CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Internet hacker attacks, soaring oil prices, and the troubled peace process in Northern Ireland are among the likely topics when President Clinton meets with reporters this afternoon. CNN's Major Garrett is at the White House and he has a preview today.</s>MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Yes, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time this afternoon, the president will meet with reporters in the East room, and of course CNN will carry the broadcast live. It's the first formal press conference of the century, and what -- at the top of it, the president is expected to outline a report he has recently received from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. That report studies gun violence that affects the 2.6 million residents of U.S. public housing projects. The report has some good news: Violence is down, but it still shows that residents of federal housing projects are twice as likely to be subjected to violence that other parts -- than other residents of the country. Now, the president has this press conference this afternoon, but it's the first -- it's not the first time he's been taking questions from reporters. He's actually been making himself for -- making himself available, rather, for several interviews with groups of reporters, also the interactive, live interview he did with CNN earlier this week. When asked yesterday why the president's making himself so available to the press, White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart joked that it was a bout of temporary insanity. On a more serious note, Carol, the president is likely to take questions on the deteriorating peace process in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, a major push by the administration to win approval of China's ascension to WTO, and other domestic issues. Major Garrett, reporting live from the White House for</s>CNN. LIN: A busy day there. The president's news conference is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 Pacific. And of course CNN will carry it live.
President Clinton Expected to Address Internet Security, Oil Prices, Northern Ireland Peace in First Formal Press Conference of Century