OCR Text |
Show t Wetfaetiiy, May ai. a Tlw Daily Utah Chroaicle 1997 NATION 6C World Mad Cow Disease Tobacco Companies Back Down A sticking point is whether the Food and Drug Administration would get the right to regulate the nicotine levels in cigarettes to make them less addictive. The tobacco companies adamandy oppose such regulation for fear that once the FDA gets the power to regulate tobacco, it will try to ban it News of the talks, first reported Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal, sent cigarette company stocks up 10 percent, reflecting investor hopes that an industrywide"5etdement of tobacco lawsuits would lift a cloud hanging over companies. had Industry analysts have said that tobacco companies, which revenue of about $45 billion last year, could finance a big settlement simply by raising cigarette prices. "A resolution of this issue is important to our shareholders, our customers and our country," RJR Nabisco Chairman Steven Goldstonc told a stockholder meeting Wednesday in Winston-Salem- , N.C. "But it has to be fair and it has to be reasonable." The amount of a setdement is also among the sticking points. "The industry is in the low 2's and the plaintiffs are in the upper 3's. There is no consensus on the money," said a source close to the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Also under discussion is the establishment of a fund from which defense of cigarettes, the nation's two Abandoning their all-oseem willing to cut their legal lossnow tobacco companies biggest es for up to $300 billion and retire Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man if die government backs off its threat to regulate nicotine. RJR Nabisco and Philip Morris are in early talks with the attorneys general of eight states in hopes of winning blanket protection health problems, it was disfrom lawsuits over smoking-relateclosed Wednesday. In return, the cigarette companies would pay hundreds of billions of dollars and agree to cut back on ads, especially ones like Joe Camel that appeal to children and those that depict people, such as the Marlboro Man. The cigarette companies' willingness to even consider such concessions marks a startling turnaround. For decades, the tobacco batde on all fronts. industry has fought a In the past few years, however, the industry has been barraged with lawsuits filed by 22 states and countless individuals, and the litigation is hurting stock prices and taking management attention away from the business of selling cigarettes. "I think the tobacco industry is in big trouble and they know it, so they are finally beginning to come to the table," Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. Humphrey III said. "I think their proposals still fall short of what we'd be interested in." ut d see "Compromise on page UA n.uiv riefS &0 Hihi ; lYlmUt . ... wuTOfaWSBftl 1 .1 - Beef, corn and soybean futures fell CHICAGO (AP) Wednesday on the Board of Trade with a newspaper report that an Indiana man died of an ailment linked to mad cow dis ease. The report prompted worries that people will eat less meat. leaving less need for livestock feed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there bovine spongiis no direct evidence that mad cow disease humans. But a story in to can form encephalopathy spread said of Times Hammond, Ind, Joseph Gabor, Saturday's The 62, died of Creutzfeldtjakob disease, a rare and fatal disease in humans. Mad cow disease has been linked by the British government to the practice of mixing ground-usheep into feed for catdc. Mad cow, in turn, is suspected as the cause of a new strain of Creutzfeldtjakob disease. The newspaper didn't specify the strain that killed Gabor. At least 10 people from Great Britain have died of the new strain, which might have been caused by eating infected beef. However, that hasn't been proved. Gabor, a retired electrician from Schcrcrville, Ind., died March 30. His wife. Mania Gabor, said she docs not know how see "Disease" on page ,1 - - brain-wastin- p '.'U.'..'Ai '.'.'.'.UUU i.'.mMU-- U U jR iHj&J H. .MMV "I, :?MmWViWilliiiiiVi '. .Ulll H'UU.UIAHU JIL.L. vWiViX0ViU)tii. 1UDM"S FUKJ&UASii Mostly sunny m the morale. Becoming panry ctouoy ey c. showers and tteindetsnowrs. High: 79. aatK 4 lnoa st$Kat Fulbright Grant Applications Available Soon Applications for 1998-9Fulbright grants for graduate study abroad and for professional training in creative and performing aits will be available Monday, June 2. in the Graduate School office, 310 Park 9 WHY NOT Building. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and hold a B.A. degree or equivalent before the start of the grant. Candidates who do not have a B.A. may replace this requirement with extensive study or experience in their chosen field. Applicants may not have a doctoral degree, other than a J.D.. unless specifically noted for certain positions. Applicants in medicine must have an M.D. or equivalent, such as D.O.. D.D.S. or O.D. All applicants must be fluent in the language of the host country where they will do the exchange work. Fulbright grants are available in all academic fields and the performing arts in more than 100 nations. Most grants are awarded for one academic year; however, giants are given for advanced work. Grant winners plan their own program of study, which may include university coursework or field research. The Fulbright program was created by Congress in 1946 to promote this Summer? h understanding among nations through exchanges. The deadline for applications is September 25. 1997. More information is available at the Graduate School, at the Fulbright website: wwwiie.orgfulbright. cross-cultur- 581-764- or -- David Jackson Health Sciences Appoints New Vice President Richard Spcrry has been appointed associate vice president for health sciences at the University of Utah. He will be in charge of academic administration for the health sciences center. His responsibility will focus on academic administration; compliance; and faculty appointments, retention, promotion and tenure. Sperry will retain his medical school faculty position as associate professor of anesthesiology and adjunct associate professor of neurosurgery. Sperry joined the U. anesthesiology faculty in 1987, serving as chief of the Division of Neuroanesthesia until 1996. During the past year, he has served as special assistant to John Matsen, U. vice president for health sciences. A U. alumnus, Spcrry received bachelor's degrees in both economics and chemistry in 1979. He earned his medical degree in 1983, a master's degree in economics in 1994 and a doctorate in educational administration in 1995. "Richard Spcrry has a most impressive education background and has notable administration recognition and experience," Matsen said in announcing die appointment. "He lias done vcr)4 very well 111 preparing himself for high level academic administrative responsibility. I lis appointment comes after a national search to identify candidates for tliis position" -- David Jackson All of the state's institutions of food for thought. Summer may be the ideal time to finish up... and get on with the rest of your life. For more information on summer quarter offerings at the higher education (including Utah State and Salt Lake Community College) will join the University of Utah in the switch-to-semeste- in the I beginning fall of '98. Now that s rs ITl OO (Ig "ft -- 0T; g J r.QQ University of Utah telephone 58 1 -- BOOK (2665). 3 ii I ( M .UU"i W |