W-b Woman Jailed In Alleged Shouting Of Obscenities 
Debbie Thurston Was 
Previously Fined After Being 
Found Guilty Of Harassment And 
Disorderly Conduct

Abortion Protesters From Area Rallying

Friday, January 23, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 12B 





NATION &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 MICROSOFT, FEDS OK TEMPORARY PLAN : Seeking to avoid contempt of court
charges, Microsoft Corp. agreed Thursday to let computer makers temporarily
offer its latest version of Windows 95 without easy access to its Internet &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Explorer softwareBy entering into the settlement with the Justice
Department, Microsoft avoided the possibility of being hit with a $1
million-a-day fine by the court. The settlement represented only a temporary
victory for the Justice Department, as the broader dispute in its antitrust
case remains pending in court. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The government lawsuit, filed in October, seeks to prevent Microsoft from
requiring computer makers to preinstall Internet Explorer as a condition of
licensing Windows 95, the software that handles basic operations on personal
computers and enjoys more than an 80 percent share of the market. The
government contends Microsoft is using its near monopoly in Windows to muscle
into the Internet browser market, thereby damaging rival Netscape
Communications Corp. Browsers enable people to view and download information
from the Internet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Under the agreement, Microsoft agreed to let computer makers install
Windows 95 but delete the Internet Explorer icons- the pictures that launch a
program with a click of a computer mouse- from the computer's desktop or
opening screen. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That leaves the Internet Explorer program in the computer, but not visible
to the average user. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Computer makers will be able to delete the Internet Explorer files via the
"Add/Delete" program that comes with Windows 95. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 POST OFFICE WARNS OF JOB ADS: Those enticing ads that promise help in
landing a post office job are frauds, government officials warn. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No one can guarantee getting a post office job, few of which are actually
available in most areas anyway, said Mary S. Elcano, general counsel for the
Postal Service. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jodie Bernstein of the Federal Trade Commission said the two agencies are
launching a campaign to warn the public of deceptive ads for postal jobs. In
addition, she said, the post office and FTC have begun legal proceedings
against nearly a dozen companies. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In general, the ads state that thousands of high-paying postal jobs are
available and offer individuals study material to prepare for the postal exam.
Some promise refunds if the customer doesn't land the job. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 WATCHDOGS LAUD PLAIN-ENGLISH RULE: It will cost U.S. companies an estimated
$56 million, but securities regulators say their new requirement for plain
English in parts of mutual fund prospectuses and similar documents is vital to
improving investors' understanding. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In an effort to make traditionally complex financial documents easier to
comprehend, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted 4-0 Thursday to
require that key sections of them be written simply and clearly, without legal
or business jargon. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The market watchdog agency started developing the new rule several years
ago with the mutual fund industry. An estimated 63 million Americans now
invest in more than 6,725 mutual funds, which had combined assets of $4.4
trillion in November. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 STOCKS DROP ON PROFIT FEARS: Stocks pulled back again Thursday after big
names such as Microsoft and Sears Roebuck posted better-than-expected results
for the final quarter of 1997, but joined the list of companies expressing
concern about 1998 profits. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Dow Jones industrial average fell 63 points to 7,730, extending
Wednesday's 78-point slide. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Broader indicators also fell for the second consecutive session despite
some solid profit reports from General Electric, United Technologies and, late
Wednesday, Microsoft. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Microsoft rose as the most active Nasdaq issue after beating analyst
expectations with a 52 percent surge in profits for the final three months of
1997. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although the results were far more robust than those posted by IBM a day
earlier, the software bellwether of the computer industry echoed the hardware
bellwether with a warning about Asia, cautioning that the economic crisis
there may drag its revenues lower over the next six months. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 KEYSTONE FUNDS HAVE NEW LISTING: Several readers have called asking why the
Keystone family listings

Nation 
Microsoft, Feds Ok Temporary Plan : Seeking To Avoid Contempt Of Court 
Charges, Microsoft Corp. Agreed Thursday To Let Computer Makers Temporarily 
Offer Its Latest Version Of Windows 95 Without Easy Access To Its Internet 
Explorer Software.

Nation Microsoft, Feds Ok Temporary Plan : Seeking To Avoid Contempt Of Court Charges, Microsoft Corp. Agreed Thursday To Let Computer Makers Temporarily Offer Its Latest Version Of Windows 95 Without Easy Access To Its Internet Explorer Software.