Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu fights for his political survival in Israel, with only ultra-Orthodox Jewish community standing nearly unanimously by his side; his candidacy is bleeding support from other core constituencies: Sephardic Jews, secular right-wingers and Russian immigrants; many observers believe his behavior is panicky, as though he is on the ropes; in recent appearances, he has lashed out at the left, the elite, the media and polls; Netanyahu is trailing his main opponent, Ehud Barak, by solid 8 points in latest polls; some conservative analysts now suggest that Barak, Labor Party leader, could win clear majority in May 17 vote, obviating need for anticipated runoff on June 1; photos (L)

With Prospects Bleaker, Netanyahu Lashes Out

Marvyn M Kornberg and Stephen C Worth, lawyers for Police Officers Justin A Volpe and Charles Schwarz in Abner Louima brutality case, attack credibility of Detective Eric Turetzky, who testified against Volpe and Schwarz, suggesting that he was motivated by self-interest and had offered shifting account (M)

Lawyers Attack Testimony Of Detective In Louima Case

 American Airlines Accused Of Illegal Pricing in Texas  The Federal Government accused American Airlines of driving smaller competitors out of one of its most important markets by illegally cutting ticket prices below their cost and increasing flights sharply.  

BUSINESS DIGEST

George Vecsey Sports of The Times column contends that it is very 'funny' that New York Knicks, No 8 team in playoffs, is leading Miami Heat, No 1 team, in opening round and can eliminate Heat with one more victory; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; No. 8 Team Leads No. 1: Very Strange

Autos on Friday column on declining number of driver education programs in public high schools, and variety of state regulations for training and licensing of teen-age drivers; photo (M)

AUTOS ON FRIDAY/Safety; The Unfulfilled Promise Of Drivers' Education

Tiger Woods leads GTE Byron Nelson Classic golf tournament after first round; photos (M)

Woods's 61 Leads Garcia by Only One

Federal Government accuses American Airlines of driving smaller competitors out of one of its most important markets by illegally slashing ticket prices below cost and increasing flights sharply; contends American used its dominance of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to prevent weaker competitors from gaining foothold there in mid-1990's, only to raise prices and reduce service after they left; antitrust case is first predatory pricing action brought by Government against an airline since industry was deregulated 21 years ago; it is part of broader 18-month examination by Justice Dept's antitrust division of steps that may have been taken by major airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines and United, unit of UAL, to discourage lower-priced competition in cities they dominate (M)

AIRLINE IS ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL PRICING

Article on Miami Heat Coach Pat Riley notes that his team trails New York Knicks, 2-1, in first round of NBA playoffs and faces elimination by team he once coached; photo (M)

Riley at the Crossroads as the Unthinkable Looms

United States intelligence officials say that within three or four years China will be able to deploy nuclear missile with warhead whose design draws on stolen American secrets; say missile, Dong Feng-31, will have range of approximately 5,000 miles and will be truck-based, having a mobility that will make it more difficult to detect and destroy; some United States officials say that DF-31 warhead will use design technology from American W-70 warhead, which was stolen from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California in late 1970's or early 1980's; there is debate over which American secrets the Chinese are using and about the extent to which the DF-31's warhead will rely on American technology (M)

China Is Installing a Warhead Said to Be Based on U.S. Secrets

Pres Clinton's nominee for Treasury Secretary Lawrence H Summers appears to be facing relatively little opposition in Senate, even from Republican critics of Administration's economic policy; Summers and Sec Robert E Rubin spend time with key members of Senate; Senate majority leader Trent Lott, critic of Administration's economic policy, sees no problems with Summers's nomination; photo (M)

Easy Approval Is Predicted For Summers

Clyde Haberman column comments on crowd of young women who recently turned out to see popular Latin singer Ricky Martin at MTV studio on Times Square and crowd of people in their 20's and 30's who were lined up outside Broadway movie theater to get tickets for upcoming film Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace; Martin photo (M)

Getting a Life, Episode One: The Un-Kids

Germany's environmentalist Green Party breaks ranks with its coalition partners and other Western governments by calling for 'limited halt' to NATO bombing of Yugoslavia; vote, a breach in unity that NATO has been at pains to preserve, illustrates how air strikes are putting growing pressure on some European governments; photo of Foreign Min Joschka Fischer after being struck by bag of red paint hurled by protester in Bielefeld (M)

In a Breach, German Party Backs 'Limited Halt' in Kosovo Air War

Chevron Corp and Texaco Inc will continue merger talks next week, but they remain divided over Chevron's insistence that it control combined company (M)

In a Texaco Deal, Chevron Wants Control

Mortals and sprites transported to 19th-century Tuscany. Fussy.

A 'Dream' of Foolish Mortals

Anna Kisselgoff Critic's Notebook review of virtuoso performances by male dancers of American Ballet Theater; photos (M)

They Make People Gasp

Walt-Mart Stores Inc has decided not to sell Gynetics Inc's drug Preven, emergency contraceptive approved last year for sale in US and widely available in drugstores nationwide; Wal-Mart, in letter to Planned Parenthood, says it has made 'business decision' not to fill prescriptions for Preven, which is recommended for use up to 72 hours after unprotected sex and is sometimes called 'morning after' pill; Planned Parenthood, critical of Wal-Mart's decision, says it suspects store's policy might stem from pressure from people who say life beings moment egg is fertilized (M)

Wal-Mart Decides Against Selling a Contraceptive

Gov George Pataki and New York Legislature promise to repeal commuter tax for state residents who work in New York City; override objections of Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani, who plans to fight repeal of tax in court and who suggests that his political enemies are seeking to use the tax to damage his chances if he runs for US Senate in 2000; Gov Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey says she will support a lawsuit that would force New York to cut tax for all commuters; city, which would lose $210 million if repeal applies only to state residents, would lose total of $360 million if it applies to commuters from New Jersey and Connecticut as well; photo Giuliani and Council Speaker Peter Vallone (M)

End to Commuter Tax Nears With Jolting Speed in Albany

Federal Judge Peter K Leisure, in potentially groundbreaking ruling that could help resolve some of enduring mysteries of cold war, orders Government to unseal thousands of pages of secret grand jury testimony from investigation of Alger Hiss and underground Communist movement in US; ruling, which comes over strong objections of Government, could lead to release of grand jury testimony in late 1940's by Hiss and dozens of other witnesses, including his chief accuser, Whitaker Chambers, and then Congressman, Richard M Nixon; photos (M)

Historic Papers in Hiss Case Are Ordered Unsealed

 A Bill for All Reasons  House and Senate negotiators wrapped up a $15 billion spending package for wars and disasters that is filled with help for the mining, steel, and other industries.   PAGE A18    Impeachment, Russian Style  The Communist-led Parliament began a surreal struggle over whether to impeach President Boris Yeltsin, one day after he replaced his latest prime minister.   PAGE A6

INSIDE

Article on huge marketing blitz for film Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace; says effort is being supervised down to teensiest detail by George Lucas, writer-producer-director who created Star War films and whose Lucasfilm Ltd has been working on next chapter since last film was released in 1983; charts; photos (M)

THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING -- The Hype Is With Us; The Lucas Empire Is Invading; Resistance Is Futile

Pres Clinton acknowledges that he has been concerned that Vice Pres Al Gore's Presidential campaign is off to a sluggish start, telephone interview with New York Times; says he has personally coached Gore on how to loosen up and appear less remote and rigid on campaign trail; insists that he is by no means alarmed by state of campaign and that, like most of Democratic establishment, he still expects Gore to win his party's nomination in 2000; photo of Clinton and Gore (M)

Clinton Admits to Concerns As Gore Campaign Stumbles

Senate Republicans, who a day earlier defeated Democratic proposal to require background checks on buyers at gun shows, come out with a measure of their own that they say will do precisely that, a startling reversal that reflects their skittishness about being portrayed as soft on guns; in addition, sizable majority of senators vote not only for another Republican gun control measure, this one prohibiting sale of semiautomatic assault weapons to those under 18, but also for Democratic proposal to ban import of high-capacity ammunition clips for those weapons; many Senate Democrats and Clinton dministration officials say new Republican gun-show amendment is so ambiguous that it would create a class of vendor, neither dealer nor private collector, who would be exempt from having to conduct background checks on prospective gun buyers (M)

REVERSING STANCE, REPUBLICANS URGE A GUN-SALE CURB

Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington says New York City is considering multimillion-dollar plan to modernize and move Fulton Fish Market from site it has occupied for 166 years in lower Manhattan; says Giuliani administration, forced to act because of more stringent Federal requirements regarding refrigeration of fish, plans to decided by this summer whether to renovate existing market or to build new center for wholesale fish and shellfish companies elsewhere in city; says either alternative will cost $30 million to $55 million; photo (M)

City Considering a Modern Fulton Fish Market at a New Site

Anaheim Angels beat New York Yankees, 2-0; photo (M)

Two Shutout Losses Make Yanks Look Suddenly Ordinary

Commerce Department reports retail sales rose one-tenth of 1 percent in April; Labor Department reports producer prices rose only one-tenth of 1 percent last month; crude oil prices rose 27.3 percent, biggest jump since October 1990 and pushing gasoline prices up 29 percent, a record increase; department says first-time claims for state unemployment benefits were unchanged last week at seasonally adjusted 303,000; graphs on producer prices and retail sales (M)

May 14, 1999

Headlines from May 14, 1999

With Prospects Bleaker, Netanyahu Lashes Out

Lawyers Attack Testimony Of Detective In Louima Case

BUSINESS DIGEST

Sports of The Times; No. 8 Team Leads No. 1: Very Strange

AUTOS ON FRIDAY/Safety; The Unfulfilled Promise Of Drivers' Education

Billboard 200

Ruff Ryders: Ryde Or Die; Vol. 1

Fanmail

I Am...

Come On Over

...Baby One More Time

Historical Context for May 14, 1999