November 25, 1991

The Jets' November schedule featured four teams with losing records. It dangled the promise of playoffs before the Jets if they could keep from tripping over their growing estimations of themselves and keep from sinking to the level of their competition. After two needlessly close victories sandwiched around an embarrassing loss to Indianapolis, it wasn't until this afternoon that the Jets finally did what they were supposed to do to the weaklings that littered their schedule this month. They crushed an inferior team early and refused to let it up off the mat to make it close in the end.

Mayor David N. Dinkins returned to New York City from South Africa last week buoyed and emboldened by the homecoming to the continent of his heritage, but also deeply embittered. He blamed the press for singling him out for unnecessarily negative coverage. Mr. Dinkins typically speaks softly but sometimes seems to carry a big chip on his shoulder. Since his trip, he has pumped up the volume and more than once has given voice to deep resentment that he usually suffers in silence.

The Economy Federal regulators are moving more slowly in seizing banks because of the depletion of the deposit insurance fund, and the premiums that banks pay to support that fund are likely to rise sharply next year, the new chairman of the F.D.I.C. said. Both comments reflect a sharp departure from previous remarks by top regulators, and each bodes ill for the public purse. [ Page A1. ]

In what has become an annual ritual, I.B.M. is preparing another overhaul of its operations, again ushering out a stream of employees and trying to free areas of potential high growth, like personal computers, from the smothering effect of more venerable lines of business like large systems. The struggling computer maker might also take another large charge against earnings in the fourth quarter, industry executives say.

Japan will start to import plutonium next year in lightly defended sea convoys, which some fear may become an irresistible target for terrorists who want to make atomic bombs. Article, page D8.