Copyright 2000 The Times-Picayune Publishing Co.
The Times-Picayune
March 3, 2000 Friday, ORLEANS
SECTION: NATIONAL; Pg. A06
LENGTH: 679 words
HEADLINE:
WASHINGTON BRIEFS;
BYLINE: From wire reports
BODY:
*** Space Station parts tossed out with trash
***
WASHINGTON -- Oops. Part of the International Space Station got
hauled out with the trash last month. The Boeing Co., the station's main
builder, admits it made the mistake. But if the parts have to be replaced, a
spokesman said Thursday, Boeing expects taxpayers to pay the $750,000 bill. The
company's workers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.,
lost track of the parts around Feb. 9 while rearranging inventory in a massive
space station assembly building, spokesman Jim Keller said. The parts, two
spherical oxygen and nitrogen tanks contained in 5-by-5-foot wooden crates, were
taken outside temporarily. And forgotten. And hauled away to a landfill. Only
their protective covering has been found, Keller said. The missing components
are part of a system that helps provide breathable air to space station
astronauts. Boeing replaced the tanks with spares it had on hand, Keller said.
*** Clinton urges money for vaccine research ***
WASHINGTON --
President Clinton said Thursday he will work to get more money for vaccines and
drug research at home and abroad to "eradicate the leading infectious killers of
our time." The president welcomed leaders of pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies, public health foundations and international organizations to the
White House, where he announced the private sector donation of millions of doses
of vaccines. The drugs will go to fight malaria, hepatitis B, polio and other
diseases that kill more than 1 million people each year, mostly in Third World
nations. "Today we're building a partnership to eradicate the leading infectious
killers of our time," Clinton said. Four major drug companies also pledged to
speed research and development on vaccines for HIV/AIDS and
malaria. Clinton has proposed a $1 billion tax credit over 10
years to encourage the development of such vaccines. "This is a
very important beginning," Clinton said. "It will save lives and make it clear
we're serious. But all of us agree there is more to do."
*** Law closes
borders around cockfighters ***
WASHINGTON -- The Senate Agriculture
Committee Thursday passed legislation that would ban the transport of birds
across state lines for fighting, seeking to close a loophole in the Animal
Welfare Act. Cockfighting is illegal in 47 states, but under federal law birds
can shipped from states where the practice is banned to those where it is legal,
where they can be used in fights. The Senate bill is sponsored by Sen. Wayne
Allard, R-Colo., a veterinarian. The House version is sponsored by Rep. Collin
Peterson, D-Minn. "We are that much closer to eliminating the federal loophole
that provides a smoke screen for illegal cockfighters in the 47 states where the
practice is outlawed by state law," said Wayne Pacelle, a senior vice president
with the Humane Society of the United States. Cockfighting is legal only in
Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
*** Plains farmers to get cheaper
insurance ***
WASHINGTON -- Senators from the Plains states pushed
legislation through a committee Thursday that would sharply reduce the premiums
farmers pay for federally subsidized crop insurance. The measure, which is
similar to legislation approved by the House last year, would likely cost
taxpayers at least $1.5 billion a year. The Senate Agriculture Committee split
along regional lines in approving the bill 10-8, as some southern and
northeastern members complained that it wouldn't do enough for farmers in their
states. The insurance is most popular on the Great Plains, where farmers are
especially vulnerable to drought and hail. Many producers in the East and South
say the policies aren't worth the cost. The legislation's supporters insisted it
will help farmers everywhere in the country by making the coverage more
affordable. Farmers "want a crop insurance system that works and provides an
adequate return on their investment," said Sen. Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican
who cosponsored the bill with Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb.
LOAD-DATE: March 3, 2000 
