10- The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 24, 1995 Gingrich 's producers won't show tax records WASHINGTON (AP) - A tax- exempt group that helps foot the bill for Newt Gingrich's TV college course has operated for nearly two years while putting off government- required disclosure of its finances. Though the House speaker holds no formal title with the Progress and Freedom Foundation, it was created and staffed by some of his closest advisers and produces his weekly tele- vision call-in show and helps under- write the cost of the college course. The foundation has received a se- ries of filing extensions from the In- ternal Revenue Service that one agency spokesman called "rare." The extensions have allowed the foundation to raise more than $1.7 million and spend an unspecified amount to push the House speaker's conservative agenda while delaying disclosure of specifics until after the 1994 election. The first tax report was supposed to be filed early last year. It will be filed in the next two months, said Bethany Noble, a foundation vice president. The relationship with Gingrich has raised questions about the foundation's tax-exempt status, though officials say it is strictly nonpartisan. "There's clearly an association between the Progress and Freedom Foundation and the speaker, but it's not a formal relationship," said Bill Myers, another foundation vice presi- dent. "The speaker isa friend, but any characteritation of Progress and Free- dom being Newt Gingrich's think tank is just plain wrong." Gingrich's spokesman, Tony Blankley, was in a meeting and could not be reached for comment, an aide said yesterday. As a not-for-profit organization, the foundation is exempt from taxes but is required to file an annual report with the IRS listing revenues and ex- penditures, the salaries of its officers and top employees and other finan- cial details. Public records show the foundation was granted tax-cxempt status shortly after it was created in April 1993. The initial financial report, cover- itng the period through Dec. 31, 1993, was due early in 1994. BICYCLES MADE FOR TWO INCHES OF SNOW Russia steps up " Chechen attack From Daily Wire Services GROZNY, Russia-- Battling a thick fog and stiff resistence from the flinty Chechen defenders, Russian troops stepped up their attack on the Chechen capital last night as more residents were displaced by the fight- ing. The Russians, stationed on the western shore of Grozny's Sunzha Riverappeared increasingly confident, and sent crews in armored personnel carriers to dig through the snow to collect their dead. A French photographer who emerged from central Grozny yester- day reported that some Russian sol- diers stopped fighting occasionally to loot, taking typewriters, clocks, slide projectors and anything else they could carry. Chechen rebels, however, contin- ued to freely roam east and south of the river, andclaimed to have retaken some territory. They also control suburbs in the southwest. "There are a lot of buildings in the center thatchange landlords every day," said Akhiyad Izhiyev, a 50-year-old Chechen battalion commander and a former lieutenant colonel in the Soviet army. Four weeks into the battle for the capital, neither side owned central Grozny, and snipers remained active. MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily Yesterday's snowfall buries rows of bicycles outside the Michigan Union in snow. Croaan preS. to begin talks with Yugsla next month Chechen fighters have pledged a guerrilla war against Russia even if Grozny falls completely, as many ex- pect it will in the next few weeks. They * have been setting up arms caches and fortifications around villages in the mountains and the plains around Grozny to prepare for what many of them promise will be a fight to the death. The Russian government reported late yesterday that Interior Ministry troops have carried out "special opera tions" near a half-dozen villages around Grozny. Interfax said some of those shelled by the Russian attacks were Russian Cossacks, whose village is several miles from the nearestChechen outpost. Refugees from those new as- saults have started to flee across the border to Ingushetia. About 350,000 people already have fled since the Rus- sians launched their assault Dec.1lto end Chechnya's three-year indepen- dence bid, and thousands of people, many ofthem civilians, have been killed and injured. The weeks of fighting have turned Grozny into a nightmarish image of devastation, with ruined trees, build- ings, roads and corpses everywhere. It has also clearly taken a heavy toll on the emotions of those who, for what- ever reason, still remain in this burned- out city. 1t- The Washington Post ZAGREB, Croatia - President Franjo Tudjman said yesterday that Croatia plans to open talks with Yugo- slavia next month on normalizing rela- tions after four years of war. The step, announced by Tudjman in an interview, could help close the divide between Croats and Serbs that has been one of the main causes of war in the Balkans since most of Yugoslavia broke into independent nations. The new Yugoslavia, a federation between Serbia and smaller Montenegro, has backed secessionist Serbs in Croatia as well as in neighbor- ing Bosnia. Resumption of normal re- lations between Croatia and Yugosla- via thus could accelerate a solution to the challenge from the Serbs' seces- sionistgovernmentin Croatia's Krajina region. The announcement of normaliza- tion talks next month has not been confirmed by the Yugoslav govern- ment in Belgrade. But Croatian sources said it followed indirect talks between Croatian and Yugoslav government officials last week. The planned visit of Croatian For- eign Minister Mate Granic to Belgrade in mid-February is part of a series of risky diplomatic and political moves taken recently by Tudjman in an effort to return his divided country to the international spotlight. On Jan. 12, Tudjman announced that his govern- ment would expel by June 30 the 12,000 U.N. troops in Croatia who are sup- posed to provide a buffer between the Croatian army and its enemies, the rebel Croatian Serbs. Rebel Serbs have occupied 27 per- cent of Croatia since 1991, when war erupted after Croatia declared indepen- dence from Yugoslavia and Serbia fought to maintain the larger union. E....... _...,....._. .._..,.. ....-_2.p. e...p -,w ' c.; . Yt + y 4 '' . 2 p .e YH f ;QqS M r 4 ! Z High court rules for fired employees The Washington Post WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court ruled unanimously yesterday that a worker who sues for job discrimina- tion still has a case even if the employer laterdiscovers he or she lied to get hired or engaged in misconduct on the job. The ruling reverses apolicy in some appeals courts of dismissing a bias victim's lawsuit when an employer dis- covers, while preparing forits defense, I UC G G[IJ . a legitimate reason for discharge. The justices stressed society's overriding interest in ending age, sex and race discrimination despite a worker's mis- conduct. But, in attempting to balance the rights of employers and their work- ers, the court also said any newly acquired evidence could limit the amount of money damages an ag- grieved worker wins. "Once an employer learns about employee wrongdoing that would lead to a legitimate discharge," Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the court, "we cannot require the em- ployer to ignore the information," even if it would not have been discov- ered without the lawsuit. The court said that in such cases the worker generally should not win reinstatement nor compensation for lost future wages. It said a starting point for determining money owed would be the period between the un- lawful firing and the date the new infor- mation was discovered. At the heart of the case was a secretary's claim that she was fired from her position at the Nashville Banner Publishing Co. because of her age, 62. Christine McKennon had worked for the newspaper for 40 years, and when she was replaced by a woman in her 30s, she sued under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. While preparing for the case, the Nashville Banner discovered McKennon had brought home several confidential financial documents in vio- lation of company policy. The paper sought to have the case dismissed, say- ing it would have fired her if it had known that she had taken home the records. Lower courts ruled that such after- acquired evidence of wrongdoing bars a worker from relief under the age discrimination law. AP PHOTO Marchers in Washington rally for abortion rights, commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision. Anti-abortion march throughWashington mar ksRoe anivrr I ~ I l w ..1. "l / l PRING BREAK BACKPACKING TRIP TO FLORIDA!!!! 24iB. 18- 25, OCALA NAT. FOREST. Also sponsored by the Outdoor Rec. Center this Winter: - Jan. 28 Cross Country Skiing and Toboganning -Jan. 29 Horseback Trail Ride MANY MORE IN MARCH AND APRIL ODR also r aeer Rents Equipment for any Outdoor Eventl 0 BDOOR aR Call 764-3967 for more _- information WASHINGTON (AP) - Thou- sands of anti-abortion protesters marched from the White House to the Supreme Court yesterday, chanting prayers and shouting slogans in an an- nual protest against the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. "Rejoice, rejoice-my mom was not pro-choice," many shouted as they walked through downtown Washing- ton. "Abortion is not and never will be respectable," march organizer Nellie Gray, president of March for Life Inc., said at an hour-long rally in aparkjust south of the White House. "No one has the right to murder with impunity." After an hour's walk to the Su- preme Court, hundreds of people prayed on the court's steps as police in riot gear looked on. A poster of an aborted fetus was propped up nearby. U.S. Park Police estimated the crowd at 45,000; Gray put the number at 100,000. Last year, about 35,000 people braved an ice storm to march. Some demonstrators blocked traf- fic and 39 protesters were arrested after blocking a door of the Depart- Rejoice, rejoice - my mom was not pro- choice!' anti-abortion activists ment of Health and Human Services building to demonstrate against fetal tissueresearch. Activists on both sides of the issue demonstrated to mark the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling. The actual anniversary was Sunday. Some at yesterday's march de- nounced recent shootings at abortion clinics. Fourpeople were killed and six wounded at shootings at abortion clin- ics last year in the United States and Canada. Clinic violence hurts the anti-abor- tion movement, said the Rev. Tom Pettei from St. Francis Prep School in Fresh Meadows, N.Y. "It mixes the message," he said. "This is a cause for life." RICHARD D. ALEXANDER Theodore H. Hubbell Distinguished University Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Director and Curatorof Insects, Museum of Zoology EVOLUTION AND THE ARTS Explaining the Luxuriance of Human Social and Mental Activities The Office of icademicMulticultural cnitiatives is now taking applications for Student Leader positions for the KinglChdvez/tparks College Day Spring Visitation Program Application Deadline is 7anuary 27, 1995 Student leaders accompany visiting middle school students throughout the day serving as guides and role models while providing information about the college experience. Student leaders usually Plan to attend the..,..... Multicultural Career Conference Tuesday, January 24, 1995 5:00pm - 9:00pm Michigan Union 2nd floor o . I ,: u , k Y' m .