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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 2000)
HomeCentral" Stop by the Sears Service Center for: Reconditioned Stereo’s, TV’s, VCR’s, DVD Players & Tools - All reconditioned items have same warranty as new! Great prices on new dorm refrigerators, microwaves & vacuum cleaners. BRING THIS AD IN FOR s 5 OFF ANY PURCHASE OF S I0 OR MORE! Expires: October 26, 2000 1500 Holleman Dr., East • 764-0311 Missing that good home cooking? ^> /e 6 tycAr s / 10% Discount for A&M students after 4:00 pm LuliyQs 4401 S. Texas Ave. in Bryan Try our new Call: (979) 846-3729 Fax: (979) 846-4338 This offer available at the S. Texas Ave. location only. The Aggie Men's Club at Texas A&M University was created to promote Christian fellowship and brotherhood while upholding and perpetuating Aggie traditions. If you are interested in the Aggie Men's Club, we invite you to attend our selections parties at the following locations: AUG. 31 SEPT. 2 SEPT. 3 SEPT* 15 THURSDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY TUESDAY 6 TO 10 PM 5 TO S PM T TO 10 PM 7 TO 10 PM CLAYTON dci: dRjL THE RUDDER WILLIAMS, JR CREEK KYLE EXHIBIT ALUMNI CTR. PARK HOUSE HALL COAT & TIE CASUAL INICE DRESS NICE DRESS For more Information plea»e contact Kyto SetlHf - Selections Chairman at 847-3602 tvww .aggiamenscliib.com "A« iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" - - Proverbs 27:17 Page 8A NATION Wednesday, AugusJ THE BATTALION Handheld computers hit with first intentional virus, ‘Crack 1.1 WASHINGTON (AP) — Antivirus experts are warning consumers about the first intentionally de structive program for Palm handheld computers: it appears as an update to a Palm program, but instead deletes all programs on the device. The author of the program says he did not mean for it to go public and that he is helping antivirus companies detect it. The program, a type known as a Trojan horse, has* been dubbed “Palm.Liberty.A.” Liberty is a popular Palm program, made by Gambit Studios, that lets users download and play games made for the Nintendo GameBoy handheld computer. Liberty is distributed as a “shareware” program, meaning that users are expected to try the program out and, if they like it, pay for a full-featured version. But as with many shareware programs, hackers have developed “crack” downloads that allow software pirates to use the full version without payment. Palm.Liberty.A is being distributed under the name “Crack 1.1” through Internet Relay Chat, a network of chatting channels. When run, it deletes all the programs on the user's Palm device, though it leaves the address book data, calendar and other databases intact. Antivirus companies said they have not received tiny infection reports. But it is fairly easy for a hack er to modify the program and re-release it in a more dangerous form, similar to the many versions of the “Love Bug” virus that have come out since the first outbreak. “It will definitely get attention,” said Vincent Weafer, director of Symantec Corp.’s Anti-Virus Research Center in Cupertino, Calif. “I believe we’ve opened a Pandora’s box on some handheld devices.” // 7 believe we've opened a Pandora's box on some handheld devices." — Vincent Weafer Director of Symantec Corp/s Anti-Virus Research Center Palm.Liberty.A affects Palm handheld comput ers and the Handspring Visor computers, which use the same operating system. It can be downloaded from a desktop computer or transmitted through the device’s infrared communications port. Several virus companies offer software that detect: moves the program. The person who wrote the program was a of the developers of Liberty. “The whole purpose of my research wi vestigate anti-cracking, and assist develops cracking,” said Aaron Ardiri, a Swedish developer who also teaches at the Univa Gavle in Sweden. “It is nothing about beiiii! cious to the hacker.” Ardiri said he created the program iok unwanted programs without harming ausen and he gave an early version to several: friends. He said he decided not to releaseihi it might cause harm, but he said a friendpoi on an Internet Relay Chat channel knowledge. Now it has found its way to Websites.M given a program to antivirus companiesi tects Palm.Liberty.A and has tried othernif; head off an outbreak since it was release; Thursday evening. "They’re still distributing the file, get them to stop it, “ he said. “I’m tryingt everything to stop this thing.” "I don’tk» to do. I’ve come to a dead end. fmjust the dust to settle.” Supreme Court bans medicinal marijuana WASHINGTON (AP) — On Tuesday the Supreme Court barred distribution of marijuana to people in California whose doctors recom mend it for medicinal purposes. The court, voting 7-1 to grant an emergency Clinton administration request, postponed the effect of fed eral court rulings that would have al lowed a California club to distribute the illegal drug for medicinal use. Government lawyers had sought emergency help from Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who referred the re quest to the full court. Only Justice John Paul Stevens dissented. He said the government “has failed to demonstrate that the denial of necessary medicine to se riously ill and dying patients will advance the public interest or that the failure to enjoin the distribution of such medicine will impair the or derly enforcement of federal crimi nal statutes.” Justice Stephen G. Breyer dis qualified himself from the case. His brother, Charles, a federal trial judge in San Francisco, previously had barred distribution of marijuana only to have his decision reversed by a federal appeals court. The highest court’s action, which came in a brief order, was the latest development in a conflict between federal narcotics laws and a 1996 Cal ifornia voters’ initiative known as Proposition 215. The state initiative allows seri ously ill patients to grow and use marijuana for pain relief, with a doc tor’s recommendation, without state penalties. But federal law says mar ijuana has no medical purposes and cannot be administered safely under medical supervision. Initiatives similar to California’s have been passed in Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state. In the California case, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that “medical necessity” is a “legal ly cognizable defense” to a charge of distributing drugs in violation of a federal law, the Controlled Sub stances Act. Because of that ruling, Judge Charles Breyer said the Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Cooperative could provide marijuana to people facing imminent harm from serious medical conditions and for whom legal alter natives to marijuana do not work or cause intolerable side effects. Justice Department lawyers called the 9th Circuit court’s “unprecedent ed ruling” a dangerous one because it created “incentives for drug manu facturers and distributors to invoke the asserted needs of others as a jus tification for their drug trafficking.” The government’s emergency re quest said allowing such distribution of marijuana would “promote disre spect and disregard for an act of Congress that is central to combat ing illicit drug trafficking and use by giving a judicial stamp of approval to the open and notorious distribu-' tion of (illegal) substances to poten tially thousands of users without any of the strict, controls required” by federal law. In response, lawyers for the mar ijuana club argued that the govern ment’s emergency request be reject ed. “The government has provided no evidence that states ... that have passed medical cannabis laws have any difficulty prosecuting violations of their drug statutes,” they said. LAPD scandal victim get approval for suit LOS ANGELES (AP) — Vic tims of the Los Angeles police cor ruption scandal can sue under the federal racketeering law originally aimed at the mob, a judge ruled in a decision that could cost the city hun dreds of millions of dollars. U.S. District Judge William J. Rea issued his ruling Monday in a civil rights lawsuit filed July 3 on behalf of Louie Guerrero, 36, who alleges that officers grabbed, choked, kicked and punched him, then arrested him on trumped-up charges in 1997. The ruling allows Guerrero to re file the lawsuit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organiza tions Act (RICO), the 1970 law aimed at busting “criminal enter prises” such as the Mafia. RICO al lows plaintiffs to receive triple dam ages and extends the statute of limitations to 10 years after a crime is committed. This could become the first case in which a police department has been held responsible under RICO, said Erwin Chemerinsky, a Uni versity of Southern California law professor. “1 think it’s insanity,” Police Commissioner Herbert Boeckman said of the ruling. Officers assigned to the police department’s Rampart division have been accused of lying, planting evi dence and covering up shootings. More than 100 convictions have been overturned since September, and five officers have been charged with crimes ranging from planting weapons to attempted murder. The city expects up to 275 lawsuits as a result of the burgeoning scandal. • The judge in the Guerrero case has yet to rule on whetheritcanfi ceed as a class-action on beta! all those who were abused by police. No trial date has beensd The case was brought by toy Stephen Yagman, a longtime!! of the LAPD who has filed si lawsuits against the department “This will show whatlwass ing all along was correct: LAPD is a criminal enterpif Yagman said. “WhenI.saidi the past, it was dismissed as tiei ings of a lunatic.” RICO was designed by Cons to crack down on organized cl drug dealers and smugglers, sequent decades it has bee against street gangs, HMOs, co companies, law firms and is ical practices. In the 1990s, the nization of Women and two ah clinics used RICO to win mil dollars in damages from the abortion group Operation Reset With the lawsuit against LAPD, “it’s pushing the statute! limits and it’s ratcheting up stakes,” said Loyola University professor Laurie Levenson Yagman said he and co- Brian Lysaght invoked RICO"' a one-year time limit appeared' running out on some of the la" involving alleged victims of misconduct. A RICO lawsuit also lead to federal oversight department. Technically, the lawsuit against the LAPD but against city ficidls and current and fomterto chiefs. The lead defendant isfo Police Chief Daryl F. 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EAST AND WEST txhibilion organized by Katherine Carter 0 A&socialca August 28 - Octoberll, 2000 MSC Visual Arts Gallery (located on the second floor of the MSC) As always, our exhibit is free of charge. Come see us at Open House! For assistance, please call 845-9251. LEARN TO FLY NOW At United Flight Systems THE EXPERIENCED FLIGHT SCHOOL AVIATION CAREER TRACKS II i While working on your college degree, accomplish your pilot’s certificates at the same time Upon finishing your college career, you can secure a job as an airline pilot. Get Your Pilot License for as little as $ 50 a month!! Cessna College Station Easterwood Airport 409 260-6322 www.unitedflight.com
