71.   North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina have asked for federal assistance to help farmers recover drought losses.

72.   Of all the federal assistance programs, food stamps help the most diverse groups of people as long as they meet the economic eligibility test.

73.   Other federal assistance might help pay for worker retraining and provide low-interest loans for the restructuring of fishing businesses.

74.   Only one-fourth of working poor families receive any federal housing assistance.

75.   On Thursday, President Clinton declared North Carolina a disaster area, making it eligible for federal assistance like loans to farmers and emergency assistance for food and clothing.

76.   On Wednesday, Lawless sparked a high-level dispute when he rebuffed federal assistance in implementing crucial anti-terrorism measures at the airport, according to two federal sources.

77.   Overwhelmed by the dead and injured, the local authorities request federal assistance.

78.   Pataki, along with other state and local leaders, are attempting to scale back benefits in the face of expected cuts in federal assistance.

79.   People with a major illness and inadequate insurance coverage also would be eligible for federal assistance.

80.   Preliminary figures point toward a recommendation that Bush declare a disaster and open the way for federal assistance, Millwee said.