Across the Nation

U.S. trade deficit reaches record $34.3 B

WASHINGTON - The U.S. trade deficit ballooned to a record $34.3 billion in September as America's already huge foreign oil bill got bigger and helped push imports to an all-time high. The deficit with China climbed to $8.7 billion, the largest ever recorded with any country.

September's trade gap was up a sharp 15 percent from an August imbalance of $29.8 billion, the Commerce Department reported yesterday, well above economists' expectations for a more modest deterioration to around $31 billion.

Exports slipped from their previous month's record as shipments of U.S. cars and auto parts dropped sharply and various other exporters from farmers to computer manufacturers suffered setbacks.

Among other negatives affecting the deficit, which covers trade in both goods and services, was payment of nearly $700 million by NBC for broadcast rights to the Olympic Games in Australia.

The Clinton administration insisted the big jump in the deficit did not signal economic weakness and predicted that improving economies overseas will make future months look better.

"While the deficit is too high, it does not reflect problems with the underlying domestic economy," Commerce Undersecretary Robert Shapiro told reporters at a briefing on the trade figures.

Governor commutes death sentence

RALEIGH, N.C. - Gov. Jim Hunt commuted a convicted killer's death sentence to life in prison without parole yesterday, hours before he was to be executed.

Hunt said he had questions about whether the condemned man - who represented himself - got a fair trial.

It was the second time in his 16 years as governor that Hunt, a Democrat, commuted a death sentence.

Marcus Carter was scheduled to die by injection at 2 a.m. Wednesday for the 1989 slaying and attempted rape of Amelia Lewis, who was beaten to death with a brick and left in an alley.

Carter's mother and two daughters were visiting him in prison when defense attorney Mark Edwards told him his sentence had been commuted.

"I think he was stunned like I was," Edwards said. "He looked at me at first in disbelief. Eventually, it started sinking in. His knees got sort of weak and he had to sit in a chair and let it sink in."

In a handwritten statement, Carter said: "I do appreciate the people of faith, my family and lawyers for the support during such troubling times in my life. I also would like to thank the governor for the consideration that has been placed on my life. God bless everybody."

Zoo gets import permit for pandas

WASHINGTON - The National Zoo received an import permit yesterday from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to bring two giant pandas into the United States from China, replacing two other pandas from China that died.

The pandas are to arrive Dec. 6 after a 17-hour flight on an MD-11 jet from Chengdu, China to Washington Dulles International Airport.

"The arrival of the pandas here marks the beginning of a new effort on the part of the National Zoo via collaboration with several other organizations to help conserve the wild giant panda," said Lucy Spelman, the zoo's director and chief veterinarian.