European antitrust regulators tentatively approve Worldcom Inc's $37 billion takeover of MCI Communications Corp after two companies agree to concessions in sale of MCI's Internet holdings; agreement removes biggest remaining uncertainty about ability of companies to complete their deal (M)

Europe Is Said To Approve MCI's Merger

Florida Marlins defeat New York Mets, 3-2; table; photo (M)

Perfect Start Turns Sour for Reed

 BIG TOBACCO WON'T QUIT  Steven F. Goldberger of RJR Nabisco and his fellow C.E.O.'s promise they will not be demonized out of business. A report by Jeffrey Golgberg, in the Magazine.    WOMEN'S HEALTH  Why aren't women like men? The answers -- and their consequences for health and behavior -- aren't as simple as they seem.  

COMING ON SUNDAY

William C Rhoden Sports of The Times article on Ray Martin, named Long Island University head basketball coach; notes he faces tough job in succeeding Ray Haskins, who resigned in contract dispute after rapidly rebuilding team; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; Cavalcade Of Coaches Ends at L.I.U.

Cleveland Indians defeat New York Yankees, 7-4, as Derek Jeter returns to Yankees after injury; photos (M)

Wild Outing by Cone Spoils Jeter's Return

Democratic National Committee's finance director, Richard Sullivan, says that as early as March 1995 he raised possibility that Johnny Chung was conduit for illegal Chinese money; but Democrats accepted Chung's $125,000 check anyway, which led to access for Chung and several Chinese businessmen to dinner at home of filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and which prompted Democratic National Committee's chairman, Donald L Fowler, to say party was 'lucky' to have Chung; now Fowler and other leading Democrats say they feel betrayed by Chung, who has told Federal investigators that he funneled nearly $100,000 from Chinese military officer to Democrats in 1996; Chung's account represents first hard evidence of what Republicans say was plan by China to influence American Presidential election in 1996; photo (M)

Democrat Cites Early Suspicion Over Donations

Federal officials say 49 deaf Mexican men and women whose ordeal as virtual slaves shocked New York last year, will be allowed to stay in United States; illegal immigrants were forced to peddle trinkets in subways and turn over their earnings to bosses who beat and abused them; they will be permitted to remain because of their help in convicting their tormentors; Federal criminal case against men and women who victimized them ends with sentencing of last of 18 bosses; Mike Wishnie, lawyer with American Civil Liberties Union who represents detainees, says several non-profit organizations are willing to pay for whatever training they need to become self-sufficient; photo (M)

U.S. Permits Deaf Mexicans, Forced to Peddle, to Remain

Federal court jury blocks efforts by William Koch, one of nation's richest men, to get $2 billion from two of his brothers, Charles and David, who are accused by Koch of cheating in business deal more than a decade ago; jury says Koch, who led legal charge on behalf of another brother, Frederick, and group of relatives, is owed nothing by Charles and David, who almost entirely own Koch Industries, $35 billion oil conglomerate in Wichita, Kan; William Koch plans to appeal and calls his brothers 'crooks'; photo (M)

Zero Is the Verdict in $2 Billion Koch Family Feud

Giuliani administration seeks authority to fight corruption in New York City's giant $24 billion construction industry; Giuliani proposal to City Council asks for power to determine through licensing regulation which companies are fit to work on public or private construction projects; contractors could be denied licenses if they are found to 'lack good character, honesty and integrity,' broad standard that includes criminality, ties to organized crime, tax delinquency and record of poor workmanship; bill, if enacted, is expected to have far-reaching effects on industry with more than 9,000 companies and 90,000 workers; administration officials say persistent corruption within industry has elevated cost of constuction in city (M)

NEW RULES SOUGHT FOR CONTRACTORS

Government of Colombia bows to demands from Washington and agrees to test chemical to kill coca crops, even though manufacturer has publicly warned against its use in Colombia; Colombia is world's leading coca grower despite measures intended to control drug smuggling; earlier efforts at eradication prompted farmers to move and plant coca elsewhere; tebuthiuron, herbicide that will be used, can contaminate ground water, preventing peasants from growing food where coca once grew; but American and Colombian officials say tebuthiuron offers greater protection for pilots who are destroying coca because it comes in form of pellets that can be dropped from higher altitudes, out of range of guerrillas who fire on low-flying planes; Dow Chemical Co, whose subsidiary manufactures tebuthiuron, strongly opposes its use in Colombia, citing risk to crops and people; Dow fears lawsuits; photo; chart (M)

Pushed by U.S., Colombia Plans New Chemical Attack on Coca

 Takeover of MCI Advances  European regulators tentatively approved Worldcom's $37 billion takeover of MCI after the companies made concessions concerning MCI's Internet business, executives involved said. Page D1.

INSIDE

Guiding a chestnut gelding as it stepped carefully over obstacles in a ring in Huntington, N.Y.,  Tricia Schrader could have been any novice rider preparing for her first competition. She sat erect. She seemed confident, in control. Not until she spoke did her disabilities become apparent.     ''I . . . feel,'' she said, very slowly, in a barely audible whisper, pausing during a practice one Saturday last month. ''I . . . feel . . . I'm . . . the . . . master . . . of . . . the . . . horse.''  

Healing With the Power Of Horses; Therapists Use Riding To Help Treat Disabilities

In its rush to adjourn for the year, the State Legislature passed a bill that would overhaul school board elections in New York City, replacing paper ballots with voting machines and simplifying a system of weighted voting.    Both steps would speed up the notoriously slow process of tallying results in school elections. But the Legislature did not follow a recommendation from government-reform groups to switch school board elections from May to November to coincide with the general election.  

Albany Passes A Bill to Speed School Voting

On a summer night in 1995, there was a lively backyard party in New Rochelle, with music and hanging lanterns, and among the guests were Caroline Costello and Michael Laudor, who whirled around the flagstone patio with the grace of professional dancers.    ''They looked up at each other and they were clearly, madly in love with each other,'' recalled Leslie Mignault, the party's hostess and a friend of the couple.  

Victim in a Stabbing Saw Only the Best in Her Schizophrenic Fiance

McDonald's Corp has introduced restaurants where every sandwich is supposed to be made to order; nothing is prepared in advance but meat patty, which is kept hot in a cabinet; to keep total wait to 90 seconds, some steps in preparation process were eliminated and some were shortened, like toasting the bun; some 600 restaurants are using new system; company hopes more efficient operation will lift sales; diagram; photos (M)

McDonald's Burger War Salvo; Is 'Made for You' the Way Folks Want to Have It?

THE postman never rings twice when he gets to Ezra Shales's house on a half-empty strip of Beach 43d Street in Edgemere, Queens. A double take is more likely. There is no bell; nor for that matter, any doors, walls or people. Just a bright yellow mailbox set into the sandy dirt by the cracked sidewalk.     Mr. Shales has a house in name only,  and even that detail won't be decided until later today during a housewarming party on the block. For weeks, Mr. Shales has culled dozens of postcards that have arrived at his lonely mailbox with suggested names for his ''Nominal Home,'' a sculpture set in a weed-covered lot near the Far Rockaway boardwalk.  

About New York; Open-Air Sculpture With a ZIP Code

United States Open golf tournament continues; table of leaders; photos (M)

Stewart Halfway Home, but Putts Getting Slippery

Majority of House, including 65 Republicans, vote to protect bipartisan campaign finance bill from first Republican leadership effort to water it down by amendments; vote is 254 to 155; this is only first hurdle for measure sponsored by Reps Christopher Shays and Martin T Meehan, but it indicates that larger-than-expected number of Republicans might break with their party and vote for bill to overhaul law governing campaign contributions and help shepherd it to passage (M)

G.O.P. LEADERSHIP IN HOUSE REBUFFED ON ELECTION FUNDS

 Stocks End Volatile Week Lower in Waves of Selling  Stock prices fell again yesterday as Wall Street ended a wild week just the way it began: with waves of large-scale selling. Blue-chip issues were hit the hardest and pulled down the Dow Jones industrial average by 100.14 points, or 1.14 percent, to close at 8,712.87. Broader stock indexes also dropped.  

BUSINESS DIGEST

Warren E Buffett's investment company Berkshire Hathaway Inc agrees to buy General Re Corp, largest US insurance company that specializes in covering risks of other insurers, for $21.7 billion in stock; acquisition sharply expands Buffett's presence in insurance; General Re will join stable of insurers that includes Geico and National Indemnity; Buffett comments; chart (M)

Buffett Takes General Re Into His Fold

Dr Benjamin Spock, perhaps most influential pediatrician of all time, says children should stick to vegetarian diet devoid of all dairy products after age of 2; that advice is contained in seventh edition of his world-famous book, Baby and Child Care, issued last month just weeks after Spock's death at age 94; many experts, including Spock's co-author, Dr Steven J Parker, consider that approach to childhood nutrition as too extreme and likely to result in nutritional deficiencies unless it is very carefully planned and executed; experts express concern about ability of small children to consume enough calories to sustain normal growth on all-plant diet (M)

Final Advice From Dr. Spock: Eat Only All Your Vegetables

The top policy-making body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) passed a resolution calling on the denomination's members to begin removing handguns and assault weapons from their homes. Several major Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish organizations favor restrictions on handguns and assault weapons, but Presbyterian officials said their resolution took a different tack in asking for individual action by church members, rather than seeking a purely legislative remedy.    Article, page A9.  

Rid Homes of Guns, Presbyterians Urged

Profile of American World Cup soccer team player Frankie Hejduk, who is expected to play key role in match against Iran; photo (M)

The Next Big Wave

 INTERNATIONAL   A3-5    Colombia Agrees to Test Herbicide for Drug Control  Colombia has agreed to a United States demand to test a chemical to kill coca crops, even though the manufacturer has warned against its use there. The Environmental Protection Agency says the chemical, tebuthiuron, can poison ground water, and Colombian officials fear it will spoil land where peasants could grow food.   A1    Clinton Urged to Meet Dissident  A group of 55 democracy advocates from China has called on President Clinton to meet with a prominent Beijing dissident during his visit to China next week. There was no immediate response from the White House, but diplomats said it was extremely unlikely that Mr. Clinton would do so.   A3

NEWS SUMMARY

''If a strict vegetarian diet is part of someone's long-term culture, the kids grow fine, though not as big. But for those who became vegans recently, I can't say it's dangerous, but there are risks.''    DR. MARK JACOBSON, a specialist in adolescent medicine. [A8]  

June 20, 1998

Headlines from June 20, 1998

Europe Is Said To Approve MCI's Merger

Perfect Start Turns Sour for Reed

COMING ON SUNDAY

Sports of The Times; Cavalcade Of Coaches Ends at L.I.U.

Wild Outing by Cone Spoils Jeter's Return

Billboard 200

MP Da Last Don

Adore

City Of Angels

Godzilla -- The Album

Hope Floats

Historical Context for June 20, 1998