European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 27, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday october 27, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 5bush gives boost to electric car work Washington apr president Bush drove an electrically powered minivan around the White House South Lawn to promote a technology he says is a better idea than forcing automakers to meet tougher fuel Economy standards. A the development of a competitive electronic Auto Industry will do More to reduce Oil imports than rigid fuel efficiency standards that risk jobs and Public safety Quot Bush said. He attended a ceremony Friday at which Energy Secretary James Watkins and representatives of the nations big three automakers signed an agreement to launch a four year $260 million venture to develop batteries for electric cars. A and the goal nothing less than to make electric vehicles competitive by the year 2000,&Quot Bush said. He used the occasion to urge congressional approval of a Bill that would incorporate much of the National Energy plan he submitted earlier this year. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation soon. Sen. Richard Bryan d-nev., is expected to offer an amendment that would require new car fleets to average about 40 Miles per gallon up from the current 27.5 mpg minimum. The Bush administration opposes the Bryan plan supporting the automakers Contention that it would Force them to Stop making family size cars Hurt sales and eliminate jobs. The United states advanced Battery consortium is one of several joint research projects recently initiated by Chrysler general motors corp. And Ford motor co. The electric Power research Institute also is a member of the consortium. The companies and the Energy department will split the Cost of the project a the first in which the govern ment and the automakers Nave cooperated on research. They will share research facilities. A it is a major Domestic economic initiative a Akin to the close cooperation Between japanese government and Industry a As Well As an Energy and environment initiative Quot Chrysler corp. President Robert Lutz said. Only recently have the fiercely competitive big three cooperated on research or product development an indication of How slumping sales and foreign Competition have eroded their strength. Development of an efficient lightweight Battery to Power a vehicle is important to automakers because of a California Law requiring that by 1998, 2 percent of an automaker s sales in that state must Emit no pollutants. By 2003, that sales level rises to 10 percent. Work on electric cars and batteries is going on worldwide in Large part because of the California Law. The major hurdle facing electric cars is their Range. Pm has shown off its Impact electric vehicle powered by conventional Lead acid batteries. The car will travel at 55 Mph for about 120 Miles before needing an eight hour recharge. Nissan motor co. Ltd. Of Japan announced in August that it had developed a car powered by a Nickel cadmium batteries with nearly the same performance characteristics As the Impact but needing just 15 minutes to recharge. At the White House ceremony an Impact was parked beside a Ford electrically powered delivery truck and a Chrysler minivan. Afterwards the automakers flipped a Coin to determine which Bush would Sample. Chrysler won and the president climbed inside with two senators and other officials for a Quick test drive along the Walkway. A president Bush Rolls along in Chrysler a electric vehicle on the White House s South Lawn  mysterious fires strike churches in Florida Gainesville Fla. A the list of mysterious Church fires that have plagued Florida for More than a year flared with six new blazes last week. Gainesville was hit with four More Church fires including one Friday. A Blaze destroyed the first Baptist Church stars and stripes in Ocala on thursday. A everyone is pretty distraught about it but the Church is the people and not the building Quot said Jeff Scott a member of the Ocala Church s youth ministry staff. Since july 1990, 23 Church fires mostly in Northern and Central Florida have been ruled arson suspicious or of undetermined origin. The blazes occurred in Large and Small churches of Many Demon nations. So far investigators have found nothing to positively link the latest blazes including one in Zolfo Springs or a fire at first presbyterian Church in Lake City two weeks ago. The Short time Frame and the proximity of the blazes make them suspicious officials said. Two Church fires occurred in Gainesville in january. Others have been scattered around the state in Orlando fort Myers Sanford South Miami and St. Petersburg.10 years ago oct. 27,1981 a the Reagan administration said it would ask Congress next year for funds to strengthen the armed forces so they could Rebuff a full scale soviet invasion of the persian Gulf Oil Fields. 20years ago oct. 27,1971 the . General Assembly voted to seat communist China in All . Bodies and to expel nationalist China. . Ambassador George Bush called the decision Quot a moment of infamy Quot As the United states which had fought a bitter Battle on behalf of nationalist China suffered its worst diplomatic defeat in the history of the organization.30 years ago oct. 27,1961 a outfielders Mickey Mantle of the new York Yankees and Frank Robinson of the Cincinnati reds won the 1961 major league slugging championships. It was Mantle s third time to top american league sluggers this time with a .687 average. It was Robinsons second National league slugging Crown in a Row with 613. 40years ago oct. 27,1951 a in a bitter election Duel with the labor government 76-year-old wartime prime minister Winston Churchill and his conservative party edged their Way to Victory with less than half the popular vote. . Judge upholds jury s verdict against Twa in terrorist bombing by new Day new York a Federal judge ruled Friday that a jury was a More than justified in finding trans world airlines guilty of a a wilful misconduct in the terrorist bombing of one of its jetliners in 1986. In affirming the verdict . District judge Jack Weinstein of Brooklyn said the jury a decision last june a was fully supported by the  the jury after a two week trial awarded $2.8 million to the family of a Man killed in the blast and $250,000 to an injured passenger. Four passengers were killed and a number of others injured when the bomb exploded under a scat As Twa flight 840 was approaching the Athens Airport in route from Rome on april 2, 1986. Alberto Ospina of Stratford conn., whose family was awarded the $2.8 million was blown out of the plane. Despite a Large Hole in the fuselage the plane landed. Weinstein closed most of the trial to the Public and Media at the request of department of Justice attorneys who said that much of the testimony involved a sensitive airline Security  in a 48-Page decision Weinstein said a Young female terrorist who hoarded the plane in Cairo placed the bomb under her seat and then set the bomb trigger when she left the plane in Rome Quot proceeding to a self congratulatory to appearance in  a she was allowed aboard in flagrant violation of Many Basic Security measures a Weinstein said. A compounding twas Gross errors was a failure to search the Cabin properly in Rome the first Slop after Cairo. A a Georgia girl 13, whose Case is focus of right to die debate Dies in Hospital by Ronald smothers the new York times Atlanta a a nearly comatose 13-year-old girl who had been at the Center of a court Battle Over her life support at a Hospital died Friday. The girl who by court order has not been publicly identified died of cardiac arrest caused by liver and kidney failure family members said. They were at her Side at scottish rite Hospital for crippled children. Doctors who had been ordered by a judge to continue her life support tried to resuscitate her but failed the family said. The girl had been hospitalized for the last five months because of what doctors had identified As an irreversible neurological disorder. Arguing that there was a no possibility of meaningful recovery a the Hospital asked a judge in Fulton county Superior court earlier this month Lor authority to remove her Respirator and feeding and breathing tubes. The Hospital contended that the Lile sustaining procedures were try quintly painful and that in the absence of a Chance for recovery they were a inhumane and  the girls Mother was prepared at one Point to sign papers authorizing the disconnection. But the father disagreed saying he was awaiting a Miracle eight Days ago. Judge Leah set ars col Lins rejected the hospitals request. Sears cd Ollins said she had found no convincing evidence that life support was painful for the girl or amounted to a medical  she said that in the event of disagreement Between parents who were not found to be neglectful or acting against the child a interest the rights of the Parent seeking the child a continued life support had to be respected. Parental rights she said were not a divisible Quot but instead belonged to each Parent separately. But Sears Collins saying the Case raised a Host of Complex Legal questions that required additional review also directed Georgia s attorney general to Appeal her ruling to the state s highest court