May 16, 1993

In another sign of how hard it is to create jobs, American manufacturers are paying record amounts of overtime and factory workers are putting in more extra hours than ever before. By relying on so much overtime, companies have avoided hiring and jobs in manufacturing have continued to disappear. For decades, overtime encouraged hiring. Companies found it cheaper to hire a new worker rather than assign more hours to existing employees, who have to be paid a 50 percent premium for the extra work.

When David Volek scored at 5 minutes 16 seconds of overtime Friday night to give the Islanders a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, he concluded a remarkable upset for a team that had been lightly regarded and only marginally successful during the National Hockey League's regular season. The goal brought happy tears to Volek's eyes, dropped a stunned hush over the 16,164 fans at the Civic Arena and turned the Stanley Cup playoffs into an unpredictable sprint to the finish for the four remaining teams.

For nearly two hours on March 12, explosions thundered through this city, sending pillars of black smoke skyward. First the stock exchange was jarred by a blast that collapsed walls and ceilings. Then the central office of Air India shuddered under the force of a blast. And then, through the city, more bombs, more columns of thick, sooty smoke. By the time the explosions ended, more than 250 people had died.

HAMPTONS beachgoers can expect more than the usual trendy changes in beachwear and hot spots this year. Since last summer some shorelines have shifted dramatically, some beaches will be even more difficult to reach, and in other places new rules govern behavior on the sand. Peter's Pond, the last free beach in the Town of Southampton, has been closed to nonstickered vehicles, and officials are reviewing a proposal to ban dogs from all East Hampton town beaches. After a noisy and contentious meeting last month at which scores of residents objected to the proposal, the Town Board extended the period for public comment. The board meets, on Friday, when additional discussion is expected.

LIFE'S DOMINION An Argument About Abortion, Euthanasia, and Individual Freedom. By Ronald Dworkin. 273 pp. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. $23.