ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 27, 1996 TAG: 9610250036
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: COX NEWS SERVICE
Q: Archer Daniels Midland Co. was forced to pay a $100 million fine for price fixing. Where does that money go? Will the company simply write a check to the government? What is the deadline for payment?
A: It goes into the U.S. Treasury, said Justice Department spokeswoman Gena Talamona. Normally large amounts such as this are paid via wire transfer, she said. The full amount is due within 90 days of sentencing.
Q: News reports about Hurricane Lili hitting Cuba mentioned the Isle of Youth. What is that? Is it populated? What country does it belong to?
A: The Isla de la Juventud is the largest of 1,600 islands surrounding the Cuban mainland. It once was called Isla de Pinos (Isle of Pines). About 40 miles off Cuba's southwest coast, it has an area of 1,180 square miles and a population of 71,000. It's a municipality responsible to the central government of Cuba.
Q: Where does Israel get its oil?
A: Before the 1979 peace treaty that ceded the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, Israel utilized the oil fields there. Although there still are a few oil wells in Israel, the majority of the country's oil is purchased on the open market in Amsterdam, Netherlands, according to the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. This means it could have come from a number of countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Russia and the United States.
Q: I've heard that eating some foods can make a person test positive for marijuana on drug tests. What are these foods?
A: The only documented link between positive drug tests and ingested foods doesn't involve marijuana. But the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information says poppy seeds, commonly used on bagels and other baked goods, frequently do contain sufficient amounts of morphine to produce detectable concentrations of morphine in urine - even though the amount of ingested morphine is insufficient to cause any behavioral effect on the individual. If urine analysis shows 6- monoacetylmorphine, it would distinguish true heroin use from the poppy seed effect, because the heroin metabolite could not have come from poppy seeds, the agency said. Ibuprofen has been found to cause apparent false positives for the marijuana metabolite, but further screening can specifically identify the illicit drug, the agency added.
Q: If an American wins a Nobel Prize, is the money considered taxable income?
A: The prize money one receives from a Pulitzer, Nobel and other awards is not considered taxable income only if the recipient meets all three of the following qualifications: (1) the winner was selected without any action on his or her part to enter the contest or proceeding; (2) the winner is not required to perform any substantial future services as a condition of receiving the prize; (3) the prize/award is transferred directly to a government unit or tax-exempt charitable organization (Red Cross, for example) designated by the winner. But recipients generally keep the money, so taxes usually are paid.
Q: I understand that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was born in the United States. When did he give up his U.S. citizenship?
A: He wasn't born in the United States. But he does have U.S. connections, which may explain your confusion. He earned two degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked in consulting and management positions in industry in the United States (and in Israel) before entering public life in Israel. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1949. He served as a soldier and officer in an elite unit of the Israel defense forces from 1967 to 1972. He was elected to the leadership of Israel's Likud Party in 1993, and became prime minister after the elections in May.
Q: A recent Parade magazine featured a 1997 calendar about fat intake. How can I purchase one?
A: Call 800-967-3713 to order by mail. The 1997 Illustrated Calendar of Fat, featuring photos comparing items that have the same amounts of fat (such as two french fries from a fast-food shop equaling the fat in two whole baked potatoes), costs $11.95 plus $4 postage. The calendar is the brainchild of photographer John Flaherty of Waltham, Mass.
Q: What is the longest field goal in National Football League history?
A: The longest field goal in the NFL was 63 yards, kicked by Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints (vs. Detroit Lions) on Nov. 8, 1970. The 53-yard field goal Oct. 14 by Chris Jacke of the Packers (vs. San Francisco) was the longest overtime field goal in NFL history.
Q: Why does diesel fuel always cost more than regular unleaded gas? I thought diesel fuel required less processing.
A: The refining process has nothing to do with the price of diesel fuel, says the American Petroleum Institute. It comes down to taxes. The federal tax is 18.3 cents a gallon on regular fuel and 24.3 cents a gallon on diesel. Because diesel fuel and heating oil are the same product, pricing tends to be more seasonal than for regular fuel, rising in the winter because of supply and demand.
Q: I've encountered a number of business establishments that won't accept $50 bills, which are legal tender for all debt public and private. Is it legal for them to do so?
A: Yes. No law requires a business - even a bank - to accept or exchange currency. They are free to set any policy they choose.
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