A New Year. A lot of changes. Most American parents will pay less in taxes in 1998. Social security payments will rise. The biggest changes in medicare in more than 30 years take effect today.
Smoking is banned in California bars.
New security arrangements are in place at U.S. airports. Those are just some of the changes that greeted the nation as 1998 dawned. But there are more. The approval process for new medical drugs will be faster. Tax Breaks Coming Probably the most important news of the day for many American families is that a new series of tax laws may ease their burden in 1998.