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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1997)
------— —— — —— — ------ A p ril 16, 1997 C om m itted to cultural divers V o lum e X X V II, N um ber 16 American Choreographers Showcase American Choreographers Showcase has 12 upcoming performances. Helen Baylor m in Helen s vocals are still the heart behind the music that speaks most powerfully. Tiger Hoods on Sunday became the youngest golfer in history to win the Masters. See Metro, page B i. (Ehe iïiu q v v i See Sports, puge A 6. See Religion, Page B4. taith (Ohsm n'r 250 M M i■■■■■■■■■■■ ■ M M Dr. J (Julius Erving) prepares to sign autographs at the Hayden Meadows GA. Joe's during his visit to Portland on March 27. 1997. FBI crime lab faulted The Justice Department’s inspector gen eral is strongly criticizing the FBI 's crime laboratories for providing flawed evidence in key cases. The report demands the removal of the heads of some laboratories and the overhaul o f their operations. But the report also contains a scathing denun ciation of the ‘’whistleblower” employee who first noticed the problems. The report says some important allegations made by FBI lab expert Frederic W hitehurst were substantiated. Cancer Therapy? Researchers at the Y ale School of Medi cine have identified salmonella as a pos sible means of fighting cancer. Yale can cer biologist Dr. John Pawelek said his team has genetically altered salmonella, a food-poisoning bacterium, to seek out and destroy tumors in mice. "It’s potentially a huge step forward,” he told Reuters. Yale has licensed a New Haven, Conn.-based company, Vion Pharmaceuticals, to de velop a clinical product. Vion said it an ticipated clinical trials in humans by the middle of next year. U.S. Bank donates nearly $300,000 to non-profits U.S. Bank of Oregon has announced a contribution of $299,450 to 37 organiza tions throughout the state, as the result of its first cycle of charitable funding for 1997. “Our customers and our communi ties are the reasons w e’re in business,” explained John Eskildsen, president and CEO, U.S. Bank of Oregon. "By support ing efforts that help to build healthy and productive communities, we arc able to show our appreciation for the trust our customers place in us." US gives more food to N. Korea The United States has announced it will provide $15 million in additional food aid to feed children in famine-threat ened North Korea. State D epartm ent spokesman Nicholas Burns says the new donation is being offered because the com munist nation’s food shortages will reach a critical stage this spring. This brings the total U.S. food aid to North Korea to $33.4 million since late 1995. Court bars candidate drug tests Since 1989, the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of drug tests for student-athletes, government workers and railroad employees. But the justices yesterday exempted politicians. In an 8-1 ruling, the court struck down a Georgia law requiring that political candidates pass drug tests before they can ge, on the ballot. In previous cases, the court al lowed drug testing out of concern for public safety. EDITORIAL..................... A2 FAMILY............................A5 SPORTS......................... A6 METRO........................... B I ARTS & ENT.................. B3 RELIGION.......................B4 HEALTH.......................... B5 CLASSIFIEDS................B6 Senate allows seeing-eye dogs mbarrassed by a blind congres “This is the right thing to do,” said Major sional aide being kept off the ity Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. He said the Senate floor in a dispute over interim step was taken, pending a review of her guide dog, the Senate unanimously a proposed permanent change in Senate agreed Tuesday to make the chamber rules on access involving people with dis more accessible to people with disabili abilities. The change will not expand the list of ties. A congressional fellow, working for Sen. people allowed on the Senate floor while the Ron Wyden, D-Ore., was kept out o f the Senate is in session. That generally is re Senate chamber because she insisted that stricted to members and former members of her guide dog, a big yellow Labrador named Congress and staff aides. Beau, remain with her. The issue surfaced Monday when Wyden It took less than 18 hours Tuesday for the had sought unanimous consent from his colleagues to allow Moira Shea, an energy Senate to realize its gaffe and engineer a policy expert, to accompany him onto the delicate retreat. The senators agreed unanimously to lift floor for a debate on nuclear waste. any prohibition against guide dogs and di But a Democratic senator, later identified rected the sergeant at arms to allow staff as Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., telephoned members with disabilities to bring into the the cloakroom to object. That was enough to chamber w hatever aids they consider neces keep Ms. Shea and her dog waiting at the door. sary. E Byrd issued a statement Tuesday saying that he objected because he wanted to ensure “proper procedures" were followed before the Senate considered changing its rules on access. After the vote Tuesday, Byrd said he was "pleased that the Senate agreed to accommo date on a case-by-case basis the special needs o f disabled Americans" who have business on the Senate floor. During a brief discussion with a reporter he explained he had nothing against dogs. "I have a dog myself, Billy Byrd," said Byrd, appearing a bit embarrassed by all the uproar. Ms. Shea, 41, an economist who has worked for the government for 20 years and since January as a congressional fellow in W yden’s office, said she was delighted at the Senate's change o f heart. When Wyden took to the floor Tuesday to speak about the turn o f events. Ms. Shea sat nearby with Beau at her feet along the Senate's center aisle. “ We re delighted you are on the Senate floor with your dog. It's an historic day for the U.S. Senate," Sen. Carl Levin. D-Mich., intoned Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called it "historic and unprecedented." Outside the Senate chamber, Wyden told reporters that “ it's been a very good day .... I he Senate made a judgment that a double standard w on’t be tolerated.” The day be fore, he had accused the Senate of violating the American with Disabilities Act by ex cluding Ms. Shea's dog. Beau seemed to take all the attention with the calm that marks most guide dogs. “ He graced the chamber with his presence," said Ms. Shea, amid the hubbub of the Capitol. Just then Beau shifted suddenly. A passerby had stepped on his tail James Earl Ray gun test authorized continue the circus atmosphere, whether ames Earl Ray may finally get what he's been asking for-a this is going to produce anything, who know s,” prosecutor JohnCampbell said. comparison of his rifle with the bullet that killed Martin Luther King Jr. Ray avoided a possible death sentence when he pleaded guilty to the slaying and The State Court o f Criminal Appeals said received a 99-year prison term. He re Wednesday that a Tennessee judge has the canted soon after, although his plea has authority to order the test, which did not been upheld seven tim es by state and exist when King was shot to death on a motel federal courts. balcony in 1968. In 1994, Memphis Judge Joe Brown tried to Ray, 69 and suffering from liver disease, order the new tests, but was overruled by the claims the test will show his hunting rifle appeals court. Now the same court has said was not the gun used in the assassination. Brown has the authority to order scientific W ednesday's ruling opens the door for testing on evidence under his supervision. R ay's lawyers to ask the judge presiding Whether he will do so, and whether such over the case for permission to conduct the testing would lead to a new trial, remains to tests. Prosecutors were skeptical about the be seen. ruling’s effect. Ray maintains he was set up, and that he “Other than the fact that it’s going to J Wrong suspect chosen woman who police say saw the killer of Ennis Cosby has failed to pick the suspect out of a police lineup, and even chose other instead, according to media reports. The woman “categorically elim inated " 18-year-old M ikail M arkhasev during at least one lineup held after his M arch 12 arrest, defense attorney Charles Lindner said in to d ay 's edit ions o f the Los A ngeles Tim es. She also picked out other men in the lineup, according to WCAL-TV. The shooting took place Jan. 16 on a stretch of road where the 27-year-old son of entertainer Bill Cosby was changing a tire A on his Mercedes-Benz. The witness was called by Cosby, who wanted her to light up the area while he men changed the tire. As she waited in her car, the suspect knocked on her window and told her to get out. She fled, then returned to find the doc toral student shot dead. A drawing o f the suspect was based on the w om an's description Police, receiving sev eral tips, arrested Markhasev and claim an informant led them to the murder weapon. LAPD Cmdr Tim McBride declined to discuss whether a witness wasable to iden tify Markhasev. Ih e district attorney's of fice also refused comment brought the rifle to Memphis on instructions from a gun runner he knew only as Raoul Even members o f the King family have said they believe him. But prosecutors said new test resu Its would not be enough to overturn Ray 's guilty plea. “ He was convicted on a lot o f other evi dence, too,” Campbell said. Ray bought the rifle, brought it to Mem phis and used an assumed name to rent a room a few hours before the shooting in a rooming house across the street from Ihe Lorraine Motel, where King was shot, inves tigators said. Ray's fingerprints were on the rifle, and there was evidence he had stalked King in other cities. A bundle found with the rifle contained a radio identified as belonging to Ray. according to investigators. In the 1970s, the FBI and the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations tested the rifle, but could not establish that it was the murder weapon I he House committee eventually concluded Ray killed King but may have had help. Bill Gibbons, the state's chief prosecutor in Memphis, said he is convinced o f Ray's guilt but will ask Tennessee’s congressional delegation to open the House committee’s investigative files, which are under seal until the year 2029. "If there is some information in there involving someone else's possible involve ment in addition to James Earl Ray, then we would certainly be prepared to pursue that,” Gibbons said Social (in)Security he Social Security Administra cern that such personal information was not tion said it had shut down an enough to keep people from obtaining confi Internet site that supplied in dential electronic data about others formation about personal income and Ihe acting commissioner o f social secu retirement benefits because of con rity, John Callahan, said them service was cern that it might violate privacy rights. shut down at 3 p in. “The Internet is a new world." Callahan Thousands of people have obtained such data on the World Wide Web, by requesting said, refleeting on the effort to balance “personal earnings and benefit estimate customers needs and privacy rights. "We statements." want to provide the highest level of security A computer user seeking the information for our beneficiaries and wage earners " needed to supply a name, address, telephone Callahan said the agency would hold number, place of birth. Social Security num public forums around the country in the ber and mother's maiden name Experts on next 60 days to hear from beneficiaries and computers and privacy law expressed con experts on privacy and computer security. T
