Baseball club owners drastically reverse position and reluctantly ratify revolutionary agreement that assures first labor peace in major league baseball in four years; move paves way for interleague play, assessments on payrolls commonly known as luxury tax, unprecedented level of revenue sharing between rich and poor clubs and search for commissioner; vote ends destructive period of labor turmoil in which baseball operated without commissioner, players strike affected two seasons, World Series was cancelled and attendance and games stature fell off sharply; terms of agreement discussed (M)

Reluctant Baseball Owners Approve Pact With Players

New Jersey Transit allocates $9.7 million in state money to pay 80 percent of cost of replacing all 190 jitneys in Atlantic City with new 13-seat minibuses built by Champion Motor Coach (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Aid to Replace Jitneys

Thanksgiving holiday means booming business at Better Crust Pie Company in Harlem; company is marking its 50th year in business; photos (M)

Pie by Pie In Baking's Busiest Season

Federal prosecutors ask Judge Garrett E Brown Jr to send Newark's former police director William R Celester to prison for 41 to 51 months when he is sentenced for fraud and embezzlement (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Sentencing Set for Celester

Japanese investors big and small are increasingly reluctant to invest overseas, a trend that has raised questions about the country's role as financier to the world. Economists fear that there may eventually be global shortage of capital as a result.     Business Day, page D1.

Yen Staying at Home

Bell Atlantic Corp, yielding to Mexican Government pressure, to assume management control of Grupo Iusacell SA de CV; will remove Carlos Peralta Quintero from day-to-day operations because of scandal involving his $50 million payment to Raul Salinas de Gortari, jailed brother of former President; Peralta will remain on board, but be replaced as vice chairman by Bell aide Lawrence T Babbio Jr; Bell, through stock swap, will acquire majority of voting shares and take majority of board seats; Peralta family will continue to own 48 percent and Bell Atlantic 42 percent of firm (M)

Scandal Spurs Bell Atlantic Shift in Mexico

New York City officials acknowledge that more than 6,000 people had been wrongly thrown off welfare rolls because of administrative error, mistake that could mean hundreds of families will not have benefits over Thanksgiving weekend; city's Human Resources Administration officials say cases had been closed because of error involving standard questionaire recently mailed to thousands of welfare residents throughout city (M)

Error in Processing of Forms Takes 6,000 Off Welfare Rolls

 Fund Investments Surge; Dow Loses 19.38 Points  Mutual fund investors, who have greeted every stock market rally this year with a fresh infusion of cash, continue to register their belief that stock prices can go even higher.    With the Dow Jones industrial average up 8.3 percent this month, several big fund companies, including John Hancock, Smith Barney, Vanguard, Charles Schwab and Fidelity Investments, reported that cash flows into stock funds in November were well ahead of last month's flows. $(Page A1.$)    The Dow average took a breather from its record-breaking run, falling 19.38 points to 6,528.41, but the Nasdaq composite rose 0.83 to 1,281.20, its second straight closing high. $(D6.$)    Treasury securities prices were mixed as traders took profits on early gains that followed a report by the Conference Board that its consumer confidence index held steady in November. The yield on the 30-year bond edged up to 6.44 percent. $(D16.$)    Disney Earnings Climb 27%  The Walt Disney Company reported a 27 percent rise in fourth-quarter profit to $336 million, helped by record theme park attendance and its ''Aladdin and the King of Thieves'' video. With Capital Cities/ABC it had net income of $354 million. Its stock surged $2.50, to $76, following the report. $(D3.$)    Disney said it would release ''Kundun,'' a new Martin Scorsese film about the life of the Dalai Lama, despite a warning by the Chinese Government not to do so. $(C9.$)    Lehman's President Resigns  T. Christopher Pettit, 51, resigned as president of Lehman Brothers, months after stepping down as chief operating officer, ceding power to younger senior executives. $(D2.$)    Primark Deal for Baseline Expected  Primark, continuing its rapid growth in the financial information business, is expected to announce it has acquired Baseline Financial Services for $40 million in cash from Bowne & Company and Baseline's founder. $(D16.$)    A Snag in Nynex Merger Plans  The staff of the New York State Public Service Commission opposed approval of the proposed merger of Nynex and Bell Atlantic unless Nynex agrees to compensate customers for the loss of a potential competitor -- by cutting rates, for example. $(B1.$)    Hughes in Japanese Space Deal  Hughes Electronics became the first company to sign up to launch commercial satellites on a Japanese rocket being developed. $(D5.$)    Swiss Bank to Make Big Cuts  Union Bank of Switzerland said it would cut 800 jobs and take a special charge of $2.3 billion that will result in a 1996 loss. $(D5.$)    Russia Drops Western Advisers  The Russian State Property Committee dropped its Western advisers, led by N. M. Rothschild & Sons, for the planned sale of shares in RAO Svyazinvest, which controls most of Russia's local phone companies. $(D5.$)    Owners Back Baseball Agreement  Baseball club owners ratified an accord that assures the first labor peace in major league baseball in four years and paves the way for interleague play, a luxury tax on payrolls, a revenue-sharing plan to transfer $40 million to poorer clubs and a search for a commissioner. $(A1.$)    A.A.R.P. Weighs Health Plans  The American Association of Retired Persons said it was in talks about endorsing managed-care plans for its 30 million members with U.S. Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente and seven other H.M.O.'s. $(D6.$)    F.D.A. Approves Alzheimer's Drug  The F.D.A. approved a Japanese drug, Aricept, to treat the memory-robbing effects of Alzheimer's disease. Pfizer will market the drug in the United States. $(C8.$)  

BUSINESS DIGEST

Article discusses troubled life of Kathleen Chang, perennial protestor who killed herself on campus of University of Pennsylvania by pouring gasoline over herself and lighting match; photo; drawings (M)

The Manic and Messianic Life of a Troubled Idealist

Interview with Dr Robert C Atkins on his new book, Dr Atkins' New Diet Revolution; he warns there is obesity epidemic in United States; photo (M)

Refighting The Battle Of the Bulge

Recent favorable technical data and declining bureaucratic resistance suggests Japan, which is one of tiny number of countries where birth control pill is still banned for contraceptive purposes by law, may legalize pill in next few years, but question remains over whether women will use it; Japanese women regard pill as untrustworthy chemical concoction that affects natural rhythm of their bodies, not as icon of feminism or of sexual liberation; Japanese know little about contraceptives and are reluctant to ask doctors for such intimate advice, although reticence is easing among young; condom is most widely used form of birth control among Japanese, followed by withdrawal; when condoms fail, many Japanese women turn to abortion, which is easily available; photo (M)

Japan May Approve the Pill, but Women May Not

Nicholas L Bissell Jr, former Somerset County, NJ, prosecutor who fled to escape prison sentence for corruption and fraud, fatally shoots himself in Laughlin, Nev, hotel casino as Federal marshal tries to coax him from room; ends 10-minute standoff after telling marshal who tracked him from New Jersey that he could not face prospect of spending next decade of his life in jail; Federal officials say he gave away whereabouts since fleeing home on November 18 by making cellular telephone calls to relatives and friends; photos; map (M)

Trapped, Fugitive Ex-Prosecutor Kills Himself in a Nevada Hotel

Louise Lague humorous comment on preparing Thanksgiving dinner for ever-growing number of guests each year; reports that her solution one year was to order all the side dishes and gravy from Boston Market, and then she just roasted the turkey (M)

Fending Off Thanksgiving Disasters

David Gonzalez About New York column describes scene at Gramercy Hotel in Manhattan as residents are relocated to make way for hotel's razing (M)

Giving In To Eviction, Grudgingly

Survey by University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University's Eagleton Institute finds that 25 percent of adult New Jersey residents who drink alcohol indicate that they probably will drink more over holidays; same survey finds that 25 percent of drinkers do not use designated driver (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Drinking and the Holidays

Nicholas L Bissell Jr, former prosecutor from Somerset County who fled his home to escape prison term for corruption and fraud, shoots himself to death as Federal marshal tries to coax him from casino hotel room in Laughlin, Nev (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Ex-Prosecutor Kills Himself

Federal Environmental Protection Agency asks Army Corps of Engineers not to allow developer Mills Corp to build 2.1-million square foot mall in Meadowlands in Carlstadt (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Opposition to a Mall

Executives from five transportation authorities recommend that MFS Network Technologies be awarded contract to develop electronic toll collection system for state's toll roads, bridges and tunnels (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Transit Agencies Endorse Bid

Japanese are cutting back on foreign investments, broad and potentially worrisome trend reflected in drop in Japan's current account surplus; some economists fear drop in trade surplus and resulting drop in foreign investments could lead to higher interest rates worldwide; graphs (M)

Nation of Global Investors Isn't Venturing Too Far Now

Mutual fund investors, who have greeted every stock market rally in '96 with fresh wave of cash, continue pouring cash into stock funds in belief that stock prices will go even higher; record-breaking stock-market rally is feeding expectations of investors, who appear intent on ignoring any warnings that market may, at some point, decline for more than week or two; since stocks tumbled in July, monthly cash flows into mutual funds that invest in stocks have slowed only marginally; with Dow Jones Industrial Average up 8.3 percent in November, cash flow into stock funds has been rising sharply; graph; chart (M)

INVESTORS' MONEY CONTINUES TO POUR INTO STOCK FUNDS

Nis, Yugoslavian City of 200,000 that was once stronghold of Serbian Pres Slobodan Milosevic and old Communist Party, has turned violently against Belgrade Government since recent decision to annul opposition victory in local elections there and in other cities; daily street protests have swept country over past eight days; protestors come, not from anyone political party or represent any particular ideology; range from nationalists to social democrats, who are tired of Milosevic and Government (M);

A Former Stronghold Turns Against President of Serbia

Staff of New York State Public Service Commission has recommended that commission not approve proposed merger of Nynex and Bell Atlantic unless Nynex agrees to compensate its customers for loss of potential new competitor in New York telephone market; industry officials say that while recommendation will probably not prompt New York State regulators to block $22 billion deal, it could force Nynex to cut its residential rates and increase penalties recently assessed to company for its poor customer service (M)

Utility Panel May Make Nynex Compensate Customers for a Merger

Administration officials say Pres Clinton wants Congress to restore about one-fourth of $55 billion that would otherwise be saved by new welfare law over next six years, to soften impact of law on poor people and immigrants; are drafting proposals to revise law as part of balanced-budget plan Clinton will submit to Congress in February; proposals would seek to restore food stamp eligibility for many legal immigrants who have not become citizens, would increase food stamp allotments for families with high housing costs, and would relax stringent work requirements on able-bodied adults who have no dependents; Repr Clay E Shaw Jr, Republican author of new welfare law, and Sen Don Nickles, assistant Republican leader of Senate, say Republicans have no interest in Administration's efforts to soften effects of law; Senate Democratic leader Sen Tom Daschle, who voted against welfare bill, says he will alow states chance to carry it out before he seeks changes (M)

CLINTON CONSIDERS MOVE TO SOFTEN CUTS IN WELFARE

The Walt Disney Company, facing a warning by the Chinese Government over ''Kundun,'' a new Martin Scorsese film about the life of the Dalai Lama, said yesterday that it intended to release the film in the United States next year.  

Disney to Defy China On Dalai Lama Film

 Simpson Testimony Ends      O. J. Simpson's lead lawyer stopped his client's testimony, saying he had decided to postpone his questioning until the defense presents its case next month. Page A18.      Earlier College Acceptance         Competing to attract good students, more public and small private colleges are telling students months earlier than usual whether they have been accepted. Page B6.      Slower Change in Families         The Census Bureau said shifts in the structure of the American family appeared to have leveled off, even as those changes have become embedded in the culture. Page A18.     Tension Over Settlements         The Israeli Prime Minister visited two Jewish settlements in the West Bank, adding new fuel to rising tensions with the Palestinians. Page A3.

INSIDE

Mike Willemsen, better known by his stage name Mike Williams, is a Dutch DJ, record producer, musician, and remixer. He is best known for working with Tiësto and as an artist of Spinnin' Records, who recognised him as an "artist of the future". He is regarded as one of the pioneers of the future bounce genre, an emerging subgenre of future house, alongside Dutch DJs Brooks and Mesto and more.

November 27, 1996

Headlines from November 27, 1996

Reluctant Baseball Owners Approve Pact With Players

Aid to Replace Jitneys

Pie by Pie In Baking's Busiest Season

Sentencing Set for Celester

Yen Staying at Home

Billboard 200

Tha Doggfather

The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory

Tragic Kingdom

Falling Into You

Family Scriptures

Notable Births

Historical Context for November 27, 1996