January 13, 1999

Review of Federal court case in Portland, Oregon, in which Planned Parenthood and several doctors have brought suit against radical anti-abortion group's Web site, which includes, among other things, a 'main archive,' listing names of dozens of doctors and clinic workers around country who provide abortions; for some of the people site calls 'baby butchers,' information includes photographs, home addresses, license plate numbers, names of their spouses and children; a few of doctors, including Barnett A Slepian, of Amherst, NY, who was fatally shot by sniper last fall, have line through their names, denoting that they have been killed; those who have been wounded have their names listed in gray; trial will boil down to this question: is Web site constitutionally protected free speech?; plaintiffs, who are seeking up to $200 million in damages, bring their case under 1994 Federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which makes it illegal to use 'force or threat of force' against anyone seeking or providing an abortion, and allows clinics to seek unlimited damages if workers are harmed or intimidated; Web site is named after German city of Nuremberg, in which Nazis were put on trial after World War II; photo of page from Web site (L)

Chicagoans are anxious and upset about Michael Jordan's retirement from basketball because superstar has added such lustre to city's self-image; residents comment; photo (L)

Chinese soup dumplings, Shanghai specialty, has been overwhelmingly embraced by New Yorkers resulting in opening of dozens of Shanghai restaurants across city; photo; drawing (M)

Gay Men's Health Crisis and other AIDS groups in New York and across the country seek to stem decline in donations they have suffered since life-prolonging treatments began reducing the number of AIDS-related deaths; are trying to reinvent fund-raising approaches and to devise fresh ones that can overcome donor fatigue; some struggling groups are even considering mergers or pairing up with non-AIDS organizations; GMHC's cancellation of annual fund-raising event on Fire Island amid complaints about drug abuse signals to some gay-rights advocates the loss of a part of history; others, like the writer Larry Kramer, say good riddance; photos (M)

Health insurance industry is rapidly whittling itself down to a few giant companies that dominate health systems of some of country's biggest cities; doctors and hospitals are increasingly concerned, and trend is also raising questions about cost and availability of care of millions of patients and their employers; criticism sharpens after recent announcements of two billion-dollar deals that would propel Aetna Inc to first place among nation's health insurers; last month, Aetna agreed to buy Prudential Health Care, No. 5 for-profit managed care company, while it was still digesting its July purchase of NYL-Care, No. 11 (M)