August 19, 1997

More than a dozen people associated with Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp have secretly filed separate lawsuits against company under Federal whistle-blower laws, contending that company has engaged in variety of schemes to defraud national health care programs like Medicare; sealed lawsuits were filed long before Federal agents raided Columbia last month (L)

Deal Is Reached to End Strike Against U.P.S. Teamsters' union officials said that they and the United Parcel Service had reached an agreement to end the 15-day strike by 185,000 workers that largely crippled the world's largest package delivery company. The officials said they expected the strikers to return to work tomorrow. First, however, two union committees -- including the bargaining committee -- must approve the agreement. $(Page A1.$)

John P Cairo, former vice president of National Westminster Bank NJ, is indicted on charges that he misused $350,000 of institution's funds and issued three forged letters of credit (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Leaders of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, nation's largest Lutheran denomination, vote to enter into historic agreement for close cooperation with Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ and Reformed Church in America, but narrowly rejects establishing similar ties with Episcopal Church; agreement bridges gaps in within Protestantism that have existed since Reformation; calls for full communion with three other denominations; practical effect means that churches retain creeds and theologiacl traditions, but fully recognize each other's sacraments, and clergy members can collaborate on missionary work and major social service projects (M)

Many families, especially in New York metropolitan region, have undertaken complicated task of raising Chinese orphans in mostly Caucasian, upper-middle-class world, while cultivating childrens' original heritage to degree not practiced by previous generations of parents of foreign adoptees; at least 1,000 Chinese orphans, mostly girls, live in New York area--casualties of China's one-child policy and ancient tradition that favors boys; Chinese baby-boom is latest wave of international adoptions in series that has followed upheaval in places like Korea and Russia; photos; charts (M)