News Article On Bombing Raises Fears For Fair Trial
Date: 02 March 1997
By Jo Thomas
Jo Thomas
Lawyers preparing for Oklahoma City bombing trial are concerned about potential effect on jury of newspaper report that Timothy J McVeigh, defendant, told his lawyers that he had driven truck used in bombing and that he decided on daytime attack to insure an impressive 'body count'; article was published in Dallas Morning News after appearing on newspaper's World Wide Web page, just as hundreds of prospective jurors were required to mail back questionnaires that had been sent to them two weeks ago; article quoted source from McVeigh's defense team; McVeigh's lawyer, Stephen Jones, seeking to minimize damage, calls article a hoax (M)
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Technology Threatens Monopolies
Date: 01 March 1997
Editorial observes that competitive revolution in telecommunications took two encouraging steps forward this week; notes News Corporation announced a merger that promises to provide its customers wiht broadcast satellite service fully equal, if not superior, to their local cable service; also discusses AT&T's announcement that it has secretly developed technology that would allow it to bring local phone service to people's homes without using equipment of regional Bell companies
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Newspaper Says McVeigh Described Role in Bombing
Date: 01 March 1997
By James Brooke
James Brooke
Bitter row breaks out over report by Dallas Morning News that defendant in Oklahoma City bombing case, Timothy J McVeigh, told one of his lawyers that he had driven truck used in bombing and that he had decided on daytime attack to insure 'a body count'; summaries of confidential prison interviews with defense lawyer in second half of 1995 are cited as source for article, which is released on newspaper's World Wide Web page; article is scheduled for publication on Saturday, March 1; Stephen Jones, lead lawyer for McVeigh, sharply criticizes newspaper article (M)
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TIME WARNER ORDERS BUDGET CUTS UP TO 5%
Date: 01 March 1997
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Time Warner Inc steps up its cost-cutting efforts by ordering far-flung units to shave 3 percent to 5 percent off their budgets in next three years (S)
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USA WASTE INCREASES OFFER FOR MID-AMERICAN WASTE
Date: 01 March 1997
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
USA Waste Services increases offer for Mid-American Waste Systems to $201 million from $180 million after Superior Oil Co makes competing bid for Mid-American, which is operating under bankruptcy protection (S)
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Aguirre Changing Roles
Date: 01 March 1997
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Mark Aguirre will quit as Dallas Mavericks' director of player development after this season, move that is part of restructuring by Don Nelson, new general manager; Aguirre, 37, will take on nonbasketball duties and receive unspecified ownership share (S)
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Summit Bancorp Buying Collective Bancorp
Date: 01 March 1997
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Summit Bancorp says agrees to buy Collective Bancorp for $867 million in stock, cementing its position as largest bank based in New Jersey (S)
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Growth Rate In 4th Quarter Cut to 3.9%
Date: 01 March 1997
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Commerce Dept reports that economy grew at annual rate of 3.9 percent in fourth quarter, slower than 4.8 percent estimated originally; attributes downward revision in growth of gross domestic product to unexpected liquidation of inventories at retailers and other businesses (M)
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Will the South Rise Again?
Date: 02 March 1997
Bob Stebbins letter complains of lack of news about South Jersey in New Jersey section for Feb 17
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NEWS SUMMARY
Date: 01 March 1997
INTERNATIONAL 3-6 Clinton Certifies Mexico As Ally in War on Drugs President Clinton certified Mexico as a full ally in the war against illegal drugs, but only after the Mexican Government made several commitments sought by American law enforcement agencies. It reportedly agreed to begin extraditing major drug traffickers and to increase prosecutions under Mexico's new money-laundering and organized-crime laws. For a second year, Colombia was not certified. 1 Saudi Cooperation Criticized Louis J. Freeh, the director of the F.B.I., expressed frustration that the Saudis were not doing more to help in the investigation of a truck bombing that killed 19 United States airmen. A senior Saudi Arabian delegation renewed pledges of cooperation in the investigation. 6 2 Bosnian 'Victims' Found Alive Two Muslim brothers, whose supposed murders were the key evidence in the sentencing, in 1993, of two Bosnian Serbs for war crimes, have been found living in a Sarajevo suburb. The existence of the brothers is a major embarrassment for the Bosnian Government and has led a lawyer for one of the imprisoned Serbs to file for a new trial. Government officials would not discuss the case nor the appeal for a new trial. 3 Romania Welcomes Ex-King King Michael of Romania, dethroned at gunpoint 50 years ago, made an emotional homecoming from exile in Switzerland, the first time he had been welcomed by the Government and people. The King's citizenship has been reinstated and he has received a new passport. President Emil Constantinescu has asked the King, who is 75, to help the Government make the case for Romanian entry into NATO. 3 U.N. Chief Calls for Intervention Secretary General Kofi Annan of the United Nations called on world powers to send a multinational military force to deliver relief and help refugees in Zaire. With Foreign Minister Herve de Charette of France already favoring the idea, Mr. Annan will try to persuade the Security Council to change its mind and drop its earlier hostility to the idea. 5 Tension in East Jerusalem Briefly, violence seemed about to erupt in East Jerusalem, where Israel announced that it would build a Jewish neighborhood over Palestinian objections. Hundreds of Palestinians protested, and a group of women and youths confronted the Israeli border police. But the incident ended peacefully as both sides drew back. 6 3 Dead in Albania Three people were reported killed in Albania and at least 10 injured when shooting broke out in the southern town of Vlore, where demonstrators have staged anti-government protests for weeks. It was not clear who started the shooting but one witness said the local headquarters of the secret police was set on fire. One of the dead was believed to be a secret-police officer. (Reuters) NATIONAL 7-10 Democrats to Return Another $1.5 Million The Democratic Party said that it would return nearly $1.5 million in contributions that it now believes may have been illegal or improper. Most of the money was raised by three Asian-American businessmen whose fund-raising practices have come under sharp scrutiny by Federal prosecutors and Congressional investigators. This brings to nearly $3 million the amount the Democrats have been forced to return since last October. 8 Checks of Cigarette Buyers The first day of a new Federal rule requiring retailers to check the identifications of all people younger than 27 when they buy cigarettes, brought longer waits in some checkout lines, as well as what some cigarette buyers in their 40's or 50's interpreted as compliments when they were asked for identification. But most people doubted that the policy would stop smoking by teen-agers. 7 Shootout Is Caught on TV Two bank robbers dressed in black body armor and carrying automatic weapons died after a gun battle with the Los Angeles police that was broadcast live from television cameras in news helicopters. The shooting, which raged for the better part of an hour, also left eight police officers and five passers-by injured. 7 Reports of McVeigh Statement A bitter fight broke out over a newspaper report that Timothy J. McVeigh had told members of his defense team that he was alone in driving a Ryder truck to the Oklahoma City Federal building and that he decided on exploding the bomb that destroyed the building in the daytime to insure a large casualty toll. But his lawyer, Stephen Jones, criticized the newspaper, The Dallas Morning News, for publishing what he called a hoax. The newspaper said its account was based on notes of Mr. McVeigh's interviews in jail with a member of the defense team. 7 Doctors Urge Limiting Doctors A large segment of the nation's medical establishment, including the American Medical Association and representatives of medical schools, said that too many doctors were being trained and that the number should be cut. The groups proposed limiting the number of doctors who enter training programs as residents in an effort to cut the number of new doctors by about 20 percent a year. 9 Agent Pleads Guilty to Spying A former supervisor with the F.B.I. pleaded guilty to spying for Russia. The agent, Earl Edwin Pitts, is only the second F.B.I. agent to be found guilty of espionage. 9 Cache of Bombs Is Found The authorities in Georgia found 16 bombs in the home of a theft suspect who was wounded in a gun fight with sheriff's deputies in Roopville, Ga., but they said they had no evidence that the man was involved in the recent attack on a bar in Atlanta or with the bomb that exploded during the Olympics there in July. (AP) NEW YORK/REGION 25-29 Plan for Con Edison Would Favor Business As New York State seeks to cut power prices by scrapping electric-company monopolies in favor of competition, the Pataki administration and Con Edison have drafted a tentative agreement that delivers the largest share of savings to business, not residential users. Con Edison would split into generating, marketing and distributing companies that could be owned by a holding company. 1 Some Could Lose 212 Code Nynex said that by the end of next year some Manhattanites could lose their current telephone area code, 212, and that all of them might have to dial 11 digits to reach their friends uptown, downtown or even around the block. Nynex said that it would run out of numbers with the 212 area code by the beginning of 1999, and it presented regulators with three possible solutions. 1 Rape Charges Are Dismissed Charges against a businessman accused of raping a woman he met over the Internet were dismissed. Prosecutors said they requested the dismissal after investigating the accuser's claims and reviewing evidence, including computer records. 27 Democrat Leaves Race Robert C. Janiszewski, the Hudson County Executive, said that he was withdrawing from the New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial primary, narrowing the field of Democrats hoping to challenge Governor Whitman in November. 28 Resort Files for Bankruptcy The Concord Resort Hotel -- the resort where the comedian Alan King kibitzed, Muhammad Ali trained, and scores of Jewish singles met the loves of their lives -- filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was reeling from lagging patronage and the defeat of a state measure to permit gambling. 25 SPORTS 30-34 ARTS 13-19, 24 BUSINESS DAY 35-48 Cigna to Buy Healthsource Cigna, playing catch-up in the fast-consolidating health insurance field, agreed to buy Healthsource, a troubled managed health care company, for $1.45 billion in cash. Cigna would also assume $250 million of Healthsource debt. 35 Burger Sale Is Approved McDonald's said that its 2,700 domestic franchisees had voted overwhelmingly to endorse its plans for a nationwide promotion built around heavily discounted sandwiches and burgers. 35 Business Digest 35 OBITUARIES 11 EDITORIAL 22-23 Editorials: Technology threatens monopolies, a rational way to reduce the deficit, finding lost children, a city at war. Column: Maureen Dowd. Bridge 49 Crossword 18 Weather 18
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