Around the Nation

Gingrich to pay fine with Dole loan

Gingrich told a rapt audience in the House chamber he had a "moral obligation" to make the payment from personal funds. Anything else, including establishment of a legal defense fund, he said, "would simply be seen as one more politician shirking his duty and one more example of failing to do the right thing."

With his wife, Marianne, looking down from her seat in the visitors' gallery, Gingrich took responsibility for his case, and said, "To the degree I have made mistakes, they have been errors of implementation but never of intent."

Documents released by the speaker's office said the loan was for a term of eight years, with simple interest at an annual rate of 10 percent. J. Randolph Evans, Gingrich's attorney, said no payment is required until the loan is due in 2005. Gingrich, no longer eligible to be speaker by then, could well be out of Congress and able to earn substantial money as a private citizen.

Senior Democrats immediately said they would seek a thorough review of the proposed transaction by the ethics committee.

Officials said Dole, the losing GOP candidate in last fall's presidential campaign, offered to lend the money to Gingrich two or three weeks ago.

White House holds panel on children

In an unusual conference convening a range of scientists and child-development specialists from around the country, the panelists called for higher quality day care, parenting education and expanded health coverage for children, much of which is supported by President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"We know what works," said Hillary Clinton, who hosted the all-day affair. "We have to intervene with overstressed parents. But we don't have any systematic way to do it."

The conference, carried by satellite to nearly 100 sites across the country, was meant to highlight a growing body of research that points to the rapid period of brain development in children from birth to age 3.

Until a few years ago, infants were commonly viewed as passive creatures largely unaware and unaffected by their surroundings.

Jumbo jets have close encounter

On approach Wednesday afternoon, flying about 10 miles east of Los Angeles International Airport over the densely populated residential and industrial area below, a Dutch KLM Boeing 747 was forced to make a sudden turn to avoid a Brazilian VASP MD-11, authorities said.

04-18-97