashnikovs, 1,242 semi-automatic rifles, 2,600 other kinds of guns, 5 missiles, 65 hand-grenades and more than 3 mil lion bullets. AP Fino, a Socialist Party member, also met Monday with the head of his party, who was freed in a jail tweak Thursday after four years in prison. Later, party leader Fatos Nano told reporters that he, too, would travel to the south to try to persuade insurgents to turn in their guns. “The Socialist Party has a mission of peace,** he declared, as he urged Albanians to remain in their country, hand over their weapons and support the new coalition government. Clinton tries to reassure Russians WASHINGTON (AP) — In strained pre-summit talks, President Clinton tried Monday to soften Russia’s resistance to NATO expan sion. Russian President Boris Yeltsin called for further U.S. concessions and said, “I don’t want a return to the Cold War.” The points Clinton took up with Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov included promises of a greater voice for Russia in the economic conferences of the world’s seven leading industri alized democracies and assurances that an expanded NATO would pose no threat to Moscow. While Russia cannot stop the alii ance from inviting forma* Soviet al lies this summer to join, both Yeltsin and Primakov signaled they remained opposed in principle. “We can’t move any further,” Yeltsin said from Moscow. And emerging from an hour-long session with Clinton, Primakov said: “Russia will not change its position on NATO.” The differences will carry over to Clinton’s summit with Yeltsin in Helsinki, Finland, on Thursday. White House press secretary Mike McCurry said there would likely still be dis agreements after the summit. Primakov planned to fly home Monday night and report to Yeltsin, who told reporters in Moscow: “I don’t want a return to the Cold War, and neither do our people, but to avoid that there must be equal condi tions. I’m for a multi-polar world, not one in which the United States will command everyone else.” Urging Clinton to make conces sions, Yeltsin said: “Our diplomats have made enough concessions to the United States. We can’t move any fur ther. Now it’s the U.S.’s turn to move in order to preserve our partnership.” Despite the rhetoric, die two sides are working on a new relationship between Moscow and NATO, one that McCurry said would be made politi cally but not legally binding, Questions? Comments? Ask for the appropriate section editor at472 2588 or e-mail dnOunllnfb.unl.edu. Editor: DougKouma Managing Editor: Paula Lavigne Assoc. News Editors: Joshua Gillin Chad Lorenz Night Editor: AnneHjersman Opinion Editor: Anthony Nguyen AP Wire Editor: JohnFulwider Copy Desk Chief: Julie Sobczyk Sports Editor: Trevor Parks General Manager: DanShattU Advertising Manager Amy Struthers Asst Ad Manager Cheryl Renner Classified Ad Manager Tlffiny Clifton A&E Editor: Jeff Randall Photo Director: Scott Bruhn Art Director: Aaron Steckelberg Web Editor Michelle Collins Night News Editors: Bryce Glenn Leanne Sorensen Rebecca Stone Amy Taylor Publications Travis Brandt Board Chairman: 436-7915 Professional Don Walton Adviser 473-7301 FAX NUMBER:472-1761 The Daily Nebraskan (USPS144-060)» published by the UNL Publications Board Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St, Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, Monday through Friday during the academic /Bar; weekly during summer sessions. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebras kan by calling 472-2588. The public has access to the Publications Board. Postmaster: Sod attt^changas to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34 1400 R St, Lincoln, NE 68588-0448.Second^lass postage paid at Lincoln. NebT ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1997 DAILY NEBRASKAN 4 iiiiiiiilllliiiii
