Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column contends that folly of George Steinbrenner's distancing of his baseball team from Bronx has never been more obvious than during this post-season as lack of Hispanic players has become increasingly obvious (M)

Sports of The Times; Yanks Ignore The Hispanic Influence

Clyde Haberman NYC column discusses pros and cons of Nov 4 referendum that will ask New Yorkers if they wish to hold convention in 1999 to rewrite State Constitution (M)

On the Ballot, Evil Twins: Fear and Hope

ITT Corp accepts friendly $9.8 billion acquisition bid from Starwood Lodging Trust, in deals that apparently ends Hilton Hotels Corp's 10-month-old hostile quest to buy rival for $8 billion; move would make Starwood world's biggest hotelier, owning 650 hotels in 700 countries; offer of $82 per share in cash and stock would be biggest acquisition to date for Sherwood; graph (M)

ITT Accepts $9.8 Billion Bid, Forming Biggest Hotel Chain

Two teen-agers are arrested and charged with setting fire that gutted discount warehouse in Lodi in April (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

New Jersey Daily Briefing; Boys Charged in Lodi Arson

Democrats fear Republicans may be gaining upper hand in ongoing debate over abortion by moving away from insistence on banning all abortions and recasting issue into one over late-term, partial-birth procedure that even some advocates of abortion rights find disturbing; though Republicans may not transform abortion into winning issue, they are trying to neutralize Democrats by narrowing discussion; say there is no danger they will outlaw all abortion--only partial-birth procedure, which they describe in gruesome detail; shift is demonstrated in Virginia's gubernatorial race, in which Democratic Lieut Gov Donald S Beyer Jr is making abortion issue and Republican nominee, James S Gilmore 3d, has eagerly joined debate and explained position against late-term abortion--unlike Republicans in past; Democrats fear shift could hurt them in mid-term elections in 1998; photos (M)

G.O.P. Recasts Public Debate Over Abortion

Scientists are criticizing the United States Government for saying that a seismic event in the Russian wilds two months ago might have been an underground nuclear blast.     The scientists say it was unquestionably natural in origin, and they suggest that foes of the nuclear test ban treaty are distorting the truth in an effort to prevent the treaty's approval in the Senate. Advocates of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty contend that it can be policed; its opponents say it cannot.    Article, page A12.  

Scientists Cry Politics

Federal officials and mental health advocates are infuriated over new rules being drafted by Clinton Administration, which they say could allow many employers to exempt themselves from landmark 1996 Mental Health Parity Act, intended to expand health benefits for millions of Americans with mental illnesses; hope to persuade Administration to limit use of exemption, which is allowed if new mental health benefits increase cost of group health plan by 1 percent or more; law neither defines cost nor specifies how exemption process will work, and will probably allow employers to obtain exemptions by estimating future costs using 1997 data by hiring actuaries to make asessments (M)

Wider Mental Health Benefits Threatened by Exemption Plan

Article discusses work of Aaron Lichter, scribe who inspects mezuzas that people bring in to have checked for mistakes; Tefillin, black leather cases containing passages of Scripture worn on arms and foreheads during worship, are supposed to be checked twice every seven years; photo (M)

Finding 'Typos' in Scriptures; On Lower East Side, Scribe Devotes Life to Standards

Associated Press reports that nearly 20 years after first casino opened in Atlantic City, gambling industry is beginning to make good on promise to rebuild ramshackle urban neighborhoods (New Jersey Daily Briefings) (S))

New Jersey Daily Briefing; New Housing in Atlantic City

Article discusses how Donald Trump, one-time ally of New Jersey Gov Christine Todd Whitman, has become one of her most visible adversaries, publicly revealing incidents he says show that she has treated him improperly in response to his road and tunnel project planned for Atlantic City; photo (M)

Rift With Whitman Turns Trump From Ally to Adversary

Death of Coca-Cola's chief executive, Roberto C Goizueta, focuses fresh spotlight on how well companies handle incapacity of lionized chief; in case of severe illness of chief, company can face months--even years--of uncertainty, as ailing executive tries to hold onto corporate reins even as he diverts ever larger share of energy to trying to get well; rules of corporate governance dictate that board must step in, but that can be difficult; if there is already seasoned successor, directors must prevent that person from appearing to put personal stamp on company before it is rightfully his; question of disclosure must also be handled, and rules offer little guidance as to when shareholders should be informed that chief executive is very ill; case histories from Time Warner, Knight-Ridder and Helmsley-Spear; photos of late Steven J Ross, James K Batten and Harry B Helmsley (L)

When Death Hits a Corner Office; Coping With Loss of a Top Executive Requires Planning

 U.S. Seeks Changes In Microsoft Browser Policy  The Federal Government asked a judge to order Microsoft to stop forcing makers of personal computers to include its Internet browser when they install Windows 95.    The challenge to Microsoft promises to have broad implications for the heated contest between it and Netscape over which company's browser will dominate the Internet. Netscape's stock soared. [Page A1.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Hundreds of people plan to march in Trenton to show support for legalization of needle-exchange programs (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

New Jersey Daily Briefing; March for Needle Exchanges

New York State Governor George Pataki cancels proposed $400 million project to build new car pool lane on Cross Westchester Expressway; cites studies by transportation experts that found that building new lanes is costly and disruptive, with years of construction delays often offsetting any benefit (M)

Pataki Cancels Project to Build Car Pool Lane In Westchester

Dr Timothy Stanton, oceanographer at Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif, is principal investigator in largest coastal research project ever undertaken; its aim is to understand what drives movement of sand along the shore, and how beaches change shape in response to changing wind, wave and water conditions; researchers are using platform called CRAB, or Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy, to examine beach on Outer Banks of North Carolina; photos (L)

Mapping the Beach, One Grain at a Time

New York Times poll finds Democratic mayoral challenger Ruth W Messinger remains essentially unknown figure to vast segment of New Yorkers and has not captured attention of city, two weeks before New York City mayoral election; 60 percent of those questioned had no opinion, good or bad, about Messinger, while, almost by every measure, New Yorkers feel good about city and Republican incumbent, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; poll found Giuilani has as strong job approval rating as at any point since he became Mayor; its findings discussed; photos; charts (M)

Poll Finds Most Voters Have No Opinion About Messinger

Candio Casingal held his girlfriend hostage for 36 hours, beat her, and shot at police officers before finally surrendering in Jersey City (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

New Jersey Daily Briefing; Woman Freed in Jersey City

James P Hoffa, son of legendary teamsters president, is on political offensive in rerun of campaign to unseat Ron Carey, whose narrow victory over Hoffa in June was annulled by Justice Department which found evidence of illegal campaign financing; is attacking corruption under Carey, darling of labor reformers who was first elected president in 1991 on platform to cleanse union of mob influence; even as he portrays himself as corruption buster, Carey campaign repeatedly points to lingering questions about his past and about sponsors and mentors, including union leaders convicted of embezzlement and ousted for nepotism; photo (M)

For Hoffa, Nearly Everything Is in a Name

Week before state visit of Chinese Pres Jiang Zemin, Clinton Administration finds itself in diplomatic predicament of own making over pledge to appoint special coordinator to oversee American policy toward Tibet and is scrambling to avoid confrontation during Jiang's week-long tour; decision has brought protests from Beijing, which regards planned office as interference in its internal affairs, while members of Congress are accusing State Department of dithering; White House and State Department have strongly suggested that appointment will be postponed; while Administration has sought to engage China's Communist Government on variety of fronts, vocal faction in Congress has accused it of putting pragmatic concerns like trade over issues of principle involving human rights and religious freedom (M)

QUANDARY FOR U.S.: ADVISER ON TIBET

Quarterback controversies involving both New York Giants and New York Jets discussed (M)

2 Teams, 4 Passers, 1 Question: Who Plays?

Interview with Luciano Pavarotti, who looks forward to marking his 40th year in opera on April 29, 2000; he gives not indication that he is ready to retire and pronounces himself in 'really good shape' and very happy with his voice overall; photo (L)

40 Years and No Swan Song, Vows Pavarotti

Article on Cleveland Indians preparing for third game of World Series against Florida Marlins; photo (M)

Hot Bats, Not Chill, Of Concern To Leiter

More than 1,000 people--10 times usual number--called American Cancer Society's information line in four hours overlapping Oct 15 episode of CBS show Murphy Brown, in which Murphy, played by Candice Bergen, decided to have lumpectomy instead of mastectomy; Gaballah Ali Gaballah, new secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, says foreign archeologists are welcome to work for another thousand years in Egypt; new release by rock group Spice Girls has knocked 'Candle in the Wind,' Elton John's tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, off top of British singles charts after six weeks; LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts will present showcase called Rising Stars, featuring student's from the school; photos (L)

Footlights

Most recent campaign spending filings show that candidates for New Jersey Legislature have raised 55 percent more than they did at this time four years ago (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

New Jersey Daily Briefing; Legislative Fund-Raising Up

Justice Department files Federal court petition charging Microsoft Corp with violating earlier antitrust agreement and asks judge to order company to stop forcing makers of personal computers to include its Internet browser when they install Windows 95 operating system; Atty Gen Janet Reno accuses company of unlawfully taking advantage of its Windows monopoly to protect monopoly and undermine consumer choice; seeks fine of $1 million per day in civil contempt charges if company fails to change policy; antitrust prosecutors say move is intended to open competition for browser software, and prevent Microsoft from leveraging its monopoly over world's market for computer operating systems into complete control of World Wide Web; Microsoft says antitrust prosecutors misread earlier agreement; will vigorously contest action; broad implications of court challenge for heated contest between Microsoft and Netscape Communications Corp over Web browsers discussed; photo (M)

October 21, 1997

Headlines from October 21, 1997

Sports of The Times; Yanks Ignore The Hispanic Influence

On the Ballot, Evil Twins: Fear and Hope

ITT Accepts $9.8 Billion Bid, Forming Biggest Hotel Chain

New Jersey Daily Briefing; Boys Charged in Lodi Arson

G.O.P. Recasts Public Debate Over Abortion

Billboard 200

You Light Up My Life -- Inspirational Songs

Evolution

Bridges To Babylon

Soul Food

Butterfly

Historical Context for October 21, 1997