December 11, 1996

Big Wall Street profits are generating much extra revenue from income and business taxes that may enable New York City to end fiscal year with surplus of nearly 350 million; even with unanticipated boom, city still faces huge projected gaps in budget for next several years because spending continues to grow faster than revenues (M)

Beth Israel Medical Center and St Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center will form single parent corporation to oversee both hospitals, signaling another shift in realignment of health-care industry in New York City; partnership is not merger, since both will maintain own board of trustees and clinical departments and will be responsible for own assets and debts; is latest example of how hospitals have been forced to find creative ways of joining forces to enhance bargaining positions with health maintenance organizations (M),

Luke Morgan, Larry Schmidt and Mark Oliver, who continued to surf in waves churned up by Hurricane Bertha on July 13 after police ordered them to paddle ashore, are fined $475 each by Spring Lake Municipal Judge James Barry (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Members of New Jersey's Congressional delegation join campaign to head off proposed cuts in 15-year-old Federal program that helps low-income residents heat their homes (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Dick Morris, former consultant for Clinton campaign, addresses political science class at New York University; Morris uses his first prolonged public appearance since he resigned, to discuss good things that political consulting and polling have brought to democracy; he does not mention tabloid report about his association with prostitute, which led him to resign; photos (M)