European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 16, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 5gephardt admits to 28 bad checks by the los Angeles times Washington a House majority Leader Richard a. Gephardt d-mo., has acknowledged that he wrote 28 overdrafts against his account at the House Bank. Gephardt said he subsequently assessed himself $614 in penalties which he sent to the Treasury. His announcement tuesday appeared timed to soften the Impact of the House ethics committees final release scheduled for today of a list showing which members of Congress wrote bad checks at the now defunct Bank. The list contains the names of More than 300 current and former House members who wrote one or More overdrafts in a 39-month period ending last october. An earlier release of names listed 22 current and former members As the worst  in All a total of 296 current and 59 former House members wrote at least one bad Check at the House Bank. In the stars and stripes10 years ago april 16,1982 a the United states and West Germany signed the $570 million Host nation support agreement that would More than double . Troop strength in Germany in time of crisis or War.20 years ago april 16,1972 . Air Force planes began dropping food and ammunition to weary defenders of an Loc South Vietnam and hundreds More South vietnamese paratrooper reinforcements were flown by helicopters to the Southern and Eastern edges of the contested provincial capital.30 years ago april 16,1962 a the . Consulate at puerto de la Cruz Venezuela was bombed killing one venezuelan employee. It was the second attack on . Diplomatic posts in Venezuela this year. The . Embassy was bombed in january.40 years ago april 16,1952 a five bandits robbed a Bullion truck of $73,000 Worth of Gold and Money in a Busy Paris commercial District 125 Yards from a police station while a crowd looked on thinking it was a movie publicity stunt. World War ii 50 years ago today april 161. 9.4.2 the japanese Navy lands 4,000 soldiers on Panay in the Central Philippines causing the 7,000 american and filipino defenders to Retreat from the coast to prepare for guerrilla operations in the mountainous Interior. In London King George i awards the George Cross to the people of Malta in recognition of their heroism in facing a terrible battering by Axis bombers although democrats outnumbered republicans on the list by a ratio of 6-to-1, the political fallout has affected prominent members of both parties. House minority whip Newt Gingrich r-ga., for example has acknowledged �?o20 or 30�?� overdrafts. He planned to give the exact figure at a news conference in his Atlanta area District today. Gephardt relying on a Bank report last fall for a one year period had said that he wrote Only three bad checks. But he said tuesday that the ethics panel had identified 28 checks from july 1988 to last oct. 3 that put his account into the red because of insufficient funds. A throughout the time i used the Bank i was never notified of an overdraft my account was balanced each month no checks bore markings that they were held for insufficient funds and my statements never showed either an overdraft or a negative balance a Gephardt said. He said that five of the overdrafts were caused entirely by Bank errors and 11 others occurred because he withdrew his paycheck a Day Early or miscalculated the amount of his paycheck due to changes in deductions. No explanation was Given for Gephardt a remaining overdrafts. Financial consultant Lee m. Donovan who audited Gephardt a account said that the worst example of a Bank error was a three Day delay in posting a $10,000 Deposit. The error caused Gephardt a account to be overdrawn by that amount for three Days in december 1988, Donovan said. Meanwhile rep. Bill Lowery r-calif., announced that he was withdrawing from his primary Battle against former gop colleague rep. Randy a a Duke Cunningham. Lowery has acknowledged writing 300 overdrafts Worth almost $104,000. Cunningham who has admitted to one overdraft has been airing radio ads on the Check Issue. Lowery is the 45th member of the House to quit this year approaching the record number of 49 voluntary departures set in 1978. Richard a. Gephardt Agni Reagan incident prompts review Washington a the secret service has started an internal investigation into How an anti nuclear protester managed to get so close to former president Reagan on a Las vegas stage. A we Are reviewing the whole incident a said Bill Burch a secret service spokesman. A we done to have an answer on How it  Burch said the service is talking with people who planned Reagan a speech monday to the National association of broadcasters and to people who were working during the incident. Reagan gets secret service Protection As do former presidents Ford and Carter. Richard Nixon gave up his Federal body a we Don t have an answer on How it happened Bill Burch of the secret service guards in 1985, saying it was no longer appropriate for taxpayers to Bear the Cost $3 million that year. On monday according to accounts people employed by a private Security service collected admission tickets to the Reagan appearance but left As soon As the audience was in the Hall. The protester identified As Richard Paul Springer 41, of Areata calif., walked unimpeded along the Side of the room and up to the stage. He appeared to walk toward the Back of the stage veered left and rushed toward Reagan smashing the Statuette the former president had just received. Only then did three Security agents come from each Side of the stage. One group hustled Reagan off while the others tackled Springer. A Federal magistrate in Las vegas released Springer on his own recognizance tuesday pending a preliminary hearing May 4 on a charge of threatening a former president. Campaign urges beefeaters to slice consumption by half source 2194 Days of War. W h. Smith publishers inc world almanac Book of world Var ii. Bison books co ltd10tj1 a from wire reports Washington a calling cattle the source of the a most unconscionable inequity in 20th-Century world economics environmental activist Jeremy Rifkin launched a Campaign tuesday to Cut american beef consumption by 50 percent. Flanked by representatives of six environmental groups Rifkin said Western beef consumption is responsible for depletion of the rain Forest and the Ozone layer third world urbanization topsoil erosion global warming poverty hunger economic injustice cruelty to animals cancer heart disease and monopolistic corporate practices. The eight year Campaign a beyond beef a will begin next month with mtg style commercials that Rifkin and his coalition will ask radio and television stations to air free. Some air time also will be bought. In addition the group said it will make Federal policy recommendations and file lawsuits. The ads urge Consumers to Cut their beef consumption by half in order to enhance their health and Aid the environment. Outside Rifkini a news conference the cattle Dairy and meatpacking industries launched a counterattack. Industry members called it the a beyond belief crusade and passed out hamburger buns with half a beef Patty to represent a the other half of the  a if Rifkin had his Way an important source of protein would be eliminated millions of acres of Grassland in this country would go without productive use untold numbers of americans would lose their jobs and tens of thousands of family Farmers would be wiped out a North Dakota gov. George a. Sinner said. Sinner was speaking for the food facts coalition which represents ranchers Dairy Farmers and meat processors. Over the past 10 years Rifkin has been involved in various campaigns to incite Public interest in the persian Gulf War Gene therapy the greenhouse effect experimental biological pesticides electromagnetic radiation surrogate parenting and various kinds of aids research. Rifkin said the impetus for his current Campaign was concern that the cattle Industry is causing widespread damage to the environment. Beef consumption contributes to global warming because thousands of acres of rain Forest Are being Cut Down in South America to Graze cattle he said. Rifkin said beef consumption in developed Western nations is using up Grain that would otherwise go to feed hungry people in the third world. According to Dennis Avery an economist with the Hudson Institute the United states and the european Community have a surplus of 200 million tons of Grain. The United states is diverting 60 million acres of cropland from production because of agricultural surpluses Avery said in a statement released by the food facts coalition a cattle Industry  decisions worry Black group by the Baltimore Sun Baltimore the Southern Christian leadership conference the Only major civil rights group to Back Justice Clarence Thomas nomination to the supreme court came out against him tuesday. The group said it was a profoundly disturbed by Thomas decisions since he joined the court five months ago after a bruising confirmation Battle. The vote on a Resolution criticizing Thomas was taken at a closed session of the conference Board. The Resolution criticized Thomas the courts Only Black member for his votes in three cases a a voting rights Case in which Thomas sided with the court majority in ruling that counties could shift duties from elected to appointed officials. Black elected officials said such a shift diluted the meaning of their election. A a prisoner rights Case in which the court said it was unconstitutional for prison guards to cause pain intentionally even if no serious injury to a prisoner resulted. Thomas dissented. A a death penalty Case in which the court barred prosecutors from using a convicted murderers racist views and membership in a White supremacist prison gang As reasons to justify a death sentence. Thomas was the Lone dissenter