November 20, 1999

Gov George W Bush delivers foreign policy address at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, criticizing Clinton Administration's policy toward Russia and China and pledging to hew to internationalist principles of his father, George Bush, if he is elected president; Bush calls for end to international aid to Moscow unless Russian government stops killing civilians in Chechnya; he scores Pres Clinton for befriending Chinese government, whom administration officials called 'butchers of Beijing' just year ago; Bush's confident performance will for now put to rest fears that he would be unable to handle foreign policy; but he will face much tougher challenge in series of three debates with his Republican rivals, starting in New Hampshire on Dec 2; photos (M)

He sits in a spare bedroom, wearing casual clothes and keeping a watchful eye on fluctuations. Should he pile on, ride the momentum, bail out? A day at the vanguard of a revolution in stock trading. By Matthew Klam, in The Times Magazine.

William C Rhoden Sports of The Times column discusses problems besetting New Jersey Nets; photo (M)

Officials at Texas A&M University pledge full investigation into collapse of huge structure students were building for Thanksgiving weekend football bonfire, accident that took lives of 12 students; Aggies view bonfire as 90-year tradition that binds generations to one another and to university; Texas A&M, which has enrollment of 43,000 students, is known for its almost religious adherence to traditions, some of which are nearly century old; photos (M)

Giuliani administration and union representing New York City's principals hit snag over whether tenure changes both sides have agreed to should also apply to city's 2,500 assistant principals; Deputy Mayor Randy L Levine, who represents City Hall at bargaining table, claims city made clear from beginning that any tenure changes would also apply to assistant principals; union officials deny this and call inclusion of assistant principals at this late date 'totally unacceptable'; new rules on tenure would allow city and state education officials to swiftly and permanently remove incompetent principals from school system; as part of deal, principals, who have worked without contract since 1996, would receive 33 percent raise, much of which would come immediately (M)