Screening of trailer for Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace, first Star Wars film in 15 years, shown on 75 screens in 26 states, is unprecedented film event; attracts fans who pay full admission to another film just to see two minute 10 second trailer and leave before movie begins; photo (M)

Now Playing: Two New Minutes of 'Star Wars'

New York State Democratic leaders, as final ballots are being counted in tight race for state attorney general, are charging that campaign of Dennis C Vacco, Republican incumbent, has mounted concerted effort to invalidate paper ballots in black and Hispanic areas, particularly in New York City; Vacco is trailing his Democratic opponent, Eliot L Spitzer, by 19,646 votes, with fewer than 15,000 votes to be counted; photo (M)

Ballot Tactics Used by Vacco Are Assailed

New York Jets defeat Tennessee Oilers, 24-3; photo (M)

One Good Half for the Jets, and One Big Victory

Iraq, week after averting military strikes by US, issues new series of defiant statements that it has little intention of cooperating with UN arms inspectors; remains on collision course with US; Foreign Min Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf rebuffs UN demand for more documents on country's arms program; reasserts that Baghdad has already produced more than two million pages of files and has no more documents to give; in second direct challenge in three days to US and Britain, Iraqis have in effect stated that they will step back only to October 31, when all cooperation with arms inspectors ceased, leaving all restrictions placed on monitors before final break in place; Clinton Administration warns US forces remain poised to act; national security adviser Samuel R Berger says Iraq's objection to request for documents is unreasonable and urges favorable response to UN request (M)

IRAQ RATCHETS UP RENEWED DEFIANCE OVER INSPECTIONS

Martina Hingis defeats Lindsay Davenport to win Chase Championships tennis tournament; photo (M)

No. 2 on the Computer Only: Hingis Overcomes Davenport

John Tierney The Big City column discusses author Tom Wolfe being repeatedly nominated but rejected for membership in American Academy of Arts and Letters; criticism of Wolfe's work by several academy members noted; photo (M)

The Big City; Rejections Put Wolfe In Elite Ranks

Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard is locked in do-or-die election with Liberal Party leader Jean Charest that will decide to large extent on November 30 whether province's long flirtation with secession will succeed at last; Bouchard has promised that if his Parti Quebecois is re-elected, he will hold third referendum on separation, probably by 2001; Charest says there will be no referendum if he is elected--threat political analysts say could take away separatists' last opportunity to win since passion for independence is waning; province's continuing exodus of English-speakers has been largely offset by declining local birth rate, and large influx of immigrants tends to vote against secession; last referendum in 1995 fell 50,000 votes short; map; photos (M)

Vote in Quebec May Be Last Fling With Secession

 A Mayor Eyes Kremlin  Yuri M. Luzhkov, the pugnacious and energetic Mayor of Moscow, has formed a centrist party that to the surprise of some, is taking off with a full head of steam. Page A3.    Religious Strife in Indonesia  A fight between Muslims and Christian migrants killed at least 13 people and left nearly a dozen churches burned or looted. Page A4.    Crime Rate Declines Again  The nation's murder rate reached its lowest level in 30 years and serious crime fell for a sixth consecutive year, the F.B.I. reported. Page A16.    N.B.A. Fans Say, So What?  As a labor dispute delays the basketball season, a larger problem looms for the N.B.A.: fans don't seem to care. SportsMonday, page D1.    A2 Arts  Weather  Auto Exchange  

INSIDE

America Online Inc is on verge of agreement to purchase Netscape Communications Corp, Internet pioneer at center of Govt's antitrust suit against Microsoft Corp; will acquire Netscape's popular site on World Wide Web and its software business in complex three-way transaction that would also involve Sun Microsystems Inc; will enter into joint marketing and development partnership with Sun Microsystems to strengthen Netscape's other business of selling to large corporations heavy duty software needed to serve up Web pages and other Internet technologies to thousands of users at same time; deal, involving exchange of America Online shares for Netscape stock, is valued at approximately $4 billion; will realign three businesses at forefront of on-line services, Internet software and electronic commerce and strengthen two of Microsoft's main rivals (M)

NETSCAPE BID SEEN BY AMERICA ONLINE

New York Giants defeat Philadelphia Eagles, 20-0; photo (M)

Giants Quietly Keep Victory In Perspective

US Defense Dept, driven by budget constraints and diminishing security threats, quietly recommends that Clinton Administration consider unilateral reductions in nation's nuclear arsenal; believes reductions would have no effect on ability to deter nuclear adversary since US has already committed itself to drastic cuts in arsenal; is seeking to avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars to maintain, and soon to rebuild, nuclear weapons US has agreed to scrap but has been thwarted by failure of Russian Parliament to ratify second nuclear arms reduction treaty; recommendations, if adopted, would reduce US arsenal below 6,000 nuclear warheads allowed by first strategic arms reduction treaty; Department has spent $95 million more maintaining weapons over past two years than it would have if second treaty had taken effect, and would be faced with $100 million cost in 1999 and $1 billion in 2000 (M)

Pentagon Ready to Shrink Arsenal of Nuclear Bombs

Janet Maslin tribute to film producer and director Alan J Pakula, who died in traffic accident at age 70; photo (M)

Finding Depth In Society's Shallow End

Big book deal for New York City police officer who writes about officer's life for New Yorker magazine under pseudonym Marcus Laffey has called attention to his use of false name; Laffey is actually Edward W Conlon and his real name has never been closely guarded secret; police department says it has no problems with his second career as writer; photo (M)

Media Talk; Police Officer As Journalist: Behind the Pseudonym

George M. Steinbrenner 3d continued to deny that he was close to an agreement to sell the Yankees to Cablevision, but he said his family would retain control of the team if he should sell. He also hinted at the possibility that he could wind up running the Knicks and the Rangers, which are owned by Cablevision. Article, page B1.

A Steinbrenner Twist

George M Steinbrenner 3d continues to deny that he had reached agreement or was close to an agreement to sell majority share of New York Yankees to Cablevision but says that even if deal is concluded he and his family will retain control of team; Cablevision head Charles Dolan and Steinbrenner are reportedly close to deal under which Cablevision would buy majority interest in Yankees; possibility of Steinbrenner running New York Rangers and New York Knickerbockers, currently owned by Cablevision, discussed (M)

Steinbrenner May Sell, but Says He'll Stay the Boss

Ben Brantley reviews revival of wordless comedy play Fool Moon, created by and starring Bill Irwin and David Shiner; photo (M)

Sanity Restored In a Fun House

Civilian air navigation experts studying reliability of nearly completed navigational system for airplanes based on Global Positioning System satellite network see possible strike on Iraq as test of whether enemy can jam satellites' electronic signals; Federal Aviation Administration, which had planned to replace all ground-based navigational aids with GPS, now weighs retaining at least third of them to address reliability concerns; diagrams (M)

Navigational System Awaits Jamming Test

Ben Brantley reviews revival of Leonard Bernstein-Betty Comden-Adolph Green play On the Town, directed by George C Wolfe; photos (M)

Love in a Hurry on a Busy Shore Leave

Barry Diller's USA Networks Inc apparently is using its Miami television station, WAMI, recently converted from Home Shopping Network affiliate, as experiment in redefining local television in era of video diversity; station's oddball melange of shows reflects challenge of creating new service in increasingly competitive envirionment; graph and tables of company's holdings; photos (M)

Diller's Latest Tele-Vision; First, a Network of Cubic Zirconium. Now, a Station of Lips and Hardbodies.

Villa Griesbach, Berlin, to auction 1,150 works of art and photography valued at nearly $10 million; Newband plans concert of music by composer Harry Partch, London, performed on instruments built by Partch; conductor Keith Lockhart, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and baritone Jubilant Sykes plan 11-city cross-country tour; will perform Christmas favorites; New York City Ballet to mark 50th-anniversary season, beginning with festivities, New York City, honoring former dancer Tanaquil Le Clercq; photos (M)

THIS WEEK

Article contends that public apathy over National Basketball Assn player lockout is expected to continue when season begins; many fans feel that league has sold its soul with both players and owners greedily focusing on money rather than on concern of public; photo (M)

PRO BASKETBALL: And the Winner Is: Apathy; N.B.A.'s Problems Won't End When the Games Begin

Article discusses lineage of Livingston family, founded in America by Robert Livingston; descendants of Livingston family, whose roots are in New York's Hudson Valley, include many notable political figures, including Repr Robert L Livingston of Louisiana, who is poised to become next Speaker of the House; other descendants include Hamilton Fish, Eleanor Roosevelt, Thomas H Kean and George Bush; photo (M)

A Livingston Legacy Revived; Speaker-to-Be Has Rich Bloodlines in North and South

Outlook for investing in K-Tel International discussed in light of stock's extreme volatility and possible delisting by Nasdaq for lack of adequate assets; company was quick to announce plans to sell music over Internet, causing stock to soar, but slow in disclosing resignation of president David Weiner, his replacement by Lawrence Kieves and Nasdaq delisting threat; graphs (M)

Market Place; It Sliced, It Sentimentalized, but Now Can It Surf?

White House Renews Push for Impeachment Deal** White House signals openness to compromise to end year-long sex scandal, in wake of Congressional testimony by independent counsel Kenneth W Starr and as House moves quickly toward decision on whether to impeach Pres Clinton; comments by special counsel Gregory B Craig open door to form of censure or rebuke, short of removing Clinton from office; Craig tells NBC's Meet the Press White House is in favor of any 'serious and reasonable' proposition that has promise of bringing affair to 'prompt and just' conclusion; insists Clinton did not lie under oath about relationship with Monica S Lewinsky; incoming House Speaker Repr Robert L Livingston, while leaving door open to censure, indicates it is not first preference; says if House votes articles of impeachment, plea bargain would be more appropriately question for Senate; says any House vote in House should not be along party lines but according to dictates of conscience; Craig photo (M)

White House Renews Push for Impeachment Deal

Interview with 49-year-old Hayes Williams, black man who spent 30 years in Louisiana prison for killing in which he played no role; Hayes was freed by Federal judge who found prosecutors withheld evidence in 1967 case that could have proved his innocence; was bystander outside filling station when argument between two acquaintances and station owner escalated into gun battle that courts called second-degree murder; photos (M)

In Prison for Three Decades, Man Is Rid of Bars, Not Fears

Caoimhín Odhrán Kelleher is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Brentford and the Republic of Ireland national team.

November 23, 1998

Headlines from November 23, 1998

Now Playing: Two New Minutes of 'Star Wars'

Ballot Tactics Used by Vacco Are Assailed

One Good Half for the Jets, and One Big Victory

IRAQ RATCHETS UP RENEWED DEFIANCE OVER INSPECTIONS

No. 2 on the Computer Only: Hingis Overcomes Davenport

Billboard 200

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

The Best Of 1980-1990/The B-Sides

Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

These Are Special Times

Belly

Notable Births

Historical Context for November 23, 1998