Implications of possible damage to any of some 600 communications satellites discussed as Earth is about to experience meteor storm in debris-strewn backwash of comet Temple-Tuttle; Ian H Rowe, chief executive of Crestech, nonprofit group that will track storm for Canada and United States, notes lesser meteor shower damaged satellite in 1993; AT&T Corp says there are at least 14 nations, mostly in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union, that can be reached by phone only by satellite; most of satellite industry sees little threat; diagrams (M)

Communication Satellites in Peril as Cosmic Storm Approaches

 Seagram Expected to Oust Head of Universal Studios  ''Meet Joe Black,'' the lavish three-hour film made by Universal Studios, opened over the weekend to poor reviews and a disappointing box office, increasing the expectations in the movie industry that Seagram, the studio's owner, planned to oust Frank Biondi Jr., Universal's chairman and chief executive.    Entertainment industry executives close to Edgar Bronfman Jr., Seagram's chairman, predicted that he would dismiss Mr. Biondi within the next few weeks, possibly earlier. At the same time, these executives said, Mr. Bronfman plans to revamp the corporate set-up so that various divisions like movies and music report directly to him. [Page C2.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Green Bay Packers defeat New York Giants, 37-3; photo (M)

The Giants Suffer a Debacle And Next Year Starts Early

Allan Kozinn reviews Brooklyn Philharmonic concert conducted by Robert Spano, part of Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival; photo (M)

Brooklyn Orchestra Takes On Avant-Garde

Martina Hingis, who has fallen to second place behind Lindsay Davenport in women's tennis rankings, discusses her preparations for season-ending Chase Championships; photo (M)

TENNIS: No. 2 and Bothered by It; Hingis Wants to Cap Lackluster '98 by Dominating Year's Finale

Pres Clinton says that Pres Saddam Hussein of Iraq has unconditionally retreated and once again vowed complete cooperation with United Nations weapons inspectors; says US and British forces that nearly struck Iraq on Nov 14 will remain poised to act; says Iraq must live up to its obligations; calls for overthrow of Hussein; says he is threat to peace of his region and security of world; Pentagon says it is suspending its military buildup in Persian Gulf region; senior US officials say Iraqis have clarified their position in two letters that eliminated all unacceptable conditions; photo (M)

CLINTON ACCEPTS IRAQ'S PROMISE TO ALLOW WEAPONS INSPECTIONS

Japan announces $195 billion economic stimulus package, its largest package in eight years of economic malaise; increases amount of plan by about $47 billion in last week, boosting effect that it will have on the economy and underscoring anxieties in Tokyo and around world about Japan's recession and risk that it will drag down rest of world's economic growth as well; package in many ways is last-ditch attempt by Prime Min Keizo Obuchi to demonstrate his resolve to pull Japan out recession (M)

JAPAN ANNOUNCES $195 BILLION PLAN TO REVIVE ECONOMY

US and 15 other nations are about to start building international space station after years of debate and hundreds of studies; planners say sprawling research complex will answer major questions about future of humans in space, while producing data and products with more immediate applications down on planet; on Nov 20 Russia will launch 20-ton pressurized module that will serve as core of orbital outpost by providing initial populsion and power; US will follow on Dec 3 when shuttle Endeavour takes off with hub unit that will attach to Russian part and serve as main connector for future pieces of station, which is designed to eventually house up to seven astronauts at time; three astronauts are expected to occupy station beginning in early 2000; space station is one of largest peacetime international engineering projects in history, and one of costliest, with construction price of at least $40 billion, more than half of which will be paid by US; diagram; photo (M)

Space Station, Long a Dream, To Soar at Last

New York City's plans to handle more residential waste at its commercial waste transfer stations in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Hunts Point in Bronx and in other waterfront communities spark protests and leads to tensions between the boroughs; critics say that rules on placing transfer stations are illegal and that city laws for fairly sharing odious activities are ignored and that minority neighborhoods suffer unfairly; hope protests will stall city's drive to close Fresh Kills landfill, which does not go down well with Staten Island Borough President, Guy Molinari; photo; graph (M)

Boroughs Battle Over Trash As Last Landfill Nears Close

Time magazine plan for regular weekly edition on future of medicine that will be sponsored solely by drug maker Pfizer Inc spurs controversy; magazine's previous single-advertiser issues have all been special issues; Time is already under attack by rivals for blurring line between editorial and advertising priorities; Barrett Seaman, editor in charge of issue, spent day with Pfizer product managers; he admits he is disturbed by trend toward having single advertisers featured in issue solely about their industry (M)

Time Magazine's One-Advertiser Issues Become an Issue for Debate

Asbury Park, NJ, whose economic decline has been relieved this year by success of its high school football team, is stunned when team is forced to forfeit eight games because ineligible players were allowed to play; team, with 8-0 record, was almost a sure shot at state championship after 18-year drought; this is second consecutive year in which team has had victories reversed and its chances of a championship scuttled; photos (M)

Beacon of Pride Extinguished; Eight Forfeited Football Victories Stun Asbury Park

Special report, Sovereign Islands, examines accusations of sexual assaults aboard cruise liners; booming cruise industry presents new concerns about such crimes because of size of giant liners and because cruise lines operate largely outside laws of any one country; particular problem is allegations of sexual assaults committed by crew members; FBI agents in Miami, country's busiest cruise port, say they are called to investigate shipboard sexual assault about every other week; examination of such cases on ships operated by largest cruise lines finds pattern of coverups that often begin as soon as crime is reported at sea; cruise lines aggressively contest lawsuits and insist on secrecy as condition of settling; graph; photos (M)

SOVEREIGN ISLANDS: A special report.; On Cruise Ships, Silence Shrouds Crimes

John Tierney article recalls the celebrated car trip Rocco Morabito made in December 1987 when he was 5 years old and decided to drive his sister from their home in Port Chester, NY, to Rye Beach; Morabito celebrates 16th birthday by getting a learner's permit and re-enacting drive with his sister; photo (M)

The Big City; The Junior Joy Rider Is Back in the Driver's Seat

Maria Conchita Alonso to host concert of Latin American music at Avery Fisher Hall to benefit Gay Men's Health Crisis, AIDS group; Frank McGuinness's adaptation of 1859 Russian play The Storm, revival of Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical Into the Woods and revival of David Halliwell's play Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs are set to open, London; artifacts associated with George Washington are set to go on display at New-York Historical Society in start of national tour; Skinner Gallery, Boston, to auction some 300 film posters; photos (M)

This Week

Indianapolis Colts defeat New York Jets, 24-23; photo (M)

One Grand Play, One Inglorious Finish as the Jets Unravel

Ben Ratliff reviews concert by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett's trio at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark (M)

Hinting Quietly at Zen and the Principles of Physics

Microsoft Corp, reversing strategy again, has stitched its disparate Internet services back into unified network, which it reintroduced in Sept under MSN name; service combines news, data, shopping, bulletin boards and electronic mail; service will report to Microsoft president Steve Ballmer, as Pete Higgins, top on-line executive, plans leave of absence; Microsoft sites, taken together, constitute third-most-popular Internet network after America Online and Yahoo; table of key Web services, including those offered by Microsoft; drawings (M)

Where Does Microsoft Want You To Go Today?; The New Strategy: Keep Web Surfers Busy With a Series Of MSN Sites

Analysis attributes labor dispute between ABC and its union of 2,200 off-camera workers to proliferation of cable channels and new television networks, which are staffed by freelance and other nonunion technicians, and new technology that cuts the number of people needed to produce programs; broadcast and labor experts say current standoff could trigger shift in how television crews are organized (M)

Focus on Hiring at ABC

Interview with Harold Bloom, author of book Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human; excerpts from book; photos (M)

A Prospero or Lear? Nay, Verily a Falstaff; A Boisterous Tribute to Shakespeare

R W Apple Jr analysis contends that both Pres Clinton and Pres Saddam Hussein blinked in showdown over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction; Clinton, by ordering air attacks and then calling them off, has given United Nations weapons inspections another chance even though many officials in his Administration say inspections will not work; Hussein felt obliged by threat of US and British military action to reverse his decision to suspend cooperation with United Nations; his goal remains development of weapons to help him dominate his region; not a great deal has been resolved, and Administration has provided no clear blueprint of its future strategy (M)

Who Backed Down?

With the threat of American bombing attacks against Iraq put aside, diplomats and military analysts conducted a war of words.     ''Saddam Hussein has vast megalomaniacal ambitions,'' said Jonathan B. Tucker, a leading expert on biological and chemical weapons. And more than one frustrated White House official described Iraq's strategy as ''cheat and retreat.''   

Either War or Peace: A Vocabulary Guide

In an attempt to rebuild religious identity among young Jews, who are abandoning the faith in large numbers, Jewish organizations are ready to pay for any Jew in the world between 15 and 26 to visit Israel.    The program is also an effort to mend fraying ties among Jews who are divided over both the peace talks and theological issues.  

Using Visits to Israel To Win Young Jews

Antitrust suit against Microsoft Corp has opened window into extraordinary rift between Microsoft and Intel Corp, partners in most lucrative business relationship in modern capitalism, and how it was patched up; few in computer industry were aware of depth of split over multimedia software developed by Intel, its significance or personal animosities involved; partnership was repaired personally by chief excutives William H Gates of Microsoft and Andrew S Grove of Intel over lengthy dinners and frequent E-mail dialogues, with Intel backing down from technology initiative (M)

Depth of Rift Over Software Is Disclosed

 Giuliani on the Hog Problem  Workfare? Squeegee guys? Iowans already know what Rudolph W. Giuliani has to say about New York. On his latest visit, reporters grilled him about topics closer to home -- and his national ambitions. Page B3.    Stokely Carmichael Dies  Stokely Carmichael, the civil rights leader who coined the slogan ''black power'' and caused some alarm among more moderate members of the movement, has died of cancer at the age of 57 in Africa. Page B10.    Lady Vols' Streak Ends  For the first time since late in the 1996-97 season, the top-ranked Tennessee women's basketball team lost. The Lady Vols, who have won the past three national titles, fell to Purdue. SportsMonday, page D3.  

INSIDE

Rep J C Watts Jr, who is challenging Rep John A Boehner for his post as Republican conference chairman, is considered one of party's brightest stars and leading voice for conservative principles, but he has had to defend himself back home in Oklahoma against accusations arising from bad debts, unpaid state and Federal taxes, and his actions during Federal bribery investigation in 1991; has never been charged with crime; was easily re-elected in November; is only black Republican in Congress; photo (M)

November 16, 1998

Headlines from November 16, 1998

Communication Satellites in Peril as Cosmic Storm Approaches

BUSINESS DIGEST

The Giants Suffer a Debacle And Next Year Starts Early

Brooklyn Orchestra Takes On Avant-Garde

TENNIS: No. 2 and Bothered by It; Hingis Wants to Cap Lackluster '98 by Dominating Year's Finale

Billboard 200

Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

Enter The Dru

Up

The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill

Come On Over

Historical Context for November 16, 1998