Alex Witchel comments on job of White House social secretary; interviews with Capricia Penavic Marshall, 33, who has been Hillary Rodham Clinton's social secretary for eight months, and Letitia Baldrige, who was social secretary during Kennedy Administration; photos (L)

First Ladies to the First Lady

Northern Ireland and Irish Republic voters overwhelmingly approve Northern Ireland peace accord; voters in North, turning out in record numbers, approve accord by 71 percent to 29%, margin deemed crucial to deny opponents chance to undermine new institutions that will be set up; 94 percent vote yes in Irish Republic; British Sec Mo Mowlam and Prime Min Tony Blair hail vote; photos (M)

IRISH VOTERS, NORTH AND SOUTH, GIVE RESOUNDING 'YES' TO PEACE

Loral Space & Communications chairman Bernard L Schwartz, big campaign donor to Pres Clinton and Democrats, denies asking Pres Clinton or other Administration officials to approve launching of Loral satellite on Chinese rocket, interview; denies linkage between contributions and Clinton's favorable decision; scores Congressional Republicans' charge that he places business interests before national security; photo (M)

A Top Clinton Donor Says Money Didn't Buy Approval on Satellites

New York Mets defeat Milwaukee Brewers, 3-0; photo (M)2

Piazza Swings a Bat and Suddenly It's the 80's

Taxicab industry in New York City deftly manuevers to protect itself from big awards to accident victims, even as its cabs hurt more and more people; interviews and probe of dozens of suits show cab companies are among most recalcitrant businesses in paying accident claims; Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani is now roiling industry with proposal to clamp down on dangerous drivers and make it easier for injured people to collect; most of city's cabs and car-service vehicles carry minimal liability insurance and have devised ways to shield assets, including costly taxi medallions, from claims; graphs; photos (L)

Taxi Owners Deftly Dodge Claims of Accident Victims

Albert Innaurato article celebrates pop singer Aretha Franklin as reigning diva; holds she has created gospel bel canto; photos (M)

POP/JAZZ; As Categories Blur, One Diva Rules

Kip Kinkel's parents had worried about his temper since he was a little boy. They sent him to a psychiatrist and taught him at home for a time. In recent months, they thought that their work and concern were making a difference and that Kip, at 15, was turning around.    But the teen-ager, who is accused of killing his parents and two of his schoolmates in Springfield, Ore., never made a secret of his angry heart.  

In School Shooting, One Youth's 2 Sides

Article on some New Yorkers who enjoy driving around city at night, enjoying streets without traffic as they discover new byways and fight their own restlessness or insomnia; photos of Art Jones, Walter Mudu, Amy Lesser and Lou Cubillos; photos (M)

Night Moves

Pearl prices are rising sharply in response to mysterious virus and disruptive weather patterns that have killed over half of Akoya oysters in Japan's coastal waters in last several years; Japanese Akoya oysters provide half of cultural pearls sold in United States; problem has been building for decade, but became acute in 1996 and 1997; exporters have been reducing shipments to other countries to meet strong US demand and shipping more pearls to US from China; graphs; photos (M)4

Mysterious Virus at Source Drives Up the Price of Pearls

New York Yankees defeat Boston Red Sox, 12-3; photos (M)2

Wells's Follow-Up Is Not Perfect, But Good Enough

Coping column interviews 33-year-old doctor named Scott, who is unable to work because of severe depression (S)

A Doctor's 'Nebulous Hope'

Taxicab drivers' less-than-flattering view of passengers, drivers, jaywalkers and other assorted New Yorkers quoted; photos; opinions offset recent stereotypes of cabbies in city as turbaned third-world men short on cash and long on frenzied driving (S)

The Nation: Parallel Universe; Listen Up, Out There. Here's What Cabbies Think of You.

Economic crisis that finally toppled Suharto regime in Indonesia discussed as evidence that international markets and finance have replaced big-power diplomacy and maneuvering in post-cold war era; photo (M)

Ideas & Trends: Invisible Hand; Diplomacy's Erratic Hit Man: The Dollar

Article likens today's stock market to market of 1962, when a vicious bear move took almost 30 percent off market's value; graph (M)0

Activist Government, Anxious Markets

Rental apartment building, almost a twin to one completed next door in 1990, is being built by Sebring Associates, Hackensack, NJ (S)

POSTINGS: A Second Excelsior for Hackensack; 267 Rentals on a Ridge With Manhattan Views

Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, Central Park, New York City, is set to reopen after $1.5 million, nine-month renovation and restoration; is anchor of citywide Puppets in the Parks program; photo (S)d

POSTINGS: $1.5 Million Restoration of Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater in Central Park; A New Look, With Strings Attached

Article on Marvel Entertainment Group focuses on events that led to bankruptcy of company and delisting of Marvel on New York Stock Exchange; says fighting between financiers Ronald O Perelman and Carl C Icahn for control of company has left behind little of lasting value for investors, employees or comic book fans to show for their time in control of company; holds their original stakes in Marvel--about $10 million for Perelman, about $40 million for Icahn--represented pocket change to these billionaires; chart; drawings; photos (L)

Pow! The Punches That Left Marvel Reeling

Comment on Lotus car company's debate over whether to sell its Elise roadster in US, where it would cost about $35,000; photos (S)8

Transplanting A New Lotus

 Nuremberg Prosecutor Dies  Telford Taylor, a principal prosecutor of high Nazi officials at the Nuremberg war crimes trials after World War II, dies at 90. Page 37.

INSIDE

Landmark antitrust suits filed against Microsoft Corp should prompt all technology investors to reconsider their strategies and to question possible consequences of suits for their portfolios; for many investors, US v Microsoft leaves landscape little altered from before, despite huge headlines of last week; most analysts say short-term consequences will likely be small, in terms of harm to Microsoft's financial results and help to companies in its line of fire, like Netscape Communications or Novell; most analysts say that investors must contend with number of broader issues confronting technology group, including erosion of historical link among microprocessor upgrades, new software releases and personal computer sales; graphs; charts; photos (L)

Washington Sideshow for Technology

Elizabeth Kaye article on short careers of ballet dancers, who begin training younger than other dancers, at 4 or 5 on average, and are usually physically unable to dance ballet while still relatively young; retired stars Martine van Hamel, Cynthia Gregory and Heather Watts comment; photos (M)

At the End Of a Brief, Brilliant Turn

Article on relationship between boxer Mike Tyson and boxing promoter Don King, which has gone from big money and big boxing bouts to Tyson deciding to sue King, accusing King and his two managers of having bilked him of more than $100 million in earnings over the years; says what emerges from dozens of interviews people involved with Tyson and King is a tale of extraordinary financial recklessness by Tyson; charts; photos (M)

BOXING: Big Money, Big Fallout For Tyson; The Ex-Champion Blames the Promoter for Financial Problems

Behind the Wheel comment on Lotus Esprit, which was developed on test track 25 years ago and remains among world's best-handling grand touring cars; photos (S)

BEHIND THE WHEEL/Lotus Esprit V8; Nimble, Exotic and Out of Date

Sallie Tisdale comments on current trends in teen-age clothing; notes many teen-agers wear a 'generic American casual,' the styleless style of jeans and T-shirts; drawing (M)

VIEW; What Color Is Your Uniform?

Timber-frame construction of houses by master craftsmen has had resurrection since 1970's, especially in New England; vertical load is carried to ground in such houses through outer walls, rather than interior walls as in conventional construction, allowing for any desired division of interior space; houses feature profusion of handwork in both interior and exterior detailing; diagram; photos (M)

May 24, 1998

Headlines from May 24, 1998

First Ladies to the First Lady

IRISH VOTERS, NORTH AND SOUTH, GIVE RESOUNDING 'YES' TO PEACE

A Top Clinton Donor Says Money Didn't Buy Approval on Satellites

Piazza Swings a Bat and Suddenly It's the 80's

Taxi Owners Deftly Dodge Claims of Accident Victims

Billboard 200

The Limited Series

Before These Crowded Streets

City Of Angels

Sittin' On Top Of The World

From The Choirgirl Hotel

Historical Context for May 24, 1998