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| Copyright (C) 1991-1995 Daniel Sleator and Davy Temperley |
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| this is the nation 's most dramatic shift in a century in the way public schools are financed |
| Michigan will begin using sales and other taxes , not property taxes , to pay for its 3286 schools . |
| the plan is being examined by several states ; 28 are now mired in lawsuits about the inequities of financing from property taxes . |
| backed by Governor John M Engler , a conservative Republican who faces reelection this fall , the plan improves schools |
| the plan was intended to help improve schools without increasing the burden on property owners . |
| less than 10 percent of school financing would come from property taxes , accomplishing Mr Engler 's initial goal |
| the plan also equalizes expenditures in rich and poor school districts , a goal liberals have sought in many states for more than 20 years |
| it is a huge vote , Mr Engler said by telephone today |
| the property tax had been a terrible problem in the state because of the relentless increases for schools |
| school officials across the state as well as critics wonder whether sales tax receipts are too volatile to support public education in the future |
| but the state 's venture into uncharted terrain has drawn keen interest from other states . |
| in the last month , the Wisconsin Legislature approved two competing proposals that would limit a school district 's reliance on property taxes |
| after weeks of intense negotiations , the United States announced steps today to help peace talks resume between Israel and the Palestinians |
| it also cleared the way for the passage today of a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the massacre last month in Hebron |
| at a short news conference , Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced that Syria , Lebanon and Jordan agreed to come back |
| they agreed to come back to the peace talks in Washington next month . |
| Mr Christopher also told reporters that in the coming days there will be a meeting of senior-level representatives of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization . |
| this would be a prelude to resuming formal talks to settle details of their accord on introducing self-rule in Jericho and the Gaza Strip . |
| Israeli and P L O officials will announce that they will meet quite soon to take up security measures on the West Bank |
| they will also take up the possible resumption of these negotiations at an early time , Mr Christopher said . |
| the announcement missed the Administration 's ultimate goal , an unequivocal commitment from the P L O chairman , Yasir Arafat |
| they wanted Arafat to talk with Israel to complete the details of the peace agreement , signed at the White House last September |
| Mr Christopher said the fact that the three Arab nations involved in peace talks in Washington decided to move ahead would help |
| the fact that the nations decided to move ahead of the Palestinians would provide a strong impetus |
| this provides an impetus to the P L O to get back to the bargaining table and conclude arrangements on the accord with Israel |
| after the massacre , the Clinton administration offered to host an open-ended round of talks in Washington |
| they will host talks until the Israelis and Palestinians decided how they would put their accord into practice |
| in separate telephone conversations , both Mr Arafat and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel told Mr Christopher that they would accept the offer |
| two of the nation 's wealthiest entrepreneurs in communications and computers , Craig O McCaw and William H Gates , plan to disclose the formation of a company |
| - the company will develop a global satellite communications network far more ambitious than anything contemplated before |
| even for businessmen with their records , the task is daunting |
| their new company , the Teledesic Corporation of Kirkland , Washington , is proposing to build a nine-billion-dollar system with 840 small satellites . |
| the network would transport information ranging from ordinary telephone calls to high-resolution computerized medical images and two-way video conferences |
| it would transport it to and from virtually any spot on the planet |
| as it is envisioned , the system would be able to deliver almost as many services as the new fiber optic networks being built by many telephone companies |
| but it would be able to reach underdeveloped and rural areas that are typically cut off from advanced communications |
| the real promise of this system is to bring access for rural and remote areas of the world to the health and education services |
| this system gives access to services that you can get in major urban centers , Ruseell Daggatt , the president of Teledesic , said . |
| Mr Daggatt , a telecommunications lawyer , will be leading a project that has been under hushed development for three years . |
| some industry analysts today cautioned that it would be premature to dismiss the concept simply because of its extraordinary scale . |
| indeed , the Motorola Corporation has defied many skeptics in its effort to build a three-billion-dollar satellite telephone system |
| they built a system called Iridium that would use 66 spacecraft |
| the United States started to build support today at the United Nations for tougher measures against North Korea , including economic sanctions . |
| it also moved toward strengthening its military position on the Korean peninsula by ordering the dispatch of Patriot interceptors . |
| the administration 's actions are the latest moves in the growing confrontation between the United States and North Korea |
| the confrontation is over the Koreans ' refusal to allow full inspection of its nuclear program |
| but to reassure South Korea , which has been nervous about accepting the Patriot missiles , President Clinton has sent a letter to President Kim Young Sam |
| the letter says Washington would consider a North Korean attack on South Korea to be an attack on the United States , American officials said . |
| the message was that we have been working on this together and that we must resist North Korea 's efforts |
| we must resist the efforts to try to drive us apart , a senior Administration official said . |
| the United States action at the United Nations came after the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a measure |
| they passed a measure demanding that North Korea permit inspectors to complete their work and referring the matter to the Security Council |
| Madeleine K Albright , the chief United States delegate to the United Nations , met today with delegates of the other four permanent members of the Security Council |
| they met to discuss a draft resolution urging North Korea to comply with the energy agency 's demands |
| the draft refers indirectly to the possibility of sanctions and mentions further action by the Security Council |
| - it mentions further action if the North Koreans do not relent , a senior Western diplomat said |
| while Britain and France are supportive and France , which is heading the Council this month , is urging a tough line , China 's response is a big question mark |
| as a permanent member , China has a veto in the Council and its cooperation will be needed |
| its cooperation will be needed if a firm warning is to be issued and sanctions are to be imposed . |
| Citibank , Chase Manhattan , Chemical and a host of other banks increased their prime rates yesterday to 7 percent from 6 percent |
| they raised their rates after the Federal Reserve 's decision on Tuesday to raise short-term interest rates to fend off inflation |
| the prime-rate increase will mean higher interest for millions of consumers and businesses |
| the rates on many mortgages , credit cards and small-business loans are linked to the prime |
| it is the first increase in the prime since February , when it was 11 percent . |
| most banks have set their rates at 6 percent since July . |
| bankers said the increase in the prime was a natural consequence of the increase in the interest rate on Federal funds |
| there was an increase in the rate for overnight loans between banks , to 3 percent from 2 percent . |
| - the Federal funds rate is set in an open market , but it is heavily influenced by the trading activity of the Federal Reserve |
| this is what the Fed wanted , said Arjun K Mathrani , the treasurer of the Chase Manhattan Bank |
| - if the Federal funds rate went up , it wouldn't have the inflation-fighting effect the Fed expects |
| he noted that interest rates had remained low for almost two years |
| he also noted that banks had reduced the rates they set for certain types of borrowing |
| the consumer has benefited dramatically over the last 18 months as rates declined and banks reduced their rates |
| banks reduced their rates , especially on credit cards , Mr Mathrani said |
| with a bill that bans smoking stalled in Congress , the Labor Department seems prepared to do what the Congress has not done by law |
| the bill bans smoking in virtually all buildings in the country except private homes |
| the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a rule to ban smoking in the workplace , Labor Secretary Robert B Reich announced today |
| of the more than 70 million Americans who work indoors , OSHA estimates that 21 million are exposed to poor indoor air |
| it estimates that 21 million are exposed and that millions of others are exposed to secondhand smoke |
| OSHA has taken this action to prevent thousands of heart disease deaths and hundreds of lung cancer deaths |
| it also prevents the respiratory diseases and other ailments linked to these hazards , Mr Reich said |
| according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , secondhand smoke causes 3000 deaths each year from lung cancer |
| it also causes 150000 cases of bronchitis and pneumonia in youngsters , and asthma attacks in many others |
| secondhand smoke has also been implicated in deaths from heart disease and other forms of cancer |
| the ban in the workplace would affect fewer people than the proposed legislative ban in all buildings entered by more than 10 people per week |
| but it would nonetheless apply to more than six million indoor workplaces , from offices to factories to restaurants |
| it would cost businesses 6 billion dollars per year to comply with the ban , the Labor Department said |
| but it would also yield 15 billion dollars in annual benefits |
| the benefits would be in increased worker productivity , reduced absenteeism and reduced health care costs , the department said |
| the ban would be enforced by OSHA inspectors visiting workplaces to investigate reported violations of other OSHA regulations |
| China 's frenetic economic boom and natural forces are shrinking the country 's farmland at an alarming rate , scientists and Government officials say . |
| as a result , Chinese and Western scientists are raising new questions about the country 's ability to feed itself in the future |
| in China 's central and eastern provinces , the country 's breadbasket for three milleniums , farmers are abandoning the land to chase prosperity in big cities and towns |
| there , tens of thousands of new factories have opened under the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping , China 's paramount leader |
| in southern and coastal areas , provincial governments and local entrepreneurs , all racing to get rich , are paving over agricultural land |
| they are doing this for freeways and factories , plus shopping centers , golf courses and villas for the new millionaires . |
| here in the arid northwest area , deserts are encroaching and erosion is ripping away topsoil on millions of acres that once were fertile |
| in this dusty frontier town in Cansu Province , where peasants pushed back the sand dunes , there is a campaign |
| in this dusty frontier town , tens of thousands of peasants pushed back the sand dunes and tumbleweed to build a county seat in 1970 |
| the campaign to reclaim fertile land represents the largest part of daily life and government expenditure |
| the winds beat against man-made defenses of tree lines and hedges built like so many ramparts to protect or hold precious topsoil |
| Pamela Schmale , a 39-year-old bookkeeper , says she felt that her only hope of surviving advanced breast cancer was to have a bone marrow transplant |
| but her insurance company said it would not pay for the expensive and risky procedure , which is still undergoing clinical tests |
| in desperation , Mrs Schmale and her husband , Arthur , mortgaged their house in Boring , Oregon , to raise the 100000 dollars they would need for the transplant . |
| and her doctors recommended lawyers who might fight their insurance company for them |
| the Schmales hired Sheldon Weinhaus , a lawyer in St Louis who persuaded Mrs Schmale 's insurance company |
| they hired Weinhaus , a lawyer who persuaded them to pay the full cost of the transplant , which Mrs Schmale had in January |
| although Mrs Schmale said her doctors told her it was too soon to know whether she would be helped , she was confident that she had done the right thing |
| I think it saved my life , she said |
| in the last several years , patients have been increasingly turning to lawyers |
| they have turned to lawyers to pressure insurance companies to pay for claims that were initially denied |
| some claims are even for treatments specifically excluded under their insurance plans . |
| this practice can help critically ill patients get access to treatments they desperately want |
| but it raises issues of fairness , because the rewards go to those with the means to hire a lawyer |
| Mr Weinhause said that lawyers charged about 1000 dollars for an insurance case and that they were not hired in such a case on a contingency basis . |
| bowing to student protesters who have disrupted more than a dozen French cities during the last three weeks , he abandoned it |
| - Prime Minister Edouard Balladur today abandoned a Government decree |
| the decree allowed young people to be paid less than the minimum wage |
| after a arranged meeting between Mr Balladur and student leaders this morning , a spokesman for the conservative coalition Government said the decree had been suspended |
| it was suspended for one week to give time for a new policy to be developed and to put an end to the so-called youth wage . |
| the move was anticipated by Mr Balladur himself in a brief television address Sunday night |
| he referred to young people 's anxiety about their future and noted that we must start to restore a dialogue with them and examine various possible solutions |
| but the retreat is no less embarrassing for the Minister , reinforcing the view that he backs down in the face of protests . |
| on two other recent occasions , he dropped policies after angry demonstrations . |
| student leaders were delighted by their victory , but they vowed to stay on the alert until the decree is revoked . |
| last Friday , 200000 youths marched through Paris and a dozen other cities to denounce the decree . |
| some protests continued today , and a new demonstration is scheduled here Thursday . |
| some students warned that the Government was hoping the Easter study break would disperse the movement . |
| one student leader , Philippe Campinchi , noted that suspending the decree is good ; withdrawing it is better . |
| but Helene Joubert , another leader , sounded triumphant . |
| the youth wage will be history within one week , she said . |
| the first reasonably complete skull of the earliest recognized human ancestors after the split from the great apes has been found |
| it has been found near the bank of a dry riverbed in Ethiopia 's arid badlands |
| - the skull , with its apelike heavy brow , jutting jaw and small brain case , is apparently that of a large male who lived three million years ago |
| the remarkable find , which fills a serious gap in understanding early human evolution , gives a face to the species |
| the species was first identified and made famous by the discovery in 1974 of the headless Lucy skeleton |
| without a skull , scientists had not been sure what these creatures looked like or what Lucy 's position was in the human lineage . |
| the discovery could thus settle some of the hotly debated issues over whether the varied fossils from this time belonged to a species |
| it settled the issue over whether the fossils , 3.9 million years ago , belonged to one or two species |
| they may have belonged to a single species , known as Australopithecus Afarensis and considered the common root of the human family tree |
| they may also have represented two or more species of different sizes and behavior . |
| as the White House and Congress debate the best way to reshape the nation 's health care system , an overriding concern remains |
| what effect will the final plan have on the quality of care Americans receive |
| many Americans , those with money or health insurance , now get the best medical care in the world |
| under the proposals now before Congress many more would get access to basic and preventive care . |
| but at the same time , hospitals and health maintenance organizations are coming under pressure to reduce costs |
| and even some Clinton Administration officials worry that quality could decline without safeguards |
| both the Administration 's health plan and competing proposals seek to answer that concern |
| they seek to answer that concern by devising ways to monitor and improve quality while holding down costs |
| but the White House and other health experts agree that the science of measuring quality is in its infancy |
| the science is in its infancy , making it unlikely that it could be applied on a national scale soon . |
| that could cloud a scenario of the Clinton plan in which patients would make choices |
| patients , armed with information about the performance of competing doctors , hospitals and HMOS , would make choices |
| they would choose those most likely to provide high-quality care at the most reasonable prices , forcing the others to improve or get out of the business . |
| there is a tremendous need to develop measures of quality , said Dr David M Eddy |
| but anyone who believes that we have all the measures we need right now is kidding themselves |
| there is a tremendous need , said Dr David M Eddy , a professor of health policy and management at Duke University |
| he is a professor who helped develop the Administration 's proposals on quality |
| that assessment was echoed by Dr Jesse Green , the director of health policy research at the N Y U School of Medicine . |
| I think we are raising the expectations of people far beyond the ability to deliver information , he said . |
| with long-term interest rates now above 7 percent , President Clinton 's top economic advisers expressed concern over the weekend |
| they expressed concern that further rate increases could damage the economy and slow growth to an unacceptable level |
| the Administration argues that the economy is going through a transition from very strong growth in last year 's fourth quarter to less growth now |
| but no one can tell where the leveling-off point will be |
| the concern is that if interest rates rise , economic growth could decline too much , slowing the creation of new jobs |
| based on what we know , our view of how strongly the economy will grow this year is not changed by an interest rate in the neighborhood of 7 percent |
| our view is not changed , said Laura Dandrea Tyson , the chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers |
| but if the level goes much above 7 percent , then that would exercise a contractionary effect on the economy |
| Long-term interest rates rose nearly three quarters of a point during the last month , reaching 7.26 percent on Friday |
| it reached 7.26 percent in a bond-trading session shortened in observance of Good Friday |
| not since 1981 have rates increased so much in a single month , and the comments by Ms Tyson and other Administration officials were aimed |
| the comments were clearly aimed at calming the markets |
| the Administration 's new concerns could put it in open conflict for the first time with the Federal Reserve Board |
| they may conflict with the Federal Reserve Board , whose chief priority has been to control inflation even at the cost of economic growth |
| the Administration 's priority has been creation of jobs through economic expansion , even at the possible cost of an inflation rate |
| they do it at the cost of a rate that is slightly higher than what the Fed might accept |
| David J Askin entered the small conference room of his Lexington Avenue office last Monday to face his investors |
| he faced his investors : blue-chip corporations , pension funds and wealthy families |
| they had entrusted him with 600 million dollars in what was billed as a low-risk approach to investing in bonds backed by home mortgages |
| but as interest rates rose in recent months , his two investment funds lost more than 100 million dollars |
| several dozen investors were there in person , and 20 more were on the speakerphone |
| what they heard did not please them |
| Mr Askin said he needed 40 million to 50 million dollars immediately because several brokerage firms were seeking more money to cover his funds ' losses |
| if the cash could not be raised , their entire investment was in jeopardy |
| in the days that followed , bond prices continued to plunge , and the size of the bailout needed mushroomed to 120 million dollars |
| then they heard on Wednesday that the brokerage firms were liquidating the funds ' holdings in a string of fire sales |
| when the markets closed for the holiday weekend on Thursday , it appeared that most of the funds had been lost |
| Senator George J Mitchell of Maine emerged today as a leading candidate to succeed Justice Harry A Blackmun , who is retiring as the senior member of the Supreme Court |
| the White House began almost immediately to weigh the potential consequences of nominating him |
| in a White House ceremony this morning , President Clinton paid emotional tribute to Justice Blackmun , who said he would remain |
| he would remain on the Court until late September unless a successor was confirmed before then . |
| White House officials indicated that the President was in no hurry to settle on a replacement for the eighty-five-year-old Justice . |
| Mr Clinton spoke generally about his second opportunity to fill a vacancy on the Court . |
| in a voice choked with admiration , he hailed Justice Blackmun , who wrote the landmark Roe Versus Wade decision that legalized abortion |
| he hailed Justice Blackmun as a jurist of majesty and reason , with scholarship and grace . |
| in stepping down after 24 years on the nation 's highest court , Justice Blackmun would step into our history , Mr Clinton said |
| Mr Clinton stood quietly by the President 's side in the Roosevelt Room of the White House , his hands folded before him |
| later , at his own news conference at the Court , he said he had decided to retire before age overtook him . |
| the age of 85 is pretty old , Mr Blackmun said dryly |
| I don't want to reach a point where my senility level reaches unacceptable proportions |
| and I don't want to be asked to retire like Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr , who stepped down in 1932 at the age of 90 |
| a man armed with a hammer and a spear gun attacked the flight crew of a Federal Express cargo plane today |
| he attacked them before the crew wrestled him to the floor and the captain safely landed the plane |
| three people aboard the DC10 were critically injured and a fourth suffered less serious injuries , said Rick Roberts of the Regional Medical Center at Memphis |
| the suspected attacker was among the most seriously hurt people , said Dick Marquise , an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| Larry Cox , the president of the Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority , said the crew members suffered head and body injuries |
| they were very bloody , Mr Cox said |
| - it looked like they had been in an explosion or a film you would see of Vietnam |
| it must have been hand-to-hand combat |
| only the pilot was still able to fly after the attack , and he brought the plane in |
| he brought the plane in , Mr Cox said , adding that the captain obviously had great skill |
| Federal Express identified its plane 's crew as Captain David G Sanders , 49 , and James M Tucker , 42 , the first officer |
| the crew also included Andre H Peterson , 39 , the second officer |
| the passenger was Auburn Calloway , 42 , a DC10 second officer with Federal Express , the company said |
| no one else was on the plane , Federal Express said |
| a Federal panel today cleared the way for Government approval of the first genetically engineered food |
| they cleared the way for the food , a firmer tomato that can ripen longer on the vine before being picked for shipment |
| after three days of hearings , Dr David A Kessler , the Commissioner of Food and Drugs , said action would come within 90 days |
| he said he thought that final action on the tomato , called the Flavr Savr , would come within 90 days |
| other agency officials said approval was expected |
| although no official vote was taken , Dr Kessler said he heard no dissent today on the safety evaluation of the Flavr Savr tomato |
| he said the committee thought that the evaluation of the Flavr Savr was exceptionally thorough |
| while the tomato sailed through , members of the panel , the Food Advisory Committee , said proponents and critics raised questions |
| critics of genetic engineering techniques in food raised questions about the agency 's policy on biotechnology products |
| the tomato is the first of an expected wave of genetically engineered foods headed to market |
| already there are other types of genetically engineered products , including biochemicals used to make cheese and a hormone to stimulate the milk production of cows |
| the cattle hormone has prompted protests |
| the members of the F D A committee , which met here outside Washington , gave high marks to Calgene Inc , which makes the tomato |
| the company produced a substantial amount of data to show it was safe |
| the agency 's approval is not technically required before the tomato goes into supermarkets |
| still , the company sought the agency 's approval to insure a smooth path to market |
| the new director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held a closed meeting on Friday with black militants and leftists |
| he held a meeting to discuss increasing their influence in the organization |
| the session has angered NAACP board members , who learned of it only afterward |
| the meeting in Detroit was led by the group 's executive director , Dr Benjamin F Chavis Jr , whose spokesman spoke today |
| his spokesman said today that Mr Chavis did so at the behest of some of those invited |
| the spokesman , Don Rojas , said the meeting was organized by the group 's Detroit chapter , which mailed out the invitations |
| the meeting brought together representatives of what Mr Chavis termed the Pan-African community , the progressive community and the nationalist community |
| coming after criticism of Mr Chavis within the NAACP for his overtures to the Nation of Islam , the meeting appeared to be an effort to broaden an organization |
| the meeting was an effort to broaden an organization that is being increasingly seen as ineffective and irrelevant to young blacks |
| they invited Alton H Maddox , a New York lawyer who headed the Senate campaign of the Rev Al Sharpton |
| they also invited Maulana Ron Karenga , a California State professor known for heading US , a radical nationalist group , and for inventing the holiday known as Kwanzaa |
| and they invited Angela Davis , a professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz and a former Communist |
| she was acquitted of kidnapping and murder charges in taking hostages from a courtroom in San Rafael , California , in 1970 |
| a state judge and three others were killed in the incident |
| others closer to the political mainstream , still on the political left , were also invited , including the Rev Calvin O Butts Third |
| they also invited Calvin Butts , the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem , Cornel West , a professor of philosophy at Princeton , and two actors |
| Dr William Gibson , the organization 's chairman , said he was unaware of the meeting until he was told about it |
| he was unaware of it , even though the invitation was sent out under his name |
| Rush-hour traffic moved as usual today , at a crawl , as the Santa Monica Freeway opened for business |
| it opened for business for the first time since the January earthquake toppled two of its bridges |
| but even as politicians celebrated the reconstruction of the nation 's busiest freeway , questions arose about the adequacy of the repairs |
| Governor Pete Wilson , Mayor Richard J Riordan of Los Angeles and Federico F Pena , the Federal Secretary of Transportation , were there |
| they were among those on the roadway late Monday night |
| they were on the roadway when a phalanx of police officers of motorcycles , followed by rows of merry-making drivers , inaugurated the rebuilt road . |
| at opening ceremonies this morning , Vice President Al Gore praised the quick repairs and said jubilantly that the rubber is meeting the road today |
| but the festivities were marred by disclosures in the Los Angeles Times today that in February consultants made recommendations |
| consultants to the California Department of Transportation made recommendations |
| they recommended fortifying the abutments of the two fallen bridges , but they were already in place because of the accelerated construction schedule . |
| in the event of a major earthquake , the four concrete structures would move laterally |
| the four concrete structures , on which the ends of the bridges rest and are connected to land , would move laterally |
| they would move laterally , causing the bridge deck to slip to one side |
| after internal review , state transportation officials decided last Sunday to go forward with the work |
| - they went forward with the work , which they estimated would take two weeks to put out to bid and a few days to complete |
| and they would tack on 100000 dollars to the 30-million-dollar federally financed project . |
| they said the work , drilling eight holes into the ground , then putting in reinforced steel and pouring concrete , could proceed |
| it could proceed without again closing the freeway , which they said was safe even without being strengthened |
| - it 's ultraconservative , but because it 's sitting on a soft-soil site , we decided it was prudent , said the engineer |
| - it 's ultraconservative , said State Department of Transportation 's chief bridge engineer , James Roberts |
| we're talking about reducing the future risk of damage from minimal risk to no risk |
| - it 's not really a big deal |
| a tiny insect that apparently hitched a ride to Florida from West Africa aboard Hurricane Andrew in 1992 has infested groves |
| it has suddenly begun infesting citrus groves throughout the state |
| it has been sucking the life from orange , grapefruit , lemon and lime leaves and drying up profits for the beleaguered 8-billion-dollar-a-year citrus industry |
| the pest , a moth called the citrus leaf miner that is only one tenth of an inch long at maturity , was first spotted |
| it was first spotted last spring in a few lime groves south of Miami |
| but with another growing season getting under way , it has become clear that millions of moth larvae have burrowed into leaves |
| they have burrowed into leaves in every citrus-growing county in the state |
| millions of larvae have burrowed , disrupting the process of photosynthesis vital to the health and growth of young trees |
| - it 's been like an explosion , said Carlos Balerdi , a horticulturist and agronomist at the University of Florida |
| - the pest does not directly attack citrus fruit , scientists here said , or normally infest mature trees |
| rather , it seeks out the newest leaves on young trees , stunting their growth and rendering them unproductive as long as they are under attack |
| Jorge Pena , an entomologist at the University of Florida who is with the Tropical Research and Education Center here , said they worked |
| he and other researchers were working against the clock to control the pest |
| but the citrus leaf miner , which originated in Asia , has already spread from Florida to Central America and the Caribbean , he said |
| growers in California , Texas and Mexico should also be concerned |
| Dr Pena and other scientists theorize that Hurricane Andrew may have brought the citrus leaf miner from West Africa |
| it comes from West Africa , which had been the westernmost point of its range |
| the pest , which has been known to be carried long distances by wind , appeared during the first growing cycle after the storm |
| the Clinton Administration moved on two fronts today to reshape the way the Government manages logging in the nation 's remaining ancient forests |
| in Seattle , the Administration asked a Federal judge to restore some logging in the old forests of the Pacific Northwest |
| they will restore logging in the Northwest , where for five years the courts have all but eliminated logging on public land |
| they eliminated logging to protect the northern spotted owl |
| and the United States Forest Service canceled a 50-year contract with the Alaska Pulp Corporation that has allowed it to cut timber |
| they can cut timber in the Tongass National Forest , a program that environmentalists have assailed for years |
| - environmental groups and the timber industry , for conflicting reasons , today criticized the plan to protect the spotted owl and other species |
| the plan would protect the spotted owl and other species in Washington , Oregon and California |
| although groups criticized the plan , the decision on the Alaskan forest was clearly welcomed by environmentalists |
| Alaska Pulp is one of two companies with special contracts to cut trees in the Tongass |
| the Tongass is one of the last remaining stretches of temperate rain forest in the world |
| the contract that was canceled , one of the biggest ones in the nation involving publicly owned forests , would have allowed the company to cut more lumber |
| it would have allowed them to cut another two billion board feet of lumber by 2011 |
| the Forest Service had warned the company that the contract might be terminated after Alaska Pulp shut a mill in Sitka last year , laying off 400 people |
| the long-term contract was intended to provide mill jobs in Alaska |
| defending the spotted owl plan , Administration officials said that neither industrial nor environmental critics of its plan could offer a way |
| they could not offer a better way to save the threatened owl |
| they had no better way to save the owl and preserve a forest that offers habitat for a multitude of species while also nurturing the region 's economy |
| environmentalists said the plan was intended to appease the timber industry , and the industry said it was illegal and unbalanced |
| and the Administration admitted that even if the plan survived legal challenges , it would take at least three years to put into effect |
| No errors! |
| exit 0 |