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Show JNA110N ET"3 Campaign funding questions linger Teens blow off impending cigarette price hike By LALRA MFCKLER Associated .J ' - f.c , LARRY MARGASAK Associated Press Writer - , WASHINGTON Jarring his audience in the opening seconds of campaign finance hearings, Sen. Fred Thompson declared that China plotted to influence U.S. elections including the 19 presidential race. Three weeks of hearings the Governmental Airairs Committee have produced some tantalizing testimony, but no evidence of Chinese intrigue in the presidential race. Some lingering questions about China and other issues after the initial jhase of hearings: Q. Is there any evidence of a Chinese plot to influence the presidential campaign? A. No. although members of both parties agree there was a Chinese scheme mostly legal to influence congressional and state elections. Speaking on CNN's "Evans & Novak" program Saturday, stood by Thompson, his assertion that China had an organized plan to influence the 1996 elections, but said he lacked proof without more cooperation from the Chinese government. He also has said he's sorry his comments attacked by Democrats became so controversial. Q. Is there any evidence s Democratic John Lin "Charlie" Yah and Huang Trie were economic spies for China? fund-raiser- A. Some Republicans seem nwr WASHINGTON Congress raising the tobacco tax this year, in part to keep teens from has yet to surface before V, is Proof of influence By fre-- s ff ' Ks ( lighting up. But Suzanne Kane, hanging out with friends on a summer evening, laughs it off. "Whether you're smoking to be cool or you're chain smoking, 15 cents is not going to make a the difference," says reflectWashington teen-ageing skepticism not only among her peers but among lawmakers who wanted a higher tax but were forced to compromise. r, W; I fit s Price hikes 1 V t ' u '' -- If : I l "'J A ia "Vr. t 1 HIU IAYIPHII that's where we're going.' Teen smoking has edged up in recent years after falling during the 1980s. Now, one in s five smokes and 3,000 teens pick up the habit each day. About nine in 10 adult smokers began smoking teen-ager- as teen-ager- Health economists estimate 10 percent increase in price, the numln r of teen smokers will drop by about 7 percent, and teens who that for every keep smoking will smoke ( percent less. tax That means a translates to barely perceptible 5 percent fewer teen smokers. "You would need a very sensitive seismograph to pick up any ripples from this," said a Richard Daynard, 15-ce- The balanced budget plan President Clinton will sign WrTrK IV Young smoker: Jupiter Dockery, 19, of Washington, D.C., plays with a hacky sack at Dupont Circle Friday in the capital. Congress is hiking the tobacco tax this year, in part to keep teens from lighting up. ing efforts. Both states saw overall smoking rates drop, and teen rates stayed even as they climbed nationally. A feeling of sophistication interviewed But teen-ager- s over the last week said they smoke because older friends and siblings do. and because it makes them feel sophisticated. are to do what They're they're L'oin2 to do." said Jupiter Dockery, 19, who tucks a cigarette behind his ear as he tosses a hacky sack ball around "Teen-ager- teen-ager- s Tuesday increases cigarette taxes by 10 cents in the year 2000 and another nickel in 2002 much less than the 43 cents backers originally sought. Northeastern University The money will help pay for School of Law professor who a new children's health prostudies tobacco. gram. But the effort's twin goal to reduce teen-agModel programs smoking by raising prices Teen smoking will not drop may not fare as well. unless significantly price "Part of the goal was to increases are paired with increase the tobacco tax so sigtoL gher rules and other nificantly that kids would stop charges, says Health and buying cigarettes, and we didn't Hur.ian Services Secretary get that this year," said Rep. Dor ia Shalala. who Nancy Johnson, Looking for models, many and sponsored the tax in the House. point to California But Johnson argues that get- Massachusetts, where smoking ting any cigarette tax increase rates dropped after tax hikes through Congress was an combined with big anti-smo- k with friends. Like most smokers, Jupiter began smoking young, when he w as 12 years old. "Smoking's a big bonding who thing," said one teen-ager didn't want her name used. Munching pizza with friends on a restaurant patio, she mentions actress Julia Roberts, who smoked through the recent hit "My Best Friend's Wedding." The actress, she said, looked "really good" with a cigarette. Her friend. Marina, proudly displays an antique silver cigarette case and said she hopes to acquire a fancy cigarette holder so she might look like Audrey Hepburn. "You get an element of sophistication," said Marina, 14. She smokes, she added, even though she has asthma and has seen friends and family suffer from smoking-relatediseases. d . Author who committed suicide faced charges he abused his two daughters MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Author Michael Dorris committed suicide in New Hampshire the night before Minnesota authorities were going to charge him with sexual abuse of his two biological daughters, according to a newspaper report. Dorris was found dead April 11 in a Concord. N.H., motel room. The award-winnin- g author had ingested sleeping pills, drank vodka and suffocated himself with a plas Activists, families plead for closure of gay murder cases to think so, although there's no hard evidence. The testimony left some teasers, however, Republicans have produced charts that contended Huang received intelligence reports while a Commerce Department official that would have been of great interest to China. The GOP coupled this infor Some claim mation with Huang's regular visits to a brokerage firm across the street from his government By MARTHA IRVINE office. From there, he made AssiH'iiitctl I'ross Writer more than 200 calls to Lippo SAN FRANCISCO -USA, his former employer and part of a conglomerate that has Andrew Cunanan's suicide halted one of the nation's most significant ventures in China. Sen. Richard Durbin, lurid cases of serial murder. noted that many prominent But from New Jersey to Republicans, including conserva Virginia to Texas, the slayings tive minister Pat Robertson, had of as many as 30 gay men or business ventures with China. Hi transvestites, which activists pointed to testimony that Huang believe are the work of five sereven turned in a toxical) receipt ial killers, remain unsolved. for a visit to the Chinese Embassy In some cases, investigators have been hindered by lack of hardly the actions of a spy. showed that resources and, some allege, lack Testimony Trie's Macao-basebusiness of interest. partner used the Bank of China to wire Trie $905,000. An FBI Fascination and anger "What's the difference agent, assigned to the commitbetween my son and Versace? tee, testified about $220,000 from that pot was used as conMoney and notoriety. If you've tributions to the Democratic got money and fame, it's going National Committee. But there to get solved," says Donna was no evidence this was Smith, whose son's Chinese government money. strangled body was found 10 Q. Why didn't the White years ago in Chesapeake, Va. House do more to notify the Smith, who now lives in Democratic National Cocoa, Fla., does not believe her Committee that Trie was raisson, Charles, was homosexual, ing possibly illegal foreign although he frequented the gay donations? scene, as did most of the 1 1 vicA. This is unclear. The White tims who followed him in House learned that money Trie death. raised was suspect in March She watched the Cunanan when he dumped chase in south Florida with fas1996, $460,000 on a conference room cination and with anger that table at headquarters for the Virginia serial killer has Clinton's legal defense fund. not been sought with the same The money came from a fervor as the man suspected in Taiwan-basesect, and was the murders of fashion design returned when fund officials er tiianni Versace and four became suspicious of its origin. other men. The problem was discussed "All the victims were seen as among White House officials in expendable," Smith says of the murders linked to her son's slay May 1996. But despite the decision to return $640,000 Trie ing. "They labeled them as gays helped raise for the defense and druggies, so nobody cared." Activists who track violent fund, he went on to raise even more money for the DNC. crimes against gay men and tic bag. The Hennepin County attorney's offict was to charge him with criminal sexual abuse of two of his biological daughters, the Star (Minneapolis) Tribune reported in a copyright story Sunday. Four of the five living children of Dorris and his estranged wife Louise Erdrich. ranging in age from 8 to 24, have told authorities that Dorris sexually assaulted them or physically abused them or both, the report said. You're INVITED to a BACK-TO-SCHO- health FAIR. OL 1" f "O-SCHO- police are less than helpful D-I- ll d d s. going s. e V" V important first step nevertheless. "We've broken through a barrier on this issue," she said. "When we need more money, lesbians acknowledge some police departments, even the FBI, are beginning to reach out to the gay community to build .r .MUfJ o -- 2r trust and understanding. "On the local level, many of us have seen changes in the last five to 10 years," says Jeffrey Montgomery, a spokesman for the Michigan Project. "In Detroit, for example, there's been a change in the way they handle cases, from very, very, very badly to extremely efficient and ht .U It tf i J V' Anti-Violen- 180-degr- j i "vi rz. good." Frustrations Other activists, however, remain frustrated and say it still takes pushing to get many officers to take seriously any crimes involving homosexual Visit one of the most comprehensive health centers in your community. Enjoy the food and entertainment as well as the dental and information booths. Have the chance to win free designer sunglasses and Utah Starzz and Buzz tickets. victims, even homicides. cases aren't popular cases. And whether it's ignorance or homophobia, it's a big problem," asserts Bea Hanson, director of client services for the "Gay-relate- d Activities at various centers include: Free immunizations Anti-Violen- Project in New York. The possible serial killings include the 1994 stabbing deaths of three homosexual men in Irving, Texas; the shooting deaths, from 1987 to 1992, of six Atlanta men dressed in women's clothing; and the 1992 stabbing deaths of four men who were last seen in Denver gay bars, according to Project statistics and newspaper accounts. Hanson has also helped police link at least three murders in the New York metropolitan area, although she thinks as many as five may have been killed from 1991 through 1994. Anti-Violen- (in cooperation with Moon walks Bike rodeo Care-A-Va- Free sports physicals I Iealth educators All Fire trucks Kids finger printing seven Talbert Medical Centers across the Wasatch Front are participating, TALBERT ( 1 call for the Center nearest you. 88-482-5237) D.ivis llcilthciri' nil Anii'lopi' Dr., I avion (IriTinvooil Medical Center S. State. Midvale 7 rn Parkway Medical Center on I WO South, Orem Mount Ogilen laniilv Medical (Voter oil :isl Sl., Og.len TALBERT M l ;. 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