University Daily Kansan, April 23, 1985
NATION AND WORLD
Page 2
NEWS BRIEFS
First round of arms talks ends
GENEVA, Switzerland — U.S. and Soviet experts on defense and space weapons yesterday held the final working session at the opening round of the superpower arms talks amid signs that virtually no progress had been made.
The first round of the talks, which began March 12, officially ends today with a meeting between full delegations. After a meeting, the second round is scheduled to begin May 30.
'Chinook' helicopter crashes
The U.S. bargaining team at Geneva is seeking deep reductions in existing long-range and medium-range offensive nuclear weapons.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — A U.S. Army helicopter participating in U.S.-Honduran military exercises crashed in central Honduras during the weekend, injuring eight U.S. soldiers aboard, an army spokesman said yesterday.
The U.S. Army CH-47 "Chinook" helicopter crashed at the San Pedro Sula airport Sunday because of mechanical difficulties, said a U.S. spokesman for the
The CH-47 was transporting troops involved in an exercise simulating counter-insurgency sweeps.
It was the second Chinook helicopter accident in a week.
New formula is it for Coke
NEW YORK — The Real Thing will soon be a different thing. The Coca-Cola企 will announce plans today to change the brand formula for the world's top-selling soft drink.
Responding to increased competition from other bottlers, officials of the soft drink giant have scheduled a news conference today at the Lincoln Center to answer questions about the formula change reported last week.
However, the formula will not be revealed. The old formula, considered one of American industry's best-knew secrets, is secret and still is locked in a vault in Atlanta.
Students mouth off for record
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — With a pitcher of water handy, long-winded students at Harvard University argued non-stop and hardy study to set a debating record of 120 hours.
Speaking in shifts of up to eight hours, about 35 students expect to keep talking until Friday night and break the record of 102 hours set by 219 debaters from the University of Dublin.
Compiled from United Press International reports.
Reagan wants agreement on aid for contras
By United Press International
WASHINGTON — President Reagan yesterday sought a last-minute agreement with Senate Democrats to salvage at least part of his request for $14 million in aid to nicaraguan rebels. The senators said they would take a cease-fire before aid would be granted.
With the White House predicting a close vote in the Senate and conceding that Reagan was still behind in the House, top administration officials negotiated with Senate leaders on acceptable alternatives to his initial aid package for the contractions fighting the leftist Sandmista government.
The discussions, held at the White House, failed to produce quick accord on a plan that could rescue Reagan from a serious foreign policy setback, when his policy toward Nicaragua is subjected to votes today in the House and Senate.
Senate Democrats arrived at the White House at midday with what Democratic officials described as a reasonable, positive proposal that was in this country's interest.
THE THREE-PAGE proposal would allow the $14 million to the contrasts for humanitarian aid only if the president resumed bilateral conversations with the Nicaraguan government, and if the Sandinista government and the contrasts agreed to a cease-fire.
If the Nicaragua government refuses to negotiate with the United States or if it refuses to enter into a cease-fire, Reagan could come to Congress and ask for additional aid for the contrast "in such amount as may be necessary," corporate, and for authorization for any other measures he deems appropriate, including economic sanctions. ..."
The proposal said the discussions between the two governments should be guarded to avoid overt misunderstanding.
in an effort to contribute to the Contadora process.
If the Sandinistas refused a cease-fire, the humanitarian aid could be provided to the contras, but if the contras seriously or severely hurt the militants, the humanitarian assistance would end.
THE RESOLUTION stated that the $14 million must come out of money previously appropriated for the State Department and other funds could be used to help the contras.
The Democratic proposal also called for encouragement and would provide financial assistance for establishment of the Council. This would enable peace-keeping, verification and monitoring.
The Democrats proposed economic sanctions, by the United States or in conjunction with U.S. allies, if the Sandinista government negotiate in good faith with the United States.
The White House would not discuss the proposals.
WITH THE STAKES high, Reagan sought to stave off a great legislative defeat for his still-young second term by coming to terms with the Senate. Although the House was unlikely to support him, Reagan's hopes were pinned to the possible emergence of an acceptable compromise in conference negotiations between the two houses.
However, the duration of the White House talks, which continued into the evening without Reagan's active participation, indicated the administration and Senate leadership were having problems finding ground with time running out for the president.
As the clock ticked away, Secretary of State George Shultz led the administration to approve a plan.
Study says check holds full of interest for banks
Members of Congress, he warned, "must accept their share of the responsibility if this crucial opportunity is lost."
By United Press International
WASHINGTON - Banks and savings and loan institutions make millions of dollars each day by holding checks for days and even weeks before giving customers access to the money, a consumer study concluded yesterday.
The study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, which was founded by Ralph Nader, said the institutions enjoyed market interest rates with the money while customers were subjected to "indefensible delays" in cashing the checks.
Titled "Held Up at the Bank: A Study of Check Hold Policies Across the Nation," the study surveyed 699 banks and savings and loans in 10 states.
Among its findings:
52 percent of the banks place holds on local checks of three to five days.
- 75 percent hold out-of-state checks for more than a week.
20 percent hold out-of-state checks for more than two weeks.
"NO LEGITIMATE reason exists for these lengthy delays," said Gene Karpinski, the consumer group's executive director.
And, he said, while banks defended their policies by "raising the specter of bad check losses," less than 1 percent of all checks were
Karpinski said that the Federal Reserve had determined that 99 percent of deposited checks were collected by banks within two business days.
returned and only one in every 5.245 had
checks wun uncollected by the banks.
"IIf 18 percent of the banks are able to grant immediate access to local checks and to percentage are able to grant access within two weeks, you can't check, why can't the others?" Karpinski said.
KIRK WILLISON, a spokesman for the American Bankers Association, the industry's biggest trade group with more than 13,000 members, declined to say what was a reasonable amount of time for a bank to hold on to said. "Many factors must be considered."
But in a statement responding to the consumer survey, Willison said: "The ABA has consistently encouraged its member banks to voluntarily disclose hold policies for its customers and communicate those policies to avoid confusion.
"Many factors make it difficult for all banks to offer the same funds-availability policy for all bank customers. For this reason, the ABA believes that no uniform, nationwide policy of funds availability could be made to work."
Mike Caudle-Feagan, the study's author,
said, "The enormous profits earned from investing customer funds that are on hold are the real reason behind lengthy hold policies."
Caudell-Feagan said, "Banks make millions of dollars each day on subjects funded to
He noted that three states — Massachusetts, New York and California — enacted legislation in the past two years to set a limit on how long a bank could hold a check.
New Brazilian president marks end of military rule
By United Press International
BRASILIA Brazil — Jose Sarney was sworn in as Brazil's first civil president in 21 years yesterday as the body of president-elect Tancredo Neves was handed through the jammed streets of Sao Paulo and then flown to the national capital.
Sarney, 54-year-old vice president who assumed Neves' duties when the elected president became ill in mid-March, officially became president for a six-year term in a ceremony at the Senate offices in the federal capital."
"I did not deserve this," were said to have been the last words of the 75-year-old Neves before he lapsed into a final coma last week.
His aides said Nees made the remark to his favorite grandson, Aecio Neves, a few days before he died of heart failure Sunday night at Clinic Hospital in São Paulo. The president-elect had undergone seven operations during the last 38 days.
IN LONDON, the president of Britain's Social Democratic Party Shirley Williams said, "there was widespread belief in the decredo Neves had not died of natural causes."
Williams, a former member of Parliament, said she had received a letter from a friend who is well connected in diplomatic matters. During it was thought Neves was murdered
"He was perfectly healthy 12 hours before his inauguration and then he was suddenly rushed into the hospital," Williams said.
HOWEVER, AN autopsy report released by Clinics Hospital superintendent Guilherme Rodriguez, listed a benign tumor, general infection and "lesions and failure in major organs" as the principal causes of death.
Neves, elected by an electoral college, was to have taken office on March 15. But the night before, he was taken to a hospital for emergency intestinal surgery, and he never recovered from six subsequent operations and bacterial infections.
"Mine will be a government of concordance, of change, of hard work and morality and austerity." Sarney said in a broadcast address shortly after becoming Brazil's first civilian president after 21 years of military rule.
IN SAO PAULO, thousands of mourners packed the streets applauding, shouting Brazil. Brazil" and waving handkerchiefs. The body was borne slowly through the city.
The cortege arrived at the city's airport to a 21-gun military salute to Neves, whose body was placed inside an air force jet that flew to Brasilia.
Sarney, and other leaders were on hand as the plane carrying the president-elect's remains landed at Brasilia's military air base.
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