July 5, 1997

US Army draws protests from big beer companies when it slashes beer rations for GI's in South Korea in effort to eliminate black market in American beer that is shipped from US and sold duty free in PX's; Anheuser-Busch, Miller and other brewers say policy is costing them millions of dollars; fear it may be applied to other markets as well; industry lobbyists succeed in getting House to approve measure requiring Army to justify policy and explain how it intended to make up resulting shortfall in PX revenues, which are used to build and maintain recreational facilities for troops in Korea; photo (M)

New single-family houses are being built in inner-city neighborhoods of Detroit, Houston, Cleveland and Chicago, fueled by disparate forces like an increase in available financing and a backlash against suburban sprawl; most of new houses cost $85,000 to $250,000, with some priced at more than $500,000; few of them are intended for lower-income people, but they may indirectly help the poor by attracting businesses to neighborhood, and they at least do not displace the poor because they are going up on vacant land or replacing abandoned buildings; people moving in find their new neighborhoods to be safe; photo (M)

Mars Pathfinder lands successfully on Mars, and photographs transmitted back to Earth show spacecraft and its attached roving vehicle, Sojourner, resting upright amid a broad field of rocks and sand; deployment of Sojourner is delayed because airbags that cushioned spacecraft's landing bunched up near rover when they deflated; NASA scientists are ecstatic; photos; drawing (M)

Charles Kuralt Dies The prize-winning CBS newsman, who ranged across the country reporting on wonders of nature and mankind, was 62. Page 24. Seeking Clues in Derailment Officials studying a subway derailment hope to learn why the last car switched to another track. Page 25.

Staten Island Ferry turns into a free boat ride as new gold Metrocard begins allowing free transfers between buses and subways in New York; few commuters will feel the benefit of the change as keenly as those who live on Staten Island, for whom the typical daily commute--bus to ferry to subway and back again--is dropping from $6.50 to $3; hardly any passengers on first day of the new dispensation credit Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani, who decided to eliminate ferry fare in conjunction with MTA's switch to free transfers; photo (M)