Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site pur-phy.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!harpo!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!CS-Mordred!Pucc-H:pur-phy!piner From: piner@pur-phy.UUCP (Richard Piner) Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: APS "What's New" Message-ID: <1839@pur-phy.UUCP> Date: Sat, 10-Aug-85 01:16:02 EDT Article-I.D.: pur-phy.1839 Posted: Sat Aug 10 01:16:02 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 06:30:52 EDT Distribution: net Organization: Purdue Univ. Physics Dept., IN Lines: 61 Posted: Fri Aug 9, 1985 3:21 PM EDT Msg: SGIF-2048-8200 From: RPARK To: WHATSNEW CC: RPark Subj: What's new WHAT'S NEW, Friday, August 9, 1985 Washington, D.C. 1. UNIVERSITIES RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, INC., which manages Fermilab and R&D and conceptual design for the SSC, has announced the resignation of Guy Stever as president. URI is a consortium of 56 US and Canadian universities engaged in high energy physics. Stever, a former director of the National Science Foundation, will be replaced by another former director, Ed Knapp. 2. CONGRESS IS IN RECESS until September 4 in their annual exodus to avoid Washington's notorious August weather. Washington doesn't quite come to a stop in their absence, but it certainly slows down. There are, however, plenty of unresolved issues for Congress to take up when it returns. 3. A PERMANENT EXCLUSION OF EMPLOYER-PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE from gross income would be provided by bills now before the Senate (S. 558) and House (H.R. 1356). Such an exemption is currently provided by Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code which will soon expire without Congressional action. A permanent exclusion is included in the President's proposed tax reform plan in keeping with the recommendation of the President's Commission on Industrial Competitiveness "that our tax code not further bias employers against funding employee training." Such an exclusion is regarded by many as essential in the rapidly changing environment of high technology industry. 4. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HOLDING SECURITY CLEARANCES is to be reduced by 10% as a result of the recent spy scandals. This will affect about 130,000 defense contractor employees and is expected to result in a sizable number of layoffs. It is also expected to result in an expanded use of the polygraph in the screening of applicants for jobs on classified projects. Those favoring expanded use of the polygraph appeared to be supported by reports that the CIA employee charged recently with disclosing the names of CIA informants in Ghana was investigated after she failed a routine polygraph examination. In fact, Representative Don Edwards (D-CA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights, notes that the CIA station chief in Ghana ordered the employee to terminiate her relationship with a Ghanaian more than a year before the test was administered. It has been argued that the successes claimed for the polygraph usually occur when the examiner has independent knowledge of evasion. Robert L. Park American Physical Society THAT'S ALL 8/9/85