July 28, 1998

Ralph Nader plans Museum of American Tort Law in Winsted, Conn, to honor trial lawyers, those who bring lawsuits on behalf of consumers and who are frequently reviled for the huge damage judgments they win and fees they collect; is promoting idea at time when business groups are pushing Congress to pass legislation that would restrict their liabilities and limit damages; museum could also transform village, Nader's hometown, into mecca for weekend visitors; photo (M)

New York State Atty Gen Dennis Vacco's office is concluding investigation of alleged rampant kickbacks and price-gouging practices involving major Broadway theaters, as well as other entertainment and sports venues in New York City; Roundabout Theater, home of hit revival Cabaret, turns over records, but state official David Corvette says there are many other targets; most common practice is called 'ice,' in which box offices overcharge brokers for tickets to choice events, adding costs that are passed along to consumers, particularly out-of-towners intent on getting into sold-out events; Roundabout commonly sells tickets to brokers at higher-than-allowed prices (M)

China's broad array of military-run and military-related enterprises are undergoing deep transformation intended to yield fighting force that is more professional, more accountable, less distracted by nonmilitary business and, above all, better controlled by generals allied with Pres Jiang Zemin; reforms also seek to reduce overall size of army to 2.5 million soldiers from current 3 million; various military units now control roughly 15,000 mostly small and medium-sized businesses; Jiang faces considerable obstacles among officers, many allied with his predessor, Deng Xiaoping, who wield considerable influence in a system where access is still more important than talent; graph (M)

Article on enormous variety of beetles, which cover the Earth in such numbers that one biologist once remarked famously that the Creator must have had 'inordinate fondness' for species; Dr Brian D Farrell's study, published in Science, suggests secret to beetles' diversity may lie in diet, that various groups of beetles evolved and survived by feasting on wide variety of flowering plants; Farrell constructed evolutionary tree including more than 100 species, and used DNA sequence data to determine relationships among beetle species; photos; diagrams (M)

New York Yankees are 73-26 and could break record for regular-season victories; players say ultimate goal is to win World Series (M)