CRIME BILL . . .REPUBLICANS TO DEMAND A BIG CUT

House Minority Whip Newt Gingrich is expected to demand tomorrow that Democrats strip between $2 billion and $4 billion from the proposed $33 billion crime bill, sources tell TIME Washington Correspondent Julie Johnson. But negotiators from the Democratic side hope to get enough votes simply by shifting $315 million currently slated for prevention programs into law enforcement, Johnson says. Meanwhile, President Clinton scored a few points today by convincing three members of the congressional black caucus to allow a full chamber vote on the crime bill. A vote should go down by the end of the week.