Show rtf A2 — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Wednesday July 31 2002 Q Nation w t WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaden of three big troubled telecom consumers as a result of the financial turmoil in the industry and a potential danger later on of reduced competition bringing fewer choices for com- panies and a top government regulator told Congress Ttiesday they didn't expect major phone or Internet disruptions as a result of the companies' financial difficulties They faced pointed questioning at a hearing from senators who decried excesses of telecom executives at a time when thousands of employees were losing their jobs Senators wanted to know why the companies hadn’t gone after the former executives to recover allegedly gains Sen John McCain noted the millions in stock options — supposed to be tied to company performance — given to executives of telecom companies who cashed them in before the companies collapsed “Why didn't you immediately ask for that money back?” he asked company officials testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee The telecom executives responded that until the allegations against the former executives are shown to be valid by current federal investigations the companies are unable to wgv move against them ' ' consumers “Protecting consumers from service disruption is Our first and highest priority” Powell testified Despite the turmoil he said “I remain confident that we are not facing a crisis in the provision of services stemming from WoddCom's bankruptcy" Top executives of WorldCom Inc which filed the biggest corporate bankruptcy m history on July 21) Global Crossing Ltd also bankrupt and Qwest Communications International Inc which acknowledged major accounting errors on Sunday also were testifying “We are intensely focused on ensuring that all of our customers — consumer business and government — continue to receive the highest quality service without disruption” WorldCom President and Chief Executive Officer John Sidgmore testified at the hearing The other executives — Global Crossing CEO John Legere and Qwest President Afshin Mohebbi — 1 ww 4J T U: v ft V ' m) AP photos en R-A- riz gave similar assurances The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission — which abeadynas filed civil fraud charges against WorldCom — are investigating accounting irregu- larities at me telecom titan whose interests include No 2 telephone company MCL WorldCom disclosed it had disguised needy $4 billioa in expenses thereby inflating its earnings Global Crossing which operates a worldwide network has acknowledged that documents were shredded before and after its January bankruptcy filing and die disclosure of a federal probe in February The SEC is investigating Qwest’s swaps of fiber-optcapacity and the federal Genera) Services Administrar turn is reviewing government contracts with the Denver-base- d provider of regional phone service The Justice Department also is investigating die company In reaction to a wave of business scandals that has rattled investor confidence President Bush on Tuesday signed corporate accountability legislation in a White House Global Crossing Ltd Chief Executes Officer John Legsra left Qwest President and Chief Operating Officer Afshin Mohebbl center and WbrtdCom Chief Executive Officer and President John 8idgmofa appear on Capitol Hi on Tuesday before the Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the financial turmoil in the telecommunications marketplace Earlier the chairman of die Federal Communications Commission Michael Powell assured the panel that services will continue without disruption McCain cited for example big telecom company Global Crossing’s founder and chairman Gary Win-nic- k cashing out $734 million in stock before the company collapsed Executives of Qwest Communica tions another of the three companies being questioned by the committee made some $300 million selling company stock from 1999 to 2001 while they issued profit figures that die company now says were inflated and based bn improper i according to research reports i public Tuesday Senators also voiced concern about possible disruptions of service to long-distan- ce fiber-opti- cs ' ic In brief -- sized free checking that keeps pace with your family AP photo Larry Johnson 47 right walks out of the Cross CertErirCanwr&iT'Ma onTueedayaftera pNA test deaTNm-pf"- ’ rapdfle didnl JUdgeor$'ihmte6xonerated'‘' by DNA evidence to be freed CAMERON Mo (AP) — A man who spent nearly 18 years behind bars for the rape of a college student was heed Tuesday after DNA tests cleared him J ' Prosecutor Jennifer Joyce who on Friday announced preliminary test results exonerating Larry Johnson asked a judge to immediately release him after the final tests were completed Tuesday Johnson 47 had no comment as he left the state’s maximum-securit- y Crossroads Correctional Facility about 30 miles north of Kansas City “He is very grateful and he’s looking forward to getting St Louis man was home” said' Cheryl Pilate his lawyer-Thconvicted of attacking a Saint Louis University in her car The victim said her attacker armed with a knife kept a sweatshirt pulled over his head but removed a scarf from around his face The victim was shown 140 mugshots and iden- tified Johnson then picked him out of a lineup: A Missouri law enacted last year lets convicted rapists seek ' new DNA tests if the technology was not available when they woe tried In announcing the preliminary DNA results Joyce said Johnson had been “horribly wronged” when he was convicted and sentenced in 1984 to life plus 30 years for rape sodomy kidnappingand robbery stu-de- nt Key Growth Solutions helps you build: for your family’s future v That’s why we won't charge you to use -- ' !" a you up to $4 a month of other banks’ ATM surcharges and offer discounts on education ioans So you can save money for more Important things like improving your college Savings plan 'with the help of a Key Relationship Manager Pilot whales stranded again EASTHAM Mass (AP) — Rescuers gave up extraordinary efforts to 'save more than 40 pilot whales that became beached Tuesday for a second time in two days saying too many were sick or in shock from tiie ordeaL Some of the whales were thrashing in shallow water- - while others were wailing to each other “It’s heartbreaking” said Christopher Bailey of the International FundJor Animal Wei- fare Some of the small black whales along the Cape Cod coast were euthanized after blood tests showed they were ill Bailey ' said Others were placed on their stomachs so they wouldn’t suffocate while awaiting high tide but rescuers decided not to tty to push them to deeper water “We want to give them the opportunity” he said of the move to put some of them on their stomachs: “If they cap find the ' desire to swim off they will do so” Bailey acknowledged the V marine mammals may just return to shore Pilot whales are highly sociable animals that travel arid feed in groups Data indipates profiling in Nebraska LINCOLN Nebl (AP) - Black and Hispahic motorists 7- stopped by state tioopen were more likely to be searched than white drivers according tb daqj released by the Nebriuka State ATM We’li even reimburse non-KeyBa- nk The Solution s Key Visit a KeyCenter Keycom or call y i i ''r " Achiek anything! -- y -- 1' Patrol Based on datis from the first three months of the year 1 pety cent df black motorists and 6 ptfcept of Hispanic drivers topped by state trOopers'were searched compiared with 1 per-cqnt of white motorists“I am surmised by some of the num- bers" Patrol Superintendent Col Tom Nesbitt said A majority of the stops Were on Interstate SjO the state’s main i highway Because the driving population does J '' not reflect the population of Nebraska the University of Nebraska at Omaha plans' to conduct a demographics siirvey of die driving population along the highway for comparison pur- '1 poses “the official data they have the numbers don’t speak ftir themselves” said Samuel 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