April 9, 1999

Jaywalkers, declared endangerd species in Jan 1998 as part of Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani's quality of life campaign, seem to be thriving in midtown Manhattan; illegal walkers say they have seen no change in behavior by pedestrians or police in 15 months since Giuliani hiked fines for jaywalking tickets from $2 to $50 and suggested that police officers starting writing them; Transportation Alternatives exec dir John Kaehny says it was much more 'rhetorical crackdown' than actual crackdown; Police Dept issued 99 jaywalking tickets last year; photo (M)

Situation confronting many of Denver's Hispanic population--lack of health insurance--is seen emblematic of striking disparity in nation's health care system; for reasons that are largely economic, but also cultural, 34 percent of nation's 31 million Hispanic people have no health insurance, compared with 22 percent of blacks and 12 percent of non-Hispanic whites; over all, 43 million people in nation lack health insurance, up from 31 million decade ago; while Hispanic people appear to be gaining in economic and political strength, they disporportionately lack insurance coverage and access to professional care; that is particularly true for the three-quarters who are from Mexico and Central America; Denver has vast Hispanic population, making up quarter of city's half-million residents, compared with 11 percent nationwide; Hispanic residents are mostly young and mostly from Mexico and Central Ameria, and as in many cities their lack of professional health care sustains thriving system of alternative care built on religion, tradition and home remedies; photos (L)

Profiling--use of race and ethnicity as clues to criminality--is at heart of Federal and state investigations into police behavior in New Jersey and New York City; police consider it crucial crime-fighting tool based on street savy; critics contend it is potentially fatal weapon that betrays deep institutional racism; it is subtext of outrage over fatal shooting of Amadou Diallo, unarmed West African immigrant, by four white police officers in Bronx; it is subject of bills pending in Congress and dozen state legislatures; determining when and how police should use race or ethnicity to assess suspects is complicated balancing act of public safety and civil liberties; photos (M)

New Jersey Gov Christine Todd Whitman says that she plans to run for United States Senate next year, raising prospect of rematch with man she ousted from statehouse six years ago, Jim Florio; noting that State Constitution forbids her to run for third term, Whitman says seat in Senate would give her opportunity to continue promoting her moderate Republican agenda, only on a different stage; announces that she is forming fund-raising committee to begin collecting $10 million to $12 million needed for statewide campaign; because of Whitman's nationwide prominence as moderate, tax-cutting Republican, her announcement is greeted with enthusiasm among Republicans in Washington, who say they feel she offers party a strong chance to pick up a seat that has been held by Democrat, Frank R Lautenberg, for nearly two decades; photos (L)

Yugoslav Government asserts that 'peace has been restored in Kosovo,' declares an end to its military offensive and urges all refugees to return home while new political arrangements are negotiated for province; NATO dismisses statements and says its bombing campaign will continue; Government announcement says that under an accord between Pres Slobodan Milosevic and pacifist ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugovo, 'a process of return of displaced persons from Kosovo, predominantly of Albanian nationality, has been initiated'; Rugovo is reported to be in Kosovo capital, Pristina, under Serbian police protection, but it is not clear under what conditions; announcement appeals to all citizens of Kosovo to remain home or to return there, and 'to live together and cooperate' (M)