April 1, 1997

Federal Aviation Administration to break ground for world's first research center for airport pavement at its William J Hughes Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township (S)

Supreme Court, in 5-to-4 decision, upholds Federal law requiring cable television systems to carry signals of local over-the-air broadcast stations; ruling (Turner Broadcasting v Federal Communications Commission) rejects argument by cable industry that Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 is unconstitutional intrusion on editorial autonomy and a form of Government-compelled speech that violates First Amendment; supports Congress's right to judge what approach would best insure competitive communications marketplace; allows Federal regulators to continue treating cable operators as local monopolies that control public's access to television programming (M)

Interview with Laurent Kabila, Zairian rebel leader who is adept at giving voice to the discontent of his countrymen but is less forthcoming about his own past as a left-wing revolutionary and his plans for Zaire's future; he insists he has abandoned Marxism and favors multiparty democracy, but his recent ctions hint otherwise; photos (M)

Edwin Bulus, who fled Nigeria after members of family were jailed for allegedly plotting coup against military regime, has been detained by Immigration and Naturalization Service since arriving at Kennedy International Airport in May 1995, and his treatment has sometimes been harsh; is accused by Federal Government of entering country with false documents, and has since been denied parole while request for asylum is pending; asylum advocates describe handling of case by immigration service as Kafkaesque; say while people caught entering country with false papers are typically detained, Bulus's case is unusual because of length and harshness of his detention and because his asylum claim centers on documents he alleges were thrown away by immigration officials; Bulus was ordered deported after plea for asylum was denied in 1995, but was later granted stay after new documents confirmed identity; has been held at eight different detention centers; will be given new hearing by immigration officer trained in asylum law (M)

Stock prices plunge for second consecutive session on March 31, fed by growing concerns over whether bull market can sustain itself after two years of double-digit returns; Dow Jones Industrial Average loses 157.11 points, or 2.33 percent, to close at 6,583.48; drop is biggest one-day decline since July 1996; two session decline of 297.22 points, or 4.3 percent, is biggest drop in percentage terms since index lost 4.63 percent over two days in August 1990, before current bull market began (M)

Researchers express concern that as treatments for AIDS become more effective, many gay men are reverting to unsafe sex (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

First comprehensive findings of study of Comet Hale-Bopp support theory that cometary ices bear chemical precursors of life and that vast numbers of comets fell on aboriginal Earth, sowing precursors for what eventually became planet's biological diversity; same mechanism is thought to be at work throughout cosmos, sowing seeds of life on untold worlds; comet is spewing out array of chemical compounds rich in carbon; diagrams; photos (L)

More Good News on Crime New York City's crime rate continued to plummet in the first quarter of 1997, especially murder and car theft, police statistics show. Page B1. Bombing Trial Begins As the first trial in the Oklahoma City bombing began, it was quickly evident just how difficult selecting an impartial jury will be. Page A21. A Whole New Ball Game Opening today: a baseball season of interleague play and the Orioles' Cal Ripken at third base. Page B13.

Daytwon Bennett, 5-year-old boy who prosecutors said was starved and beaten to death by his mother, had been removed from his Bronx home 15 months ago when caseworkers found scratches and bruises on his face; city officials say that after mother, Jocelyn Bennett, underwent months of counseling, Legal Aid lawyers and Family Court judge agreed that family should be reunited (M)

Hudson County, NJ, Superintendent of Elections strikes name of former Jersey City Mayor Gerald McCann from voter registration rolls because of his bank and tax fraud convictions but his status is re-instated pendingfinal ruling (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Ricardo Marte, Ridgefield man kidnapped from his home last week, has been released unharmed (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Market Place column on two bleak days on Wall Street; says while stock market has had any number of bad days, there have rarely been two consecutive ones when prices fell sharply; holds this time, investors with long holiday weekend after a day on which Dow Jones industrial average fell 140 points had plenty of time to get their buy orders; and it appears they did not; Dow Jones industrial average plunged 157.11 on March 31, with efforts to rally being crushed by renewed waves of sell orders (L)