June 25, 1995

Congressional auditors say that a Federal program that distributes free vaccine to millions of children was misconceived and mismanaged, and in view of those findings Republican members of Congress say they intend to dismantle it. Even Congressional Democrats say the program known as Vaccines for Children -- which had its share of skeptics when it was unveiled in 1993 -- must be radically changed or it will not survive.

IF you have money to invest -- or even if you do not -- you may have noticed an amazing new fact of American life: Hardly anybody wants to do anything so, well, crass as selling you investments anymore. Instead, practically everybody, from Wall Street stockbrokers to the retired teacher down the street, wants to be your "trusted financial adviser." And they are not volunteering to do it for free.

IN the years when the Soviets first discovered hockey, a conductor on the Trans-Siberian Express confronted an American passenger. "Tell me about your hockey teams," the conductor said. "Basta Broons. Chcaga Blikhaks. Tronta Miplelifs. Mintrl Cinidins."

THE skyscraper was born and raised, and raised some more, in the United States, defining the nation's proudest cities, enshrining its largest corporations and giving airline pilots the willies. But just as skyscrapers are leveling off here, they are reaching their gawky maturity in the Far East. Of the world's 10 tallest buildings finished in the 1990's or under construction, only one is in this country -- the headquarters for an overambitious Atlanta bank whose finances turned so shaky a few years ago that it was swallowed by a hostile buyer. The other nine are in Asia, including twin towers in Malaysia that, when completed next year, will be the world's tallest. In the Far East, every few years a new building claims the Tallest-in-Asia title: the Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak Building in Penang, Malaysia, in 1985; the Overseas Union Bank Centre in Singapore in 1986; the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong in 1989; Central Plaza, also in Hong Kong, in 1992, and next year, the Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Thanks in part to America's growing love affair with vans and big sport utility vehicles, demand for gasoline is rising across the nation, pushing prices to their highest levels since the Persian Gulf crisis in 1990. In the last 10 years, the number of mini-vans, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold in the United States has more than doubled, now accounting for more than 40 percent of all vehicles sold. And in general their gas mileage is much lower than that of the cars they are replacing.