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'in' THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER THE DAILY HERALD 23, 1959 Justice Department sues tobacco companies for billions GLOBAL BRSERN6 93 arrests in drug crackdown Federal WASHINGTON (AP) officers and local have arrested 93 suspects in a sweeping crackdown that one official said Wednesday had dismantled "from top to bottom" the operations of notorious late drug trafficker Amado Carillo Fuentes. The arrests over the past 18 months resulted, from an investigation into one of the largest drug cartels in Mexico. The investigation, dubbed "Operation Impunity," targeted alleged "cell heads" running the drug operation after the death of Carillo, who was known as the "Lord of the Skies" because of his use of large aircraft to transport drugs. Carillo was considered Mexico's No. 1 drug lord until he died in July 1997 while recovering from plastic surgery designed to help him evade law enforcement. By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN Associated Press Writer her department filed a civil suit in U.S. District Court here against the major e-makers and research and public relations institutes they funded. "The cigarette companies realized at least since 1953 that the truth poses a mortal threat to their businesses." The lawsuit alleged the companies have conspired since the 1950s to defraud and mislead the public. The industry concealed data that showed nicotine is addictive and smoking causes disease, cigarett- The WASHINGTON Justice Department sued the nation's tobacco Wednesday, of dollars smoking-relate- industry seeking billions spent treating illnesses, d of a campaign of deceit "to preserve their enormous profits whatever the cost in human lives." "They placed profits above accusing cigarette-maker- s 45-ye- the public health," Attorney General Janet Reno said as . a- 11 - law, the suit alleged. "Smoking is the nation's largest preventable cause of death and disease, and American taxpayers should not have to bear ... the staggering costs," Reno said. Federal health plans spend more than $20 billion a year illtreating smoking-relatenesses, which take 400,000 lives a year, she said, t -. (3SEZEB sr .i ffl i i. Russians pay respects - MOSCOW (AP) Several thousand Russians paid their last respects Wednesday to Raisa Gorbachev and some also asked forgiveness for a -- , win wf fVW V Company spokesmen questioned the government's legal arguments and motives. They promised to fight in court rather than settle, as they did in agreeing last year to pay state governments more than $200 billion over 25 years. "This blatantly political lawsuit is ... the height of hypocrisy" given how long ago the government warned of health dangers from smoking, said Greg Little, associate general counsel of Philip Morris, the nation's largest cigarette-make- r. i wmwrm mm mm m - Will an aaawsSlB 'i nmt - jmWm jam. 1 1 nation that reviled her while she lived for being the antithesis of the typical Soviet leader's wife. say cans too gassy By MARTHA BELL1SLE Associated Press Writer death Monday, Mrs. Gorbachev's after a battle with acute leukemia, has prompted an outpouring of veneration from ordinary Russians. A solemn procession for the wife of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev waited more than an hour to lay flowers at the foot of her coffin, which was heaped with blossoms. The mourners were mostly women, and mostly middle-ageor elderly about the same age as Mrs. Gorbachev, who died at 67. They also were members of a generation that unlike had bitterly resented her for the wives of previous Soviet leaders being stylish, sophisticated and outspoken. LOS ANGELES Those g that cans gas from fiiel for carry everything innocuous-lookin- Qc d r l Sip .nl. 1 -- a. t.?- -. l.J.-.- - - 1 - ' in. giwa. - Rain helping to slow fires BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) Scattered thunderstorms on Wednesday helped firefighters battle a series of fires that forced dozens of people to flee remote areas of a scenic national forest. The storms dropped less than an inch of rain along California's central coast, where fires have burned more than 32,000 acres in Los Padres National Forest. Firefighters welcomed relief from temperatures inland, and more rain was predicted on and off into the night, although accompanying wind gusts up to 25 mph could make the fires unpredictable. Second school explosion A TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) pipe bomb exploded Wednesday in a building at Florida A&M University, the second blast at the historically black school in less than a month. No injuries were reported, and damage was minor in blasts that were accompanied by the warning "just the beginning, brother." In Wednesday's explosion, a caller to a Tallahassee television station used racial slurs and said the students at Florida A&M didn't need a university. WTXL-Treceived a second call laced with profanity and racist remarks after the bomb went off To The state lawsuit involved Medicaid payment the states made to the poorl The federal suit involve Medicare for the elderly and military and veterans healti insurance paid directly by th federal government. The department also for mally announced the clos ing, without charges, of i crimina nearly investigation of whethei tobacco companies lied tea or regulatory Congress agencies about the addic tiveness of nicotine. Air quality ESSEskbISk mKumammmm officials ; mm Q t""-'- fed-era- j MU-L" sponsored and publicized biased research and suppressed development of safer ! cigarettes in violation of veto or not to veto WASHINGTON (AP) With only five dissents, the Senate voted final approval Wednesday of a $288.9 billion defense bill that would overhaul the Energy Department and tighten security at nuclear weapons labs. It also contains the biggest military pay raise since the early 1980s. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, viewing the proposed energy reorganization as a congressional overreac-tioto allegations of Chinese nuclear spying, has said he might recommend a veto of the bill to President Clinton, But other administration officials said such a veto could be a problem, given the 4.8 percent pay raise and other politically popular military readiness increases embedded in the huge bilL n across-the-boa- rd ALAN MARLER'Thc Atsocialsd Pieu Water, water everywhere: Ricky Thompson, front, and Brent Nash use a canoe to enter a flooded business Tuesday. Hurricane Floyd caused the Tar River to flood, destroying many businesses. seirv odd mwm in Tarboro, N.C., iuairouo Unburied dead, hog carcasses, human waste fouling water By MELINDA DESLATTE Associated Press Writer ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. The ground is too soggy to bury the dead. Entire farms of tobacco and cotton have disappeared. Dead hogs and chickens bob along with kitchen chairs and coffins in the filthy floodwaters. Misery comes in a million forms these days in eastern from North Carolina, swarms of blowflies feeding on bloated livestock to broken dams, 30,000 flooded homes and miles of cars turned to junk. And it could be weeks before some places dry out. "We lost everything we said had," Carolyn Whitehead of Greenville, who on Wednesday moved into a state-buil- t trailer on the edge of Rocky Mount. "But we've still got our health, and now we've got a place to stay. I just want to take a hot bath." Officials say Hurricane Floyd's floodwaters spawned the worst environmental, agricultural and human disaster in the history of North Carolina: rivers fouled by human waste, hog waste and debris of all kinds; a wrecked shrimp harvest; farm losses expected to exceed $1 billion; millions in uninsured home and car losses; and at least 41 people dead. Altogether, the storm killed at least 69 people from the Bahamas to New and that toll was England expected to rise. "There's no doubt there are individuals out there who were swept off roadways and whose bodies have not been recovered," said Dr. John Butts, the state's chief medical examiner. Damage in North Carolina is expected to surpass the $6 billion caused by Hurricane Fran in 1996, the state's costliest natural disaster. Gov. Jim Hunt appealed to residents to help their suffering neighbors, but nature itself didn't cooperate. Three more inches of rain fell across North Carolina's coastal plain Tuesday and early Wednesday, keeping more than 500 roads closed. More than 3,000 people in remained shelters throughout the flood region, waiting for workers to finish more trailers that will serve as temporary homes. But the environmental effects will linger for months maybe even years. "The rivers are now swollen with human waste, animal waste and other pollution," state Environmental Secretary Bill Hoi man said. "Our waste systems were not floods." designed for - Holman said early reports show damage to 22 water 209 treatment plants, sewage plants and 430 animal farming operations. Shrimp fishermen, he said, had anticipated the best fall harvest in years, "but the slug of pollution and fresh water has essentially 500-ye- wiped ar that out." State officials estimate at least 100,000 hogs, 2.4 million chickens and 500,000 turkeys drowned. Early estimates of crop and farm structural losses totaled $333 million at a time when commodity prices for everything from cotton to turkeys are down. As Taiwanese die in quake's rubble, anger builds ByWILLIAM FOREMAN Associated Press Writer TUNGSHIH, Taiwan In hushed voices, people talked about victims crying through the night, beneath the hulk of fallen concrete and brick that was once a y apartment building. By Wednesday, the sec- ond day of Taiwan's earthquake disaster, the moans and pleas for help were fading away, one by one. Neighbors were full of grief and anger, saying more should have been done to dig out their friends and families. Tuesday's quake, which was followed the next day by three strong aftershocks, killed 2,042 people, injured 6,000 and left the homeless, 100,000 Disaster Management Center said. About 500 emergency workers from 14 countries arrived to help out, but Wednesday's search efforts resulted in only nine rescues of the estimated 2,300 people still trapped in crushed buildings. His arms crossed tightly on his chest, Chou Jing-jufrantically told anyone who would listen that his son had been left to die under the debris. There was a voice yesterday. It was my son's girlfriend, who was with him, crying out for her father," Chou said over and aver. He was too consumed with agony to say what his son's name was. "Nobody came to dig them out," Chou finally said. lawnmowers to jet skis art responsible for tons of smog forming emissions each day, and air quality officials hope new? regulations, the first of their kind in the country, will signifi cantly cut seepage and spills. "It would reduce a lot of pal lution at a low cost," said Jerrw Martin, spokesman for the state! Air Resources Board in Sacramento, which will consider! the new regulations at its meet ing Thursday. "If adopted, it's a! rule that's easy to understand. Simple things always work best." Among other tilings, the proposed rules would require that the plastic cans and spouts automatically snap shut to pre vent overfilling and spilling. But manufactures say that would go too far and fear that once California adopts the regu lations, other states will follow suit. In essence, it will sweep the country" said John Kowichezk, owner of Portland based EnviioCan Inc. "It's going to put my company out of business," Kowichezk said. "I highly support what they're doing, but they're taking a leap from no control to total control." Greg Scherger, sales manager for 3 & K Inc., which produces a traditional line of galvanized steel gasoline cans in Coldwater, Ohio, said his company would stop shipping to California if the proposals pass. "We view it as impractical to tool up to serve the specifics of the California market, and we would back away from marketing in California if the proposal is adopted," Scherger said. The estimated 10 million residential and commercial gas cans in the state spew almost 90 tons cf pollutants into California's air each day, Martin said. Hydrocarbon vapors from the gasoline seep into the air and combine with other pollutants, then sunlight triggers a chemical reaction that forms ozone, said Richard Varencbik, a spokesman for the board. "Ozone is one the most smog-formin- health-damagin- g components of g smog," he said. The emissions leak out several ways: Vapors pass through the walls of plastic containers; fumes escape through vent holes, through poorly capped spouts and when the fuel is poured; fuel is easily spilled during filling or overfilling iiBinoMriiiwuir iifridlirr n imiiTi iwaiailii I |
