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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
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ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1997 DAILY NEBRASKAN
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