October 27, 1989

LEAD: Michael Shawn recently left the AIDS unit of Roosevelt Hospital, where he learned that along with everything else, he now had liver cancer. Still, this visit was easier than his last, 15 months ago. That time, he lost his dream job as choreographer for a Broadway show called ''Legs Diamond.''

LEAD: At a time when volatile swings and uncertainty on Wall Street have made it increasingly tough for American companies to raise money, the comparatively stable and strong Japanese stock market has been churning out record levels of fresh capital for Japanese corporations.

LEAD: The McDonald's Corporation and eight of the nation's largest plastics producers announced yesterday that they would set up a national program to recycle plastic hamburger containers and other packages. The $16 million program will begin in New England and will later be extended to four metropolitan areas in other sections of the country, participants said.

LEAD: The downturn in the United States automotive industry was clearly evident today as the Big Three auto makers posted third-quarter results that showed each had sharply lower profits from domestic car and truck sales.

LEAD: Secretary of State James A. Baker 3d prevented the delivery of a speech by the deputy national security adviser because he regarded the address as excessively pessimistic about President Mikhail S. Gorbachev's prospects for success, Administration officials said today.