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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 2000)
Racial Profiling Incident Draus Moose Apology See Page A4 Blazer Detlef Schrempf Retires See Sports, Page B2 (The Volume XXX Number 40 uri lattò (Obs uuu.portlandobserver.com Committed to Cultural Diversity Established in 1970 M M M MMMMMM MMMMM Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit No. 1610 University of Oregon Knight Library Newspaper Section Eugene OR 97403 Wednesday 50e October 4,2000 ■■■■■■■■■■■■ I Pro-Choice Forces Win Battle for RU-486 French Pill Could Make Abortion More Accessible, Private Death Toll at 38 in Jerusalem JERUSALEM - Ignoring appeals from around the world to cease fire, Israelis and Palestinians waged fierce gun battles throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinian and Israeli leaders ex changed recriminations, blaming each other for the violence. Prime Minister Ehud Barak called on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to order his forces to rein in the violence. Hurricane Strikes Yucatan CHETUMAL, Mexico - Coastal resi dents o f M exico’s Yucatan peninsula and northeastern Belize fled their homes as the dangerous core o f Hurricane Keith brushed land, bringing strong wind and torrential rain. Heavy rain and flooding throughout Central America caused at least two deaths and forced hundreds to be evacuated. Former Leader Trudeau Dies MONTREAL - Former prime minis ter Pierre Trudeau, a flamboyant and char ismatic political giant who led the coun try through some o f its most tumultuous events, has died at age 80. Trudeau was famous for dating celebrities including Barbara Streisand and actress Margot Kid der, as well as once doing a pirouette behind the back o f Britain’s Queen Eliza beth. Danish Voters Reject Euro COPENHAGEN, Denmark - A major ity o f voters refused to adopt the Euro pean Union’s beleaguered currency as their own, a result reflecting Denmark's traditional go-slow approach toward Eu ropean integration. With nearly 90% of the vote counted, 53% o f those voting in a referendum opposed making the euro Denmark’s currency, while 47% favored the switch. Cruise Missile Crashes ELY, Nevada - The Air Force is inves tigating what caused a cruise missile with a dummy warhead to veer off course and crash during a test in the eastern Nevada desert. The missile launched from a B-52 bomber carried no explosives, a military spokesman said. No one was hurt when it hit the ground about 50 miles south o f Wendover, Nevada. Ford Turns to Michelin DETROIT - Ford Motor will rely on Michelin to supply the majority o f ties for the most popular versions o f the Ex plorer sport utility vehicle, the company says. The moves put more distance be tw een F o rd ’s flag sh ip p ro d u ct and Bridgestone/Firestone, which had been the sole supplier o f Explorer tires. Continental Faces Lawsuit HOUSTON - Air France is suing Con tinental Airline in connection with a July 25 crash o f an AirFrance Concorde jet in which 113 people died. The Houston- based airline said the lawsuit was filed in France earlier this month. A metal strip, 17 inches by 1 inch, found on the runway is believed to have fallen from a Conti nental C D -10 and may have contributed to the crash. Greek Boat Sinking Kills 59 PAROS, Greece - A Greek ferry struck a patch o f rocks in the Aegean Sea and sank, killing at least 59 o f the more than 500 people aboard. Many o f the dead were young children, who were riot required to be counted on the passenger list, while victims panicked and jumped o ff the boat. I The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved U.S. use o f the abortion pill RU-486, a major victory for those who battled for 12 years to bring the early-abortion method to this country. Proponents say the pill, which has been used by millions o f women in 13 countries, could transform abortion in the United States by making it more acces sible and more private. But it can be used only in the earliest days o f pregnancy. The W omen’s Health Clinic at Oregon Health Sci ences University was one o f 17 sites across the country to test the drug. Dr. Mark Nichols was in volved with the tests back in 1994. In the state o f Oregon, a woman under the age o f 15 must get a parents’ permission before using the abor tion pill. It will be available in Oregon in four to six weeks at a cost o f about $300 dollars. Lois Backus o f Portland’s Planned Parenthood said the medication will only be given in a doctor’s office or clinic. “We knew this was a safe drug. Over 500,000 women in the rest o f the world have safely terminated their pregnancies with this medicine,” she said. Gayle Attebery, head o f Oregon’s Right to Life chapter, said she hoped that George W. Bush would revisit the government’s decision if he were elected Continued on Page A2 The FDA 's approval of RU-486 may encourage more doctors, who don't offer surigical abortions, to offer the abortion pill, makjpe it easier for women entering surgical clnics like the Lovejoy Surgicenter (above) which are often staked out by pfetesters. Gore, Bush Spar In First Presidential Debate BOSTON (AP) - Vice President A1 Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush clashed over tax cuts, Medicare prescription drug benefits and campaign finance Tuesday night in their first debate o f the fall, pivot point in the closest White House contest in a gen eration. Combative from the outset. Gore charged that his rival’s tax plan would “spend more money on tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 per cent than all o f the new spending he pro poses for education, health care, prescrip tion drugs and national defense all com bined.” But Bush, standing a few feet away on a debate stage at the University o f Massachu setts, said G ore’s economic plan would of fer tax cuts only to the middle class. “Every body who pays taxes ought to get relief,” he said. At the same time, he said. Gore’s blue print would produce "dramatically” bigger government with 200 "new or expanded pro grams” and 20,000 new bureaucrats. “ It em pow ers Washington,” added the governor, who hastened to tell a na tional viewing audi ence he was from West Texas - not the nation’scapital. Over and over, he accused G ore o f “ fuzzy math.” The Texas gover nor played aggressor late in the debate, as well, mentioned the fund-raising scan dals o f the Clinton-G ore era, the vice president’s visit to a Buddhist Temple in California, and his declaration that there was “no controlling legal authority" when ques tions were raised about fund-raising calls he m ade from the White House. Gore and Bush met for the first o f three presiden tial deb ates scheduled for the next two weeks, each man seeking advantage in a race so close that poll after poll shows them w ith in a point or two o f one another. Their vice presidential running mates. Democrat Joseph Lieberman and Republican Dick Cheney, debate Thurs day in Kentucky. Continued on Page A2 Support for Business Diversity Getting Ready For Cold Corporations, Civic Leaders maximize opportunities for small, minority and women- owned businesses Fall is in the Air and Help is Here to Save on Your Energy Bill Pacific Power, Portland General Elec tric and the Community Energy Project are teaming up to offer local residents free home weatherization and energy con servation workshops during the upcom ing fall months. Both homeowners and renters are in vited to attend 40 Portland area work shops in the coming weeks. For families on a budget, home energy conservation is a great way to trim monthly expenses. Insulation added to the doors and windows o f your home also adds comfort by cutting back on irritating cold drafts. Portland residents with low incomes can also receive a free kit with do-it- yourself materials worth over $150. The kit includes reusable vinyl storm win dows, door weatherstripping, pipe insu lation, a fluorescent light and more. Jim Lehrer o f PBS was moderator, oper ating under strict rules negotiated in ad vance by the Gore and Bush camps. It was, he said at the outset, the first o f three 90- minute debates between the two major party rivals - a format that excluded Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan, running as minor party candidates. Outside the hall, dozens o f protesters knocked over police barricades and blocked a road leading to the debate hall to protest the exclusion o f Buchanan and Nader, who was turned away at the door. Inside the hall, the audience heeded Lehrer's admonishment to remain silent. In a reprise o f his acceptance speech at this summer’s Democratic National Con vention, Gore said it was important to stand up to special interests, pharmaceutical com panies among them. “Big drug companies See Special Section C. National Minority Business W eek, inside. _____________ Anne Lau of the Community Energy Projects shows how insulation around the doors and windows of this Southeast Portland home*will add comfort and lower heating bills this winter. (Photo by M ichael Lelghton/Portland Observer) A senior program, for people 55 years and older, offers free installation o f vinyl storm windows, door weatherstripping, caulking and pipe insulation to qualifying senior citizens, and people with disabili ties. For more information on the work shops and these special services, contact the Community Energy Project at 284- 6827. M etro will be am ong m ore than 60 northw est corp o ratio n s and governm ent agencies gathering this w eek to m axi m ize op p o rtu n ities for sm all, m inority and w om en-ow ned businesses to co m pete for and p a rtic ip a te in M etro c o n tracting activ ities. Week-long activities include a trade fair, reception and awards luncheon. The annual Minority Enterprise Develop ment Week awards luncheon, recognizing outstanding minority-owned businesses in the state is at 11:30 a m. Thursday at the Oregon Convention Center. Joann F ran cis, reg ional a d m in istra tor o f the U .S. Sm all B usiness A dm in is tr a tio n , w ill be k e y n o te sp e a k e r. A w ards w ill be p re se n te d to the y e a r’s o u ts ta n d in g c o n tr a c to r and v e n d o r; business ach iev em en t; and com m unity achievem ent.
