LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic Universe-Document

LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic

December 20, 2000 Wednesday 2D EDITION

SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A-13

LENGTH: 476 words

HEADLINE: THE NATION

BODY:
President vetoes

bankruptcy bill

WASHINGTON - President Clinton vetoed legislation Tuesday  that proposed the most sweeping changes in the bankruptcy law in  20 years because he said it was unfair to ordinary debtors and  working families who fall on hard times.

Supporters of the bill, including credit card companies, have  pushed for three years to pass a bill to overhaul the nation's  bankruptcy system. Clinton also favors revamping the bankruptcy  laws but said he thinks the current bill is not evenhanded. By leaving the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2000 unsigned, the  president issued a 'pocket veto,' the fourth indirect veto of his  administration. By waiting until the lame-duck congressional  session adjourned before vetoing it, he deprived lawmakers of the  chance to override the veto. (AP)

AF suggests sharing

C-17 with civilians

WASHINGTON - The Air Force proposed Tuesday that Boeing  Co. build a version of the new C-17 cargo plane for the commercial  market, with the stipulation that the planes could be commandeered  by the Air Force in times of war.

The idea is to fill part of what the Air Force calls a gap in  the military's long-range airlift capacity while meeting one of  Boeing's objectives - to address a growing commercial demand for  air freighters that can deliver extra-large goods quickly to areas  of the world not serviced by major airports or roads.

The commercial version would be called the BC-17X. It would  have longer range and more ability to operate on substandard,  remote or congested airfields. (AP)

U.S. officials meet

with Israelis, Arabs

WASHINGTON - U.S. mediators met separately with Israeli  and Palestinian negotiators Tuesday in a last-chance effort to  find a solution for the continuing Middle East violence and  restore the momentum toward a peace agreement before President  Clinton leaves office.

The talks, held under tight security at an Air Force base in  Washington, face extremely long odds after 12 weeks of  Israeli-Palestinian violence that has left more than 325 people  dead, about 85 percent of them Palestinians.

But Clinton and peace envoy Dennis Ross decided to make a  final attempt to revive a peace process that had been the crowning  foreign policy achievement of Clinton's tenure. (AP)

Schools, libraries

need Internet filters

WASHINGTON - Schools and libraries must begin using  Internet filtering software next year to protect children from  pornography or risk losing federal money, under terms of a mandate  approved by lawmakers before they left town.

The requirement is raising concerns among free-speech  advocates who say it violates the Constitution and from software  makers worried that filtering technology is not a cure-all for  protecting kids. (AP)

LOAD-DATE: December 20, 2000