January 13, 1997

The Rush to Report The false rape accusation against two athletes has raised questions of fairness involving police and the news media. SportsMonday, page C4. 2 Women Leave Citadel Two female cadets at the Citadel who complained of hazing have announced that they are dropping out of the military college. Page A10. Another Balloon Fails A second passenger balloon failed in an attempt to sail around the world, crashing south of France. Page A7. Economic Self-Reliance The social safety net developed during the Great Depression is giving way to a do-it-yourself approach. News analysis, page A15. Gingrich Timetable Unclear The House votes in nine days on Speaker Newt Gingrich's ethics case, but what will happen before then is anybody's guess. Page A15. A One-Hole Day Tiger Woods defeated Tom Lehman in an unusual sudden-death playoff. SportsMonday, page C3.

Three New Jersey legislators to propose legislation to drop statute of limitations on companies or persons charged with illegal dumping of hazardous materials that can endanger water supplies (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Helen Gurley Brown will step down this month after 31 years as head of Cosmopolitan magazine; rarely has magazine been so strongly identified with one editor for so long; this raises questions in magazine industry about Cosmo's future; Bonnie Fuller has been named to replace Brown as editor; veteran staff members predict that readers will be jolted by publication's new incarnation and will rebel; Fuller is expected to retain mix that was Brown's magic formula--articles on emotional subjects, sex, career, celebrities--but in different doses; Fuller's influence promises to be primarily visual, adding more art and scaling back amount of text; Cosmo has circulation of 2.5 million, with $156 million in estimated annual advertising revenue and domestic operating profit said to be at $50 million; photo (M)

Nextwave Telecom Inc has been granted 63 Government licenses to offer new type of wireless telephone service, called personal communications services; industry analysts wonder how company will be able to pay the $4.2 billion for the coveted licenses, let alone realize its dream of building a nationwide PCS network to take on AT&T Corp and Sprint Corp; Nextwave's chairman ad chief executive, Allen B Salmasi, says company will raise $650 million in public and private financings; but Nextwave has already delayed one stock offering for several months; if Nextwave defaults on its license payments, FCC would reclaim licenses and sell them again; industry executives say this could delay or even preclude emergence of new competitor in wireless telephone business; three small companies have already defaulted on their payments and lost total of 19 licenses (M)

Israelis and Palestinians, spurred by Jordan's King Hussein and threatened departure of American negotiator Dennis Ross, surmount final obstacle to pullout of Israeli forces from Hebron; Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat reportedly will conclude agreement on January 13; breakthrough follows Hussein's visit to Gaza at request of US where he prevailed on Arafat to accept American compromise under which further Israeli withdrawals from West Bank will be delayed about year, to mid-1998; chronology; photos; map (M)