In other news . . .

August 24, 1996
Web posted at: 3:15 p.m. EDT

Hospital patients killed in Interstate crash

DURHAM, North Carolina (CNN) -- Six patients from a state-run mental hospital were killed Friday on Interstate 85 when a tractor-trailer collided with the van they were riding in.

Fifteen people were injured, four critically, in the rush- hour pile-up. Thirteen people were in the van from John Umstead Hospital in Butner, about 10 miles from the crash site. All six of the dead were passengers in the van. The driver of the tractor-trailer was uninjured.

Cuban exile group resumes air patrols

MIAMI (CNN) -- Brothers to the Rescue, a group of exiled Cubans, resumed air patrols Saturday between Florida and Cuba searching for rafters fleeing the island nation.

The group reinstituted its search and rescue flights six months from the day the Cuban military shot down two of their unarmed aircraft, killing four members of the organization. The Cubans claimed the planes had violated Cuban airspace. The incident touched off an international furor that resulted in new U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba.

Clinton protects benefits for legal immigrants

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Clinton issued orders Friday to Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and Attorney General Janet Reno to make sure a new welfare reform bill does not cut off benefits for legal immigrants.

Clinton said the order, and a second order written to speed up the citizenship process, were taken to remedy provisions of the welfare bill he signed Thursday.

Related site:

Immigration and Naturalization Service

ASCAP backs off campfire song royalty demands

INDIANAPOLIS (CNN) -- The American Camping Association said Friday that the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) was backing off its demand that camps pay royalty fees for songs like "Happy Birthday" and "God Bless America," traditionally sung around the campfire.

Bob Schultz, a spokesman for the camping association, said he had been told by ASCAP that the new rules were meant to apply only to for-profit camps that do large musical productions, and not to smaller, nonprofit camps.

Vegetarian bus driver's rights violated

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a determination this week in favor of a vegetarian bus driver who said he was fired for refusing a requirement to hand out free hamburger coupons.

Bruce Anderson claimed his civil rights were violated by the Orange County Transit Authority when he was dismissed in June over the incident.

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