European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday february 23, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 7 expansion of student Aid coasts to Senate approval by the Washington Post Washington a the Senate on Friday overwhelmingly approved a substantial expansion of Federal Aid for College students from Middle income As Well As poor families. The Senate voted to increase the size of Grants and Loans and to allow More Middle income students to qualify for Grants by raising income limits for eligibility. It also agreed to new rules aimed at curbing fraud and abuse in the student Aid program. The election year changes Are part of a seven year reauthorization of Federal higher education programs. A the Bottom line is a very significant strengthening of the Federal role in higher education for Middle income families a said sen. Edward m. Kennedy id-mass., chairman of the labor and human resources committee which drafted the Bill. The House is considering a More far reaching expansion of the student Aid program. Although actual funding will Likely be squeezed by budget constraints the Senate a action appeared to assure that the program again will be opened to More Middle income students. President Bush and former president Ronald Reagan sought to confine it to Low income recipients. The Senate Bill was passed by a 93-1 vote after two controversial provisions were shelved at least temporarily to avoid possible defeat or delay on the Senate floor. One provision would have guaranteed automatic full funding of Grants by 1997 by turning the program into an entitlement instead of leaving it to the annual Vicissitudes of the appropriations process. That plan was dropped when it appeared that opposition to the idea int sink the whole Bill. The House education and labor committee has proposed that automatic funding Diatel. Senators also agreed in behind the scenes negotiations to defer consideration of a proposal that would replace the current loan system financed through private Banks with a direct loan program run by the Federal government. It is expected to be considered by the Migl a r for Grants begin immediately Senate finance committee in connection with tax legislation Over the next few weeks. The House Bill includes a provision to create a direct loan program. The Bush administration had objected to both the entitlement and direct loan proposals and threatened to veto the Bill if they were included. Kansas sen. Nancy l. Kassebaum Republican floor manager for the legislation said after its passage that the administration was a very pleased with the final Senate version. However it remains opposed to the House Bill. As approved with Only sen. Jesse Helms r-n.c., in dissent the Senate Bill would authorize the spending of $17.4 billion during the first year with More than 90 percent of it going to student Aid. Spending on these programs is $12.5 billion in this years budget. The House Bill would Cost $20 billion a year. The Senate measure would increase Grants a called Pell Grants after their creator sen. Claiborne Pell . A from their current appropriated level of $2,400 to $3,600 a year with annual increases of $200 thereafter rising to $4,800 by 1999. The income level for an average family of four to a Ualifi for Grants would be raised from $30,000 to 42,000, thereby expanding eligibility further into Middle income ranks. Limits for guaranteed student Loans also would be increased. The limit for first and second year students would be raised from $2,625 to $3,000 a year and from $3,000 to $5,500 for other undergraduates. The limit for graduate students would Rise from $7,500 to $9,000. Post cold War Cia to begin Era of openness Gates vows by the Washington Post Washington a Cia director Robert m. Gates on Friday announced Broad measures marking what he said would be a new Era of openness at the Agency including a willingness to declassify secret files on the assassination of president John f. Kennedy. Declaring a a real shift on Ciao a part toward greater openness and sense of Public responsibility a Gates also promised More interviews with Cia officials greater responsiveness by the Agency to Media inquiries and expanded Agency contacts with colleges and universities. Speaking in Tulsa to the Oklahoma press association Gates said he recognized that his topic a Scia openness a was a seemingly contradictory figure of speech like a bureaucratic efficiency and a government  but he said he was determined to open up new lines of communication with the Public the Media the academic world and within the compartment de corridors of the Cia itself. The drive is part of a move to adapt the Cia and the St of the . Intelligence Community to a Post cold War world where the a a enemy will be More elusive and where Public support in a time of shrinking budgets could be crucial. However Gates made Clear Friday that there were still substantial limits to How open the Cia would be. In the Case of the Kennedy assassination for instance the Cia director maintained the Agency could not on its own release Many of its records because of a con Gressional hold imposed years ago by the House assassinations committee Ana other restrictions. The Cia has been contesting litigation filed under the Freedom of information act to open up its Juk files reportedly consisting of nearly 300,000 pages. Acting on recommendations of a special task Force on openness Gates also said senior Cia officials would be available for interviews and the Agency a office of Public affairs would provide More background briefings for the Media a was opportunities arise a according to a text of his remarks provided Gates Here. Additionally he said he was beefing up the Ciao so historical review unit to include 15 full time positions. It will be transferred to an Agency think tank called the Center for the study of intelligence a where there will be a Bias toward declassification of historical  ical review unit was set up in 1985 As part of Cal Security files Tieyon information act. M of $17 million air Force project probed Washington apr the air Force is investigating a $17 million renovation project at the services Pacific air forces Headquarters in Hawaii the service said Friday. The program at Hickham fab allegedly was broken up into a series of 29 smaller renovation projects in an attempt to circumvent Federal spending rules the air Force times has reported. Construction projects costing More than $1 million must be approved in Advance by Congress. The project was begun several years before Gen. Merrill a. Mcpeak the current air Force chief of staff took command of the Pacific air forces in july 1988. The general was kept informed of the restoration plan and its Progress the air Force said in a statement. A when an air Force audit questioned whether the projects were being conducted in accordance with applicable Laws and regulations general Mcpeak ordered work to Stop until those questions could be resolved Quot the statement said. The statement said the requirements for the work which involved such things As Asbestos removal and room redecoration and the Quality of the materials used a have never been in  a rather the review is focusing on the funding and approval process a it  could be fined for talking with reporters from wire reports Washington a the old saying that talk is cheap does no to apply at Sparta inc. The Lacuna Hills Calif., company has a policy of fining any employee caught talking to a reporter. And that even goes for the company president Wayne Winton. Or so he said anyway when a reporter called Friday to ask about the company a participation in an army research project. Quot we have a policy of not talking to reporters a Winton said a especially if they the projects Are  told that the project in question was not Classi i a i but. A i. Fied he replied Quot it does no to matter. We have a policy that anyone who talks to a reporter is fined $5,000, and its not Worth $5,000 to talk to  with that he Hung  hospitalized Rancho Mirage Calif. A Chrysler corp. Chairman Lee Iacocca was hospitalized Friday night after pulling a muscle in his Chest a Chrysler spokesman said. Steven j. Harris Chrysler a director of Public relations said in Detroit that Iacocca apparently bulled the muscle while exercising with Nis wife Larrien. A they Are going to keep him in the Hospital overnight for observation. They decided because he a in some discomfort to keep him. But he a laughing he a Fine a Harris said. Iacocca 67, and his wife were vacationing in Palm Springs Calif., Harris  Jackpot won in . Atlantic City . A Barbara Keil said she nearly fainted when she realized shed won a record $1.7 million on a 25-cent Slot machine. A i want to cry but in a too Happy a said Keil a 42-year-old Teller from Camden . The payoff topped the previous record for a 25-cent Slot machine a 1.2 million won last june in Las vegas according to International games technology which tracks jackpots. Keil put $4.50 in a Slot machine at Trump Plaza hotel and Casino. The machine is one of 445 linked in 12 Atlantic City casinos As part of a system designed to generate Large jackpots by drawing from a larger Pool of gamblers. Keil a Mother of two said she does no to plan to quit her Job. She said she wants to pay off her songs College Loans then buy a new car for herself and a new truck for her  Friend hangs it up fort Lauderdale Fla. A a woman who set up a 900 number dial a Friend is hanging it up after logging Only one Call in three months a and that came from a Man who wanted to know the operators measurements. A it makes you wonder is there a Normal person out there to begin with a said Lorain Blum who a expected people would be willing to pay $2.99 per minute for social service referrals and a Friendly listener. Bum spent $8,000 setting up the line and advertising on radio Cable television and in singles magazines. Dial a friends sole customer brought in $23.92, she said. Social service information is free from Broward county a Community service  steal prosecutor s car Newark . A a county prosecutors car was stolen around the Corner from a Church where he was speaking on the evils of automobile theft. Police said an 11-year-old boy was at the wheel of acting Essex county prosecutor James Mulvihill a 1988 Oldsmobile when it was discovered later wednesday night. The Driver led police on a Chase through North Bergen Union City and Jersey City before he rammed the car into two other cars and tried to flee police said. The 11-year-old and a 14-year-old companion were arrested Hudson county police it Michael Critelli said. The boys were charged As juveniles with receiving stolen property and eluding police. Mulvihill recently established a special Auto theft task Force. A a in a now a victim of crime and it does no to feel so Good a Mulvihill said