European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Monday. January 24.1994 Pentagon to drop tests of aids vaccine Washington a the defense department will scuttle a $20 million clinical trial of an experimental aids vaccine that was pushed through Congress bythe drug manufacturer but opposed by Federal health officials the Washington Post reported. The paper said it obtained a letter from acting assistant defense Secretary Edward d. Martin to the Heads of the food and drug administration and the National institutes of health advising that the study would be dropped. Instead the paper reported sunday the Pentagon will Call for proposals to develop and test other aids treatments. Those proposals will be subject to traditional scientific peer review. It s a Victory for science and i Hope it will Lead to Victory Over aids health and human services Secre tary Donna a Shalala told the paper. As Long As we spend our Money in a strategic and rigorous Way Well get  the dropped study would have involved an experimental aids vaccine called Vax syn made by connect Cut based Micro genesys. The National institutes of health rejected efforts bythe company to conduct full scale tests of the drug also known As gp-160, in the late 1980s Ort the grounds that extensive tests were premature. But in 1992, the company hired former sen. Russell. Long d-la., to lobby for it and co regress subsequently bypassed Normal scientific channels and or dered the $20 million trial. The defense department because of its huge net work of medical facilities plays a major role in aids drug research including civilian trials. But choosing which drugs to test has been left traditionally to the health institutes in consultation with the Fra. The congressional mandate for the Vax syn test Drew criticism from aids researchers and activists. An Nih panel recommended that the trial include other drugs and the defense department agreed last april to broaden the study and have the health inst in the stars and stripes 10 years ago Jan. 24,1984 president Rea Gan said he would nominate presidential Counselor Edwin Meese Iii to succeed attorney general William French Smith who was resigning after presiding Over a major Justice department reorganization. 20 years ago Jan 24,19/4 president Nixon sent to Congress a wide ranging Energy message including a proposal to tax Oil companies Windfall profits at Home and Cut their depletion Al Lowance abroad. 30 years ago Jan. 24,1964 the Senate finance committee completed action on a massive $11.5 billion tax reduction program that would slash rates for virtually every taxpayer and Cor Poaton. 40 year Sago Jan. 24,1954 Russia s Vya Cheslav m. Molotov flew into Berlin in a snowstorm and immediately demanded a full voice for red China in the foreign ministers conference opening there. 50 year Sago Jan. 24,1944 the nazi rocket gun area of Calais France which was hit two Days earlier by the largest Force of Allied planes to stage a single Day raid was struck again by formations of . Maraud ers and Allied fighter bombers. World War ii 50 years ago today Jan. 24 Strong soviet tank forces attack German units trapped in the Korsun Sev Cenovsky pocket in the Ukraine the red army captures Pushkin and a Shovek on the Leningrad front. On Italy s Western front free French soldiers attack Monto Santa Croce and american troops try to Force a crossing of the rapid River North of Cassino. Source 2194 Days of War w. H. Smith publishers inc. The Wolf almanac of world War ii. Bison books corp. 1981 a a big shot a 10-Story mural by artist Mike Mcneilly is displayed at the foot of the Lincoln me Morial in Washington d.c., on saturday. The three panelled mural titled Stop the violence save the children depicts a child s face behind the barrel of a gun. Similar murals were displayed in los Angeles and new York. Crime ranked As top . Woe new York a concern Over crime and violence has become the nation s no. 1 worry supplanting uneasiness Over economic issues a new Yor times lbs news poll has found. Growing concern about crime assures that it will be a major Issue in this year selections the times said sunday. But the poll found americans divided Over whether republicans or democrats were Best Able to Deal with the crime problem. Nineteen percent of respondents said crime or violence is the single biggest problem facing the nation. Fifteen percent cited health care As the biggest problem 14 percent chose the state of the Economy 12 percent said unemployment or jobs 5 percent chose the deficit and 3 percent said drug abuse. Thirty one percent said democrats had an advantage in dealing with crime the same percentage As said republicans had the Edge. Poll respondents seemed to question president Clinton s priorities regarding health care and welfare Reform the times said. Forty three percent said the government should concentrate on healthcare first while 49 percent said welfare Reform. The nationwide Telephone poll of 1,146adults ran from Jan. 15 to 17 and had a margin of sampling error of plus of minus3 percentage Points. Two years ago the concerns of Ameri cans were found to be somewhat differ ent with worries Over the Economy at the forefront. In january 1992, 5.4 percent cited eco nomic issues As the nation s biggest prob Lem about double the percentage found this year. Meanwhile the number citing crime violence and guns was 2 percent while those naming health care accounted for 3 percent. Tubes conduct it. However after Micro genesys declined to donate its product the Way other drug makers do saying it needed to be reimbursed for an estimated$10 million in production costs the Nih trial was dropped and the Pentagon renewed its commitment Toa Vax syn Only trial. In november an amendment was added to the cur rent defense appropriations act that gave the defens department the health institutes and the Fra until april 5 to certify that the Vax syn Only trial hound proceed. The Heads of the Fra and the health institutes registered their opposition to the Vax syn trial in a Jan. 4 letter to Senate appropriations committee chairman Robert c. Byrd . The Post said that although the defense department has dropped plans for its trial of Vax syn the letter sent to health and human services officials on Friday said army researchers still believe the drug has potential and should be considered for further testing. By. Closes porn theater to Stem his by the new York times new York for the first time since it began a new enforcement Effort to slow the spread of the aids virus new York City s department of health shut an adult movie theater in Manhattan on saturday saying it had allowed risky sexual activities to take place. The closing of the theater the Adonis was the first since a state advisory panel last year urged the City to enforce existing state regulations that prohibit sexual activities with a High risk of transmitting the aids virus including anal Intercourse and fellatio. The closing announced saturday bythe City s health commissioner or. Mar Garet a. Hamburg also came a Day after those regulations first imposed by the new York state Public health Council in 1985, were expanded to include Vagina Intercourse. This is the first one we have move against said a department spokesman Steven j. Matthews. Inspections Are continuing at other  the spread of the aids epidemic in the 1980s, the City s health official shut at least seven businesses offering Anonymous sex often with numerous partners As threats to Public health. Many others closed on their own. In recent years however there has been a resurgence of commercial establishments where people meet for sex de spite the risks of transmitting the human immunodeficiency virus which causes aids. The businesses an estimated 50 in All from Heaters to clubs to bookstores v Cater to both homosexuals and heterosexuals and Are Legal. The department of health began crackdown last april to Force the Busi Nesses to take actions to prevent unsafe practices. Taking a conciliatory approach at first the department urged the Busi Nesses to take such Steps As distributing condoms providing adequate lighting and training monitors to supervise sexual activity. The state regulations however allow the City to seek a court order to close the businesses As Public health threats if they do not comply. Abortion opponents Pray outside White House Washington a on the 21stanniversary of the supreme court s Roe is. Wade decision about 200 abortion protesters Knelt outside the White House on saturday to Pray for president Clin ton his wife and top administration officials. We Pray that you will deliver our nation from this hand of tyranny. We Pray our god that you will invade this Man Sion intoned the Rev. Paul Schenck of Buffalo . Clinton and his family were spending the weekend at the presidential Retreat at amp David my. The protesters gathered in Lafayette Park across the Street from the White House. The prayer session was delayed while authorities investigated a suspicious package found on the White House Lawn. The package was found to be benign and police allowed the protesters to gather on the sidewalk in front of the Whitehouse. The abortion opponents complain that Linton s health care Reform package would cover abortion on demand