EVENTS
HOUSE BACKS REDUCED JOBS BILL The House of Representatives approved a sharply reduced version of the administration jobs bill that was derailed by Republicans in the Senate last month. The legislation contained $931 million for summer jobs and other programs to create work, compared with the $16.3 billion in President Clinton's original jobs bill. Even the reduced bill passed only after the administration agreed to match all new spending with cuts in other government programs. Sponsors said the money for summer jobs could give an additi onal 237,000 teenagers work this summer. Clinton hails compromise
President Clinton said yesterday a new pact between Democratic leaders and conservatives on a mechanism for curbing federal spending will put "some discipline" in his budget-cutting tax bill. Democratic leaders said they expected the compromise to lead to passage of the fiscal plan in the House yesterday afternoon. Battle over Guinier
The White House has finally decided to come to the defense of Lani Guinier, the president's embattled nominee to become chief of the Justice Department's civil-rights division. Conservative activists have attacked Ms. Guinier as a radical and a "Quota Queen" who dislikes democracy. But White House lobbyist Howard Paster said in a letter Wednesday to all senators that she's getting a bum rap. Marshall papers still open
The Library of Congress said Wednesday it will keep the more than 173,000 papers of late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall open to the public. Chief Justice William Rehnquist had issued a sharply worded letter rebuking the library for its original decision. But Librarian of Congress James Billington said he remained confident the library was carrying out the exact intentions of Justice Marshall. Gay killing case ends
An emotionally charged case that sparked debate over gays in the US military came to a tearful conclusion yesterday when a sailor was sentenced to life in prison for killing a homosexual shipmate. Terry Helvey said he did not kill Allen Schindler because the victim was gay, but the defense gave no other motive for the attack. Showdown over Haiti
Haitian officials say they don't believe the United States will make good on threats to tighten sanctions, as the standoff over President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's ouster continued. US officials said Wednesday that the military-backed government's rejection of international mediation prompted President Clinton to consider freezing the assets and revoke the visas of officials and supporters of the military-backed regime. No timetable was given. GM-Volkswagen dispute
General Motors Corporation has charged that its former purchasing chief, Jose Ignacio Lopez de Arriortua, took company secrets with him when he moved to Volkswagen AG. But in the first court case arising out of the dispute, a German court ruled in favor of Volkswagen on Wednesday, rejecting a GM request to stop VW from employing seven managers who followed Mr. Lopez to the firm. Kurdish rebels attack
The Marxist Kurdistan Workers Party has stepped up its attacks in Turkey. After gunning down 38 people on Monday, the Kurdish separatist rebels abducted 16 roadworkers, officials said yesterday. The attacks make a mockery of a cease-fire with the rebels announced in March. After the cardinal's killers
The Mexican government says it knows who was responsible for the killing of Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo in a drug-related shooting, and is offering $5 million for information leading to their capture. The government also said that drug traffickers had intended to kill a rival drug lord, not the prelate. `The flames shall burn'
Iraq's state-run newspapers yesterday threatened that Baghdad would retaliate militarily for Iranian air raids that targeted Iraqi-based Iranian rebels. "The flames shall burn all those who start a fire," warned the daily newspaper of the armed forces.