October 19, 1999

Clyde Haberman column criticizes Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani for essentially declaring City Hall's plaza to be off-limits to ordinary New Yorkers, but providing exceptions for events such as baseball celebrations that he deems of 'extraordinary public interest' (M)

New research shows how Roman Catholic Church, while it condemned Galileo, worked hard centuries ago to amass astronomical tools, measurements, tests and lore; church, in its scientific zeal, adapted cathedrals across Europe, and a tower at Vatican itself, so their darkened vaults could serve as solar observatories; beams of sunlight that fell past religious art and marble columns not only inspired the faithful but provided astronomers with information about Sun, Earth and their celestial relationship; Dr John L Heilbron, in new book, The Sun in the Church, reveals the ubiquity of solar observatories, which heretofore were little known among scholars; he shows that church was not necessarily seeking knowledge for knowledge's sake, but rather wanted something practical in return for its investments: mainly improvement of calendar so church officials could more accurately establish date of Easter; drawings; photo (L)

New York Giants beat Dallas Cowboys, 13-10; Giants place kicker Brad Daluiso tears ligament in his left knee and will be out for rest of season; photo (M)

A study paid for by the Pentagon has concluded that an experimental drug given to American troops in the Persian Gulf war may have been the cause of chronic illnesses afflicting tens of thousands of veterans. Article, page A18.

Hospital administrators say many managed care companies in New York City metropolitan area are refusing to pay for one or more days of patient hospital stays as way to increase their own profits; Greater New York Hospital Association, trade group representing area hospitals, asks State's Attorney General's office to look into practice (M)