July 13, 1999

Gov George E Pataki, at time when national Republicans are increasingly nervous about party's failure to unite behind opponent to run against Hillary Rodham Clinton in US Senate race from New York next year, is still refusing to go along with his party's leaders and support Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani over other potential candidates (M)

Samas, Middle Eastern company that will run charter school that will open in Flushing, Queens, recently lost its contract to operate two charter schools in Chicago; some education officials in New York knew of company's dismissal, but neither investigated it nor informed public about it before giving preliminary approval to Flushing school; educators in Chicago say company was criticized by number of teachers and parents who were concerned about its teaching methods and style of management; say tests, faxed weekly from Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates, often came in at last minute and used British spellings (M)

Unidentified American doctor, part of team of international scientists trapped for winter at Amunsden-Scott research station on Antarctica, faces special personal challenge of being her own physician after discovering lump in her breast; must take care of all aspect of her diagnosis and treatment, and tend illnesses among other team members; medical supplies and equipment to treat possible cancer were air-dropped by US Air Force because of harsh weather; she has been working at station since December 1998 and discovered lump in June; map (M)

Murray Chass column notes that Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jeff Zimmerman is first player from Northern League, independent minor league, and French National League to be named to major league all-star team; photo (M)

Just 50 Kosovar refugees remain at Fort Dix, NJ; US army training camp for reservists in May became reception center for refugees from overcrowded camps in Macedonia; massive resettlement operation at Fort Dix will close down by end of July, with 4,000 Kosovars sent to communities scattered across 40 states; photo (M)

Many New Yorkers already facing increases in health premiums of more than 10 percent, could face even greater increases in wake of ruling by state insurance regulators on point-of-service plans, which allow customers to get care outside their health service network if they pay extra; ruling bars insurance companies from offering lower rates for such plans to large companies based on low health care spending of employees; regulators say some insurers were overstating percentage of out-of-network coverage, giving themselves more flexibility in pricing and subsequently offering more attractive deals to big companies with generally healthy employees in order to get business; say smaller companies and groups, or those with less healthy employees, ended up paying more; independent insurance agents say ruling could force up monthly cost for some plans by $100 to $200 per family for companies that provide family coverage; monthly premiums for such coverage currently average $650, with employers' share varying widely (M)

Medical educators are concerned that a generation of young doctors, dazzled by high-tech tests and computer printouts, is turning away from hands-on skills that, once forgotten, may never be retrieved; many American doctors are no longer very skillful at what is called 'physical diagnosis,' or the art of interpreting abnormalities in the physical examination; drawings illustrate various hands-on techniques used by doctors in physical examinations, and what they see, feel and hears means to them; photo (M)

National Assn of Broadcasters is airing series of television commercials dealing with major social problems in which Congressional wives express opinions; commercials give television stations opportunity to engage in public service, and to fill empty time for which commercials have not been sold; represents risk-free way for members of Congress to keep names before public, benefit not avaliable to potential challengers; allow assn to quietly ingratiate itself further with lawmakers (M)

Merrill Lynch & Co president Herbert M Allison Jr resigns after he is told he will not become Merrill's top executive; Allison's departure appears to be fallout from turmoil generated by rapid change at Merrill; changes bore stamp of Allison, widely viewed as number 2 to chairman-chief executive David H Komansky; but rapid pace of change made Allison target of critics within Merrill's executive ranks and destroyed his chances of succeeding Komansky; Merrill calls departure a retirement; firm has no immediate plans to name successor; vice chairmen Stephen L Hammerman and John L Steffens will assume increased management duties; photo (M)

Walt Disney Co, eager to assume more direct control over future of its assets on Internet, says it will create single company combining its own Internet holdings with Infoseek Corp, search service and portal; new company, to be known as Go.com, will merge Disney.com, Disney's Club Blast, Disney Store Online and other holdings with Infoseek; Disney will increase its share of Infoseek to 72 percent from 42 percent; deal is company's attempt to create entity whose stock will provide Disney with currency for additional Internet acquisitions; Disney and its subsidiaries have about 175 Web sites grouped under Go Network, which ranks fifth among Web domains; chairman Michael D Eisner comments; chart; photo (M)

Most widespread and sustained protests since Iran's Islamic revolution two decades ago spreads throughout country; security police and vigilante supporters move to crush pro-democracy student demonstrators outside Teheran University; demonstrations reported in 18 cities and towns, including major cosmopolitan cities of Tabriz, Shiraz and Isfahan, and more traditional cities like Meshed and Yazd; reflect deep struggle over course of Islamic revolution; students are impatient with slow pace of reforms promised by Pres Mohammad Khatami; are not calling for change in Islamic system of government, but for quickening of movement toward democracy and rule of law; diehard Islamic revolutionaries, some in positions of power, believe country's moves toward democracy are betrayal of revolutionary purism; demonstrations follow passage by Parliament of tough new press law and closure of Salam, popular left-leaning Islamic newspaper; map; photos (M)

Medicare changes proposed by Pres Clinton would bolster prescription management services; shift would illuminate some practices of management drug companies that have largely escaped public notice, including power of pharmacy benefit managers to affect doctors' decisions and their dealings with drug companies; arrangements, which include rebates from drug companies to managers for giving preference to certain drugs, would become much more visible; pharmacy benefit managers try to influence doctors' prescribing habits and encourage use of lower-cost drugs, including generic substitutes for brand-name medicines; in some ways, pharmacy benefit managers are like health maintenance organizations: they try to control cost of care; Barrett Toan, president of Express Scripts Inc, which supervises filling of 295 million prescriptions a year for 47 million people with private health insurance, comments on Clinton's program; list of top five prescription management companies; photo (M)