November 11, 2000

Gov George W Bush and his advisers say they move forward with preparations for new administration; urge Vice Pres Al Gore not to stand in their way, warning legal challenges to election would yield unending wrangling; hold nearly complete Florida recount shows Bush won state and presidency, though barely; James A Baker 3d, Bush's chief representative in Florida, comments, news conference; unofficial tally puts Bush's lead in Florida at 327 votes; Bush campaign reportedly weighs suit to block manual recounts sought by Gore that are set to begin in several Florida counties; photos (M)

Bayer to Stop Requiring Applications for Blood Drug Under pressure from people with hemophilia, Bayer said that it would stop requiring patients to apply to a special corporate program for its new drug, Kogenate FS, which is in short supply, and would instead begin distributing it through normal channels. In September, Bayer angered many hemophiliacs and their doctors by introducing the program, which requires patients to fill out an application. Under the plan, only those patients that the company approved would receive the new drug. At that time, executives said that Bayer did not want extra inventory of the drug held at pharmacies when it was in short supply. But patients and doctors said the program would only worsen the frequent shortages, and they said that they feared that Bayer might select only the patients with the best insurance -- a contention that Bayer denied. [Page C14.]

Stock prices tumble again amid questions about outcome of presidential election; but it appears that normal investor concerns, including fear of sharply slowing earnings growth, are still fueling most of selling; Nasdaq composite index plunges 5.4 percent to its lowest level since Nov 3, 1999, 3,028.99; Dell Computer sets off selling with its announcement that sales growth is slowing; S&P 500 drops 34.16 points, to 1,375.98; Dow falls 231.30 points, to 10,602.95; table; graph; list of stocks with large price percentage gains and losses (M)

Democrats say they will try to win Florida vote outright for Vice Pres Al Gore before disputed election ever reaches courts; Democratic officials will monitor three counties that have agreed to hand recount and tabulation of absentee ballots from overseas; prepare for possible change of Palm Beach County ballot in court should recounts end with Gov George W Bush still in lead; hope to combat public fatigue with delay by gathering some of thousands of complaints from voters in Palm Beach County and elsewhere who believe they were victims of ballot irregularities; vote count table; photo (M)

New York State police investigators in Westchester County, NY, are tracking new leads in disappearance of Kathleen A Durst, wife of scion of one of New York's wealthiest real estate families, who vanished in January 1982; information arises from unrelated investigation in Westchester last year; Durst's husband, Robert, could not be reached for comment, but family made statement that he had not played any part in wife's disappearance; photo (M)

Dave Anderson Sports of The Times column discusses heavyweight boxer Lennox Lewis's upcoming title defense against David Tua; this is Lewis's third title bout this year, unusual for heavyweight champion; photo (M)

Kansas defeats St John's, 82-74, in final of Coaches vs Cancer Ikon Classic basketball tournament; photo (M)

President Clinton called Vice President Al Gore, urging him to ''hang in there'' in his battle to win the presidency through a recount of the balloting in Florida. Page A15.

Vice Pres Al Gore's threat of court fight over presidential vote in Florida sets off internal Democratic Party debate between party leaders, who back Gore, and others, who warn fight could hurt party and democratic process; interviews with range of Democrats finds most back Gore's push for Florida recount and some passionately back Gore; minority want Gore not to prolong battle if Gov George W Bush is ahead after recount; campaign officials urge Democrats to unite behind Gore and prevent open defections; Gore, Sen Joseph I Lieberman and campaign chairman, William M Daley, have begun calling potentially wayward Democrats in Congress; photos (M)

Senator-elect Hillary Rodham Clinton pledges to co-sponsor legislation that would provide for direct election of president and vice president, although carefully avoids comment on current situation between Vice President Al Gore and Gov George W Bush in Florida; on swing through six cities upstate to thank supporters, Clinton also reiterates plan to make region's economic turnaround a priority; photo (M)

Bertelsmann AG, German media giant, and EMI Group, British music company, say they are in talks about combining their operations in what would become one of music industry's largest companies; one possibility being considered would merge Bertelsmann Music Group, subsidiary of Bertelsmann, into EMI, with combined entity retaining EMI's listing on London Stock Exchange; it is unlikely that closely held Bertelsmann would start hostile takeover of EMI, but would insist on retaining majority control of combined company (M)

Mourning in Bethlehem Thousands of Muslims mourned a paramilitary leader killed by the Israelis, and the death may have changed the rules of engagement for both sides. PAGE A6