Key Witness in Army Sex Hearing

A key witness testified Friday in a preliminary hearing to determine whether the Army's highest-ranking enlisted soldier will be court-martialed. Brenda Hoster, the first woman to accuse Sgt. Maj. of the Army Gene McKinney of sexual harassment, took the stand today. The retired sergeant major said McKinney propositioned her while they were on a business trip in Hawaii. Hoster said McKinney came to her hotel room, kissed her, lifted her off her feet and at one point said, "I could take you right here, right now." Hoster said she understood that to mean he could have had her sexually. McKinney has denied all charges.

Progress Reported on Budget

Congressional Republicans Friday tentatively agreed to a White House demand to restore federal disability benefits to legal immigrants, as the two sides moved closer to a deal on balanced-budget legislation. Republican leaders and the White House negotiated throughout the day, trying to work out a final deal on spending and tax legislation needed to implement a five-year balanced-budget deal. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici said only about six or seven spending items remained open, and that the two sides hoped to finish work Friday night. The outlook for the tax bill is less clear.

Witness Discusses Barbour Account

A prominent Utah Republican testified Friday that Haley Barbour, the former head of the Republican National Committee, sought a $2.1 million loan from a Hong Kong businessman in 1994 to help finance a final push to claim a Republican majority in Congress. The sworn statements of Richard Richards before the Senate panel investigating how foreign money flowed to U.S. political parties contradicted earlier testimony from Barbour. Richards said Barbour asked him to solicit the loan in a complicated arrangement involving a Republican think tank. Democratic committee members have tried to show that the party used most of the money for a dozen state campaigns to help it win control of Congress for the first time in 40 years.

Clinton Wins Education Support

President Clinton won support Friday from 15 of the nation's school districts for his call for voluntary performance tests for math and reading. He also chided most states for not joining them. Clinton has made upgrading the quality of education across the United States a key goal of his second term and has pushed for national standards and testing for elementary school children. "For too long we have been unwilling to insist upon that as a nation, perhaps for fear that some of our children could not reach those standards," Clinton said.

Senate OKs Climate Resolution

The Senate unanimously warned the Clinton administration Friday not to accept a global warming treaty that harms the U.S. economy. The measure also said the United States should reject any treaty that does not require developing countries to limit their heat-trapping pollution in the same timeframe as industrialized countries must do. The non-binding resolution passed 95-0. While the resolution does not have the force of law, it gives a sense of the Senate's position. The Senate must ratify any global warming treaty the United States joins.

Justice Brennan to Lie in State

Funeral services have been set for next week for retired Supreme Court Justice William Brennan. Brennan's body will lie in state in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court building on Monday for public viewing, according to the court. A Supreme Court spokeswoman said the funeral will be held Tuesday at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, D.C., with burial afterwards at Arlington National Cemetery in nearby Virginia. The 91-year-old Brennan, who had been in failing health, died yesterday after a long illness.

FBI Still After 'Most Wanted'

The suicide of an accused multiple killer wanted for murdering fashion designer Gianni Versace took one fugitive off the FBI's 10 most-wanted list, but still leaves a number of career criminals and alleged terrorists. FBI officials said Andrew Cunanan's death underscored the success of the program, which was created in 1950 as a publicity device by the legendary FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. There are now eight fugitives on the list. Officials say Cunanan was the 422nd person captured or located out of 449 fugitives who have been placed on the list.

US, Cambodia Discuss Future

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made clear Friday Washington disapproved of Cambodian strongman Hun Sen's grab for power, but sought to work with him rather than try to isolate or oust him. After Hun Sen's July 6 coup against royalist co-premier Prince Norodom Ranariddh, the United States suspended all aid to Cambodia for 30 days until the beginning of August while it examined the situation. On Friday, Albright stressed the goal of returning Cambodia to "normalcy" and a democratic path by preparations for new internationally monitored elections next spring, allowing opposition parties to function and permitting Ranariddh and other members of his royalist party to return from exile.

African-American Summit Ends

An African-American summit at which U.S. companies pledged to invest billions of dollars in the world's poorest continent had an emotional ending Friday. The charismatic Rev. Leon Sullivan, the driving force behind the summit, delivered a fevered speech calling on black Americans to help Africa. "This is a great day in African history, we are united again! This is a call for African-Americans to wake up and help your homeland as the Poles help Poland, the Irish help Ireland and the Jews help Israel," he cried. Amid the fervor, African leaders kept up the pressure for U.S. trade and investment to overtake aid to the continent.

US House Passes Energy Bill

The House of Representatives Friday passed a $20 billion bill for a variety of next year's programs for cleanup and management of nuclear waste and weapons, and energy and water programs. The bill, passed 418-7, shifts more resources to water infrastructure projects from energy and nuclear programs. The White House says it opposes a number of provisions in the bill. Most of the bill -- $15.3 billion -- is for the Energy Department, which a number of Republicans contend is a largely useless bureaucracy that should be eliminated.

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