October 21, 1997

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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.

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)

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)

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))

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)

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)

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.]