November 14, 1999

Storm is seen gathering over prescription drugs; pharmaceutical industry may be emerging as next front in politics of health care; drug companies are highly profitable, highly competitive businesses on cusp of scientific revolution that promises fabulous financial future; they supply world with indispensable products made better than they they have ever been made before; but neither companies nor their government regulators nor politicians who pass the laws have found way to make sure that vital products of this unfettered market reach all segments of society; business, insurance companies, consumers and especially the elderly are feeling exploding cost of drugs; trying to ward off government interference, pharmaceutical industry is turning increasingly to expensive lobbying and generous campaign contributions; photo (L)

Gretchen Morgenson Market Watch column assesses semiconductor sector, which has helped propel stock indexes to record highs this year; Philadelphia Stock Exchange Semiconductor Index has risen whopping 87 percent this year, 18 percent since November 1; graph (M)

Medicare spending declined in last fiscal year for first time ever, even as private health insurance programs report increase of four percent to ten percent; Medicare spending fell one percent, to $212 billion, from $213 billion in prior fiscal year; Congressional cuts, low inflation and anti-fraud efforts cited; former budget official Robert D Reischauer sees 'phenomenal' development, considering increased number of beneficiaries and private sector increases; major reasons for rising costs of private plans is that they cover prescription drugs, which Medicare generally does not cover (M)

Article on CBS chairman and chief executive Mel Karmazin, who will soon take reins as chief operating officer of Viacom-CBS; question remains whether Karmazin, who has never supervised creative people on a daily basis, is up to task; brief biographical sketch; chart; photo; drawing (L)

Joyce Wadler report on having English butler Paul Burrell handle dinner at her own nonpalatial apartment; photos; Burrell, author of new book on etiquette and entertaining, recalls working for Princess Diana (M)

Felicia R Lee Coping column on recent meeting with six minority students in New York City, who comment on possible reasons for persistent academic achievement gap between minority and white and Asian students; drawing (M)

Prime-time network quiz show, considered hopelessly dead television format for last forty years, returns as ABC strikes it rich with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire; copy of British hit was meant to fill some summer hours, but has captured such strong ratings this fall that advertisers are clamoring to buy time; show has crushed opposition; format explained; photos of host Regis Philbin (M)

US intelligence analysts discover evidence that South Korea is trying to develop longer-range ballistic missiles, while keeping some of program's aims secret from US; satellite evidence and missile test this year cited; Pres Clinton and Sec William Cohen have raised concerns with South Korean leaders, injecting uncertainty into relations at time when two countries are warily watching North Korea's arms program; satellite photos showed last year that South Korea built rocket motor test station without notifying US (M)

Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, NY, is planning $100 million investment to upgrade its main campus with benefit of $175 million gift from former professor of chemical engineering, Donald F Othmer; improvements include campus's first residence hall and new academic building with athletic facility, also a first for university; drawings (M)

Senior Western and UN officials are worried about de facto partition of Kosovo, and fear that Serb Pres Slobodan Milosevic may be using north of province to undermine international efforts to bring about peace and normality; note that Serbia proper actually begins at heavily-guarded bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica, where French troops guard boundary between Serbs and ethnic Albanians; photos; map; what began as effort to prevent violence has turned into strategic problem for peacekeeping force, which has not extended its authority in any meaningful way north of bridge; there is evidence that Milosevic is helping to organize security and ordinary life in Serb section; UN administrator Bernard Kouchner says bridge cannot be permanent border, but that forcing opening could cause more Serbs to flee (M)

Interviews with several leading real estate firms indicate that virtually every newly built or converted residential co-op and condominium in New York City is being designed to be information-ready yet easy on eyes, with miles of high-speed wires and cable hidden in the walls; some specific projects discussed; photos (M)

Article on Botox injections, hydrotherapy and other skin-enhancing services provided by dermatologists who are reinventing themselves as beauty gurus; Seth Matarasso, Frederic Brandt, Laurie Polis and other doctors comment; photos (M)