EVENTS
WHITE HOUSE REVEALS COST OF HEALTH PLAN The White House is telling congressional aides that its health-reform package will not only guarantee coverage for every American but reduce the federal deficit by more than $90 billion. The overall cost of guaranteeing coverage for all Americans is estimated to be $419 billion. To meet that goal, the White House plans to save $238 billion over four years by cutting Medicare and Medicaid a move that congressional Democrats may resist. Another $198 billion will be raised by reshuffling existing government expenditures. An additional $61 billion will come from making employers pay health premiums for Medicare beneficiaries. The remaining billions are to come from sin taxes, primarily on cigarettes, and projected cost savings from the reform. Fighting in Bosnia
Fighting on Zuc mountain north of Sarajevo left the city without electricity or running water yesterday, underscoring the fragility of vital utilities as winter approaches. In Washington, Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic met with President Clinton on Wednesday. Mr. Clinton urged the Bosnian to show flexibility in negotiations with Serbs and Croats and informed him not to expect too much help from the outside. Good economic news
American companies plan to increase investment spending on new plants and equipment by 7.1 percent this year, the best showing in four years, the government reported yesterday. That gain was paced by a huge 39.5 percent planned increase in investment by automakers. The survey confirmed other statistics that have shown business capital spending as one of the bright spots in the economy. Germany lowers rates
Germany's central bank yesterday cut both its main interest rates by 0.5 percentage points, finally yielding to pressure to ease monetary policy to help pull the global economy out of recession. The independent Bundesbank has held interest rates high due to enormous government borrowing to finance German unification. Because of the German rates, other countries have had to keep their interest rates high, which dampens economic growth. Vietnam POW debate
The Pentagon says a document purported to be from Soviet intelligence files indicates that North Vietnam in late 1970 or early 1971 was holding 367 more American prisoners of war than it publicly acknowledged. Vietnam yesterday flatly denied the report, suggesting it might be a fabrication. But Sen. Robert Smith (R) of New Hampshire said the report supports maintaining the US trade embargo against Hanoi. Brown in controversy
Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown, who has denied allegations that he accepted money from Vietnam for trying to help lift the US trade embargo against it, has hired a former federal prosecutor to represent him. A federal grand jury in Miami recently has investigated allegations that shortly before he became commerce secretary, Mr. Brown accepted $700,000 from the Vietnamese government. New space station plans
NASA has presented a new design for a pared-down space station to President Clinton that delays completion until the year 2003 and uses Russian Soyuz spacecraft as emergency return vehicles. The new plan also suggests using the Russian Salyut space tug for steering the station, instead of a US propulsion module. The end of the tune?
Broadway musicians voted this week on whether to authorize a strike against all nine musicals on Broadway. The union's contract with the League of American Theaters and Producers expires Sunday. Results of the vote weren't available at press time yesterday. Case not to be retried
Authorities in Boston said yesterday they will not seek a retrial of a Christian Science couple whose son died after they relied on spiritual healing to cure him of a what was later dianosed as a bowel obstruction. A manslaughter conviction against David and Ginger Twitchell was overturned Aug. 11 by the state high court.
