Copyright 1995 Star Tribune
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
May 2, 1995, Metro Edition
SECTION: News; National news; Pg. 7A
LENGTH: 612 words
HEADLINE: National news
BODY:
Reports of abuse of elderly are up
Growing numbers of older Americans are being neglected, battered or financially exploited by their children or other caretakers, according to federally funded research. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, which is based at the American Public Welfare Association and funded by a $ 1 million federal grant, reports of domestic abuse against elderly Americans increased from 117,000 in 1986 to 241,000 in 1994. But the reported cases are believed to represent only a fraction of abuse and neglect cases.
Pressure kills drive
for states' meeting
The effort by the nation's governors and state legislators to call a first-ever "Conference of the States" to limit federal power hit a wall. The first stage of the conference was canceled because of grass-roots opposition from left- and right-wing groups. Only 14 states approved the call for such a meeting; 26 states are necessary. Suggested topics for the meeting included allowing states to originate constitutional amendments or allowing two-thirds of the states to phase out a law passed by Congress.
Election fund-raising,
spending set record
More money was raised - and spent - in congressional races during the 1994 election than ever before, the Federal Election Commission said. In all, congressional candidates raised $ 740.6 million and spent $ 724 million, breaking the records established in both categories in 1992. The FEC said candidates raised 12 percent more in 1994 than they did in 1992 and spent 6 percent more. The surge was almost one-sided - Democratic fund-raising and spending went down, but GOP increases more than made up for it.
California team wins
National Science Bowl
A team of high school students from Van Nuys, Calif., was declared the winner of the National Science Bowl championship, a science and math competition matching 300 students from 29 states. A team from Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh placed second. A team from Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, Calif., finished third, and fourth place went to a team from the Armand Hammer World College in Montezuma, N.M. The National Science Bowl competition is sponsored by the Department of Energy.
D'Amato withdraws
invitation to Liddy
G. Gordon Liddy, the Watergate burglar and talk-radio personality who advised listeners to shoot for the head if attacked by federal agents, was to be the honored guest today at Sen. Alfonse D'Amato's gala Republican fund-raiser in Washington, D.C., but the invitation was suddenly pulled. Liddy had been slated to appear at the GOP's "Salute to Talk Radio," a private affair for about 400 big donors to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a political money-raising organization chaired by D'Amato.
Unabomber may get
published in Penthouse
The Unabomber's manifesto will be printed in Penthouse magazine if that will save lives, says publisher Bob Guccione. In a letter last week to the New York Times, the person claiming to be the bomber promised to stop his 17-year reign of terror if a major media outlet published his lengthy manifesto. Guccione urged the mail-bomb terrorist in an open letter to "contact me at your earliest convenience."
Continental Airlines
slashes summer fares Continental Airlines is reducing tickets for summer travel by up to 35 percent on domestic and some international routes. Tickets must be purchased between today and May 10 and the trip taken by Sept. 15. The lowest fares are available for Tuesday-through-Thursday travel. Lesser discounts apply to travel Friday through Monday.