December 16, 1998

Stephen Holden's Critic's Notebook column says that the demise of WQEW-AM, only New York radio outlet for popular music predating rock, represents severing of vital link with shared cultural past and that planned closing of Rainbow and Stars, city's leading cabaret, is stunning and unfortunate coincidence; photos (M)

Citigroup plans to eliminate about 10,400 jobs, or about 6 percent of its work force, well beyond several thousand positions it suggested would be cut as recently as October; undisclosed but substantial number of jobs cuts will involve layoffs; Citigroup says 65 percent, or about 6,760, of the cuts will be overseas; about 3,640 positions will be in US; Citigroup employees in New York will not bear brunt of US cutbacks; chart (M)

Federal Judge Deborah A Batts overturns New York City law that would have banned cigarette advertising from almost every street and limited it in stores; says only Federal Government can impose such restrictions; ruling comes almost year after City Council passed law; Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani initially opposed law on ground that it might be unconstitutional, but he ultimately signed it, saying he hoped it would decrease cigarette sales to minors; coalition of small grocery stores sued city, saying law violated their right to free speech and predicting that it would jeopardize some of $30 million that store owners receive from tobacco manufacturers for placing tobacco displays in their windows (M)

Florence Fabricant discusses intense pleasures of dark bittersweet chocolate, which delivers flavor without intrusion of milky taste or even overdose of sugar; photos; recipes (M)

Melvin Whitaker, former University of Virginia basketball player who served two and a half years in prison for attacking fellow student with boxcutter, enrolls at Mount St Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Md, and will play on basketball team; Mt St Mary's president George Houston Jr and basketball coach Jim Phelan comment; photo (M)