New Jersey's first coyote hunting season opens and, in protest, chairman of committee of New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, Stuart Chaifetz, began fasting (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Fasting to Protest a Hunt

National Governors Assn, under presure from Congressional Republicans, decides against seeking wholesale changes in new Federal welfare law; issues cautious appeal to Congress and Clinton Administration to work with it to meet needs of relatively small group of legal immigrants who will lose Federal benefits; California Gov Pete Wilson and New York Gov George E Pataki, who earlier urged Congress to restore benefits for legal immigrants, join other governors attending Washington, DC, conference in supporting compromise statement of policy, which expresses concern about effects of new law on legal immigrants residing in US who cannot become citizens because of age or disability; urges Congress to enact changes to law to meet their needs; photo (M)

GOVERNORS LIMIT REVISIONS SOUGHT IN WELFARE LAW

Alveda Torrado, woman who had claimed falsely that she was raped by inmate at Union County jail, is sentenced to serve six months at jail for contempt and false swearing (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Back in Jail, Again

 Accord Is Seen to Fuel Textile Trade With China   China and the United States reached a broad agreement on textile trade, which American officials said was likely to increase Pacific region commerce that is already worth billions of dollars.  

BUSINESS DIGEST

 President to Stress 'Unfinished Business'  The White House says that in his State of the Union Message tomorrow, the President will press for a balanced budget, jobs for welfare recipients, campaign finance reform and for people, towns, and states to deal with social ills. Page B7.    Battle Looms on C.I.A. Job  President Clinton's nominee to head the Central Intelligence Agency is heading toward a bruising confirmation fight that might reverberate in the years to come. Page A14.

INSIDE

Article profiles career of world figure skating champion Michelle Kwan; photo (M)

Kwan Wants It All, In and Out of the Rink

Time Inc has undergone transformation under leadership of Don Logan, president and chief executive, and Norman Pearlstine, editor in chief; Pearlstine and Logan's common interest in financial details has gone a long way toward alleviating historically distant relationship between editors and publishers throughout company; company's priority is profits, and publishers know they have to make their numbers; emphasis on performance is reinforced by Pearlstine, who is described as first editor in chief at Time Inc to take active interest in financial as well as editoral side of magazines; Logan's strategy has been to extend the brand and develop new products, while solidifying the base; result has been five years of 13 percent compound annual growth; photos (L)

The Empire That Henry Luce Built Now Works at Bolstering the Bottom Line

Biologists working in shadow of vast project to decode human genes are rapidly deciphering genetic makeup of much smaller organisms, including microbes that cause disease; say result is that full DNA of many pathogens is likely to be decoded in next several years, offering new drug and vaccine strategies; say field of genetics will have impact far sooner than better known Human Genome Project, which began in late 1980's and will not be completed before 2000; aside from medical importance, biologists hope small genomes will enable tracing of evolutionary tree back to orgin of life, or at least to earliest branches; industrial chemists hope they may lead to discovery of new enzymes with special properties (M)

Thinking Small Paying Off Big In Gene Quest

Pre-auction showing of art work owned by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey held (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

It's What They Like

Pakistanis will vote in general election for new Prime Minister to replace Benazir Bhutto, who dominated country's politics for past decade but is fighting for political survival following ouster in November on charges of corruption and misrule; polls suggest Bhutto's party will lose election to Nawaz Sharif, another former Prime Minister who has been main rival in four elections over last eight years; Bhutto's pre-eminence in country's turbulent politics over past decade, first as intrepid challenger to dictator who hanged father and twice as forceful and intemperate Prime Minster, discussed; Sharif's rise to power as protege of late Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, who siezed power in 1977 and governed until death in air crash in 1988, noted; map; photo (M)

Is Bhutto Good, Bad or Ugly? Pakistanis Will Decide Today

Charlotte Hornets defeat New York Knickerbockers, 99-93; photo (M)

Rice Puts On His Act, And the Knicks Fall for It

Trade negotiators from more than 100 countries may soon reach agreement on opening up government-protected telecommunication monopolies to competition; US threatens to block pact if it does not go as far as American officials would like; global deal would commit countries to move toward same kind of competition in telephone and cable television services that is being opened up in US and European Union; it would allow rivals to set up new networks, threatening sky-high prices charged by many foreign telephone monopolies; biggest obstacle for United States is Canada; World Trade Orgn officials say Canada refuses to agree to scale back tough restrictions on foreign ownership of telephone companies (M)

Global Phone Pact Appears Near But U.S. Conditions May Block It

New Jersey drivers could soon have extra incentive to buckle up; although seat belts have been mandatory in New Jersey since 1985, police officer cannot issue ticket to motorist driving without one unless driver is stopped for another reason, like speeding; under bill to be considered by Assembly Transportation and Communications Committee police would be able to stop and ticket drivers simply for not wearing seat belt (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

A Stricter Belt Law

New York State Supreme Court Justice Rena K Uviller, in rare courtroom reversal, rescinds her approval of plea bargain by former union business agent accused of extortion and bribery, saying she agreed with dissident union members who had protested his proposed sentence as too lenient; former agent, James McGorman, was arrested in late 1995 after investigation uncovered flood of complaints that he and other officials in New York City's building workers union often demanded bribes of people seeking to land or keep $30,000 a year jobs as porters and superintendents (M)

Judge Rejects Plea Bargain In Bribe Case

Almost four years after tramp freighter Golden Venture ran aground off Queens, NYC, 55 of 286 smuggled Chinese immigrants on board remain behind bars; advocates for refugees and Bush Administration officials say many would have won asylum had they come ashore year earlier, when George Bush was President; say they are victims of shifting currents of American immigration policy in Clinton years, when tide turned against illegal immigrants and certain asylum claims were routinely denied; majority of immigrants pursued unusual ground for asylum, citing tyranny of China's population control policies; more than third have been released or resettled in Latin America; 99 were sent back to China; photos (M)

Dozens of Chinese From 1993 Voyage Still in Jail

Committee formed to recall Atlantic City, NJ, Mayor James F Whelan says it has enough signatures to force recall election (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Recall Move in Atlantic City

New Jersey Health Department to announce changes for two million New Jersey residents who belong to health maintenance organizations; new HMO regulations, which consumer groups call some of strongest in country, outlined (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

New Rules for H.M.O.'s

Analysis of impact of America Online Inc's new flat-pricing strategy on company, on users and on 'content providers,' businesses that supply information, entertainment and special-interest forums on America Online; company overestimated its ability to handle added traffic generated by its flat-rate program, and result was company has been forced to offer credits and rebates to angry subscribers; content providers are reporting increased traffic on their sites, but with flat pricing, usage fees collected by content providers are now capped; America Online and content providers hope to make up shortfall from advertising, which today represents only 10 percent of company's revenue (M)

With America Online Demand Come New Rules of Supply

Mark O'Meara wins AT&T; Pebble Beach golf tournament; photo (M)

O'Meara Manages to Escape Yet Another Rush by Woods

Metro Matters column discusses uneasiness surrounding visit by US Senator Alfonse D'Amato to women's homeless shelter in New York City run by Women in Need (M)

For D'Amato, A Quest to Be Mr. Sensitive

Special report entitled Unlikely Allies discusses how coalition of uncommonly diverse array of allies banded together in successful lobbying campaign to defeat proposed amendment to New York State Constitution that would have legalized casino gambling; photo (M)

The Bill That Fell From Grace

Justice Department reports number of rapes nationwide in 1995 fell to 97,000, lowest since 1989 and lowest rate per capita in decade; says separate national survey of crime victims, designed to include people who did not report incidents to police, found number of people who were 12 years of age and older who were victims of rape or sexual assault fell by 44 percent from 1993 to 1995; found rape victims are disproportionately young girls, and that length of time sex offenders serve in prison has been increasing; Pres Clinton and Atty Gen Janet Reno hail decline; criminologists, academic experts on rape and leaders of women's groups disagree over whether findings are accurate or whether they should be seen as part of broader trend toward ebbing of violent crime; graph; chart (M)

'95 Data Show Sharp Drop in Reported Rapes

Several leading cultural institutions in New York City, spurred by soaring stock market, huge increases in number of wealthy patrons, tax incentives and need to keep pace with new technology, have embarked on unprecedented campaigns for capital funds and endowments; statistics indicate charitable giving has steadily risen along with number of city's new millionaires, who have tripled in number in past decade; impact of fund-raising campaigns on city's smaller arts groups is being fiercely debated within arts world; spokesmen for some groups say campaigns, coming at time of reduced public support for arts, might further diminish money available for smaller organizations; majority of experts disagree; say campaigns may invigorate city's aging cultural infrastructure and produce resurgence of arts unparalleled in recent history, benefitting small and large institutions alike; capital campaign drives by New York Public Library, Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall and other institutions noted; list (M)

Top Institutions Heat Up Drives For Arts Funds

 A JURY'S MAKEUP -- Unlike in the first trial, the second Crown Heights jury is a diverse group spanning racial and religious lines. B3.    CHALLENGE TO UNIONS -- Mayor Giuliani is urging unions for city workers to be more forthcoming on how they spend their money. B3.

INSIDE METRO

Article discusses dwindling number of retired New York City police officers who are teaching in city schools; at one time scores of retired officers became teachers, aided by state rule that allowed some retired government employees to collect their pensions even after taking another government job; five years ago, City Comptroller's office said that former officers and other city employees were 'double dipping' and ordered Board of Education to deny waivers to anyone whose job could be filled by less expensive qualified teacher; photo (M)

February 3, 1997

Headlines from February 3, 1997

Fasting to Protest a Hunt

GOVERNORS LIMIT REVISIONS SOUGHT IN WELFARE LAW

Back in Jail, Again

BUSINESS DIGEST

INSIDE

Billboard 200

Tragic Kingdom

Evita

Romeo + Juliet

Falling Into You

Space Jam

Historical Context for February 3, 1997