Vol. 127 No. 25

COVER

STAR WARS AT THE CROSSROADS
Amid arms-control maneuvers and budget battles, SDI nears a moment of truth

STRATEGIC QUESTIONS
Will SDI bring greater nuclear stability--or less?

SCIENTIFIC HURDLES
From sensors to software, the needs are daunting

GRAND COMPROMISE
SDI could end the arms-control stalemate

WHAT THE SOVIETS ARE DOING

NATION

ABORTION'S SHRINKING MAJORITY
The right-to-life movement loses a pair of controversial decisions

THE G.O.P. LITMUS TEST

NASA TAKES A BEATING
The Rogers commission blames the agency for an avoidable accident

CALL TO ARMS
Military action against drugs

THE PRESIDENCY ''I'VE MELLOWED A BIT''

CONTRETEMPS
Snags in the push for aid

CHILL FACTOR
Publishers fight a porn label

AIDS POISED FOR A BREAKOUT

CLOSING THE BELUSHI CASE

LAST LAUNCH FOR A SHIPYARD

THE ENEMY WITHIN

CLEVELAND'S NEIGHBORLY WAY

WORLD

AUSTRIA LAST HURRAHS Few smiles after a big victory

WORLD NOTES JAPAN A PANDER TO PUBLIC OPINION

WORLD NOTES EAST GERMANY DIPLOMATIC RETREAT

MEXICO DEAD MEN DON'T PAY UP Almost everything is going wrong at the same time

HAITI AT THE EDGE OF THE VOLCANO A government hangs on for life

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WORLD NOTES FRANCE COURTING FAVOR WITH KHOMEINI

SOUTH AFRICA THE BOOT COMES DOWN Emergency rule declared amid unrest and outrage

WORLD NOTES BRITAIN RANDY ANDY'S NEW TUNE

PANAMA SHADY BUSINESS Heat is on the top general

LIBYA SHELL-SHOCKED The colonel missed the party

WORLD NOTES SRI LANKA TERROR STRIKES TRAVELERS

HEALTH & MEDICINE

OF TELEVISION AND TRANSPLANTS An infant's life is saved, but TV's role raises questions of fairness (Medicine)

SOCIETY

IN ALASKA, THE PARTY IS ON A light-struck wilderness awes new visitors (Living)

PRESS

GIVE US YOUR TV CAMERAS But only for 16 minutes, unless they belong to ABC

RELIGION

IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM Fundamentalists consolidate power among Southern Baptists

SPORT

"In a Green Field, in the Sun"
From the Ivy to the National League, a Renaissance man on deck

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

HE SET AMERICA SWINGING Benny Goodman: 1909-1986

BUSINESS

BUSINESS NOTES CRIME LIGHT-FINGERED WORK ETHIC

BUSINESS NOTES GOVERNMENT GNP RISES-- AND BITES TRIO

BUSINESS NOTES FINANCE DIAL-A- HOT-TIP

HAVE DATA, WILL TRAVEL

BUSINESS NOTES ADVERTISING ROCK 'N' SELL IT

SINGING THE SHUTDOWN BLUES U.S. industry undergoes a wrenching change, but it could be for the good (Economy & Business)

CIRCUS TIME Wall Street reels over scandal (Economy & Business)

BUSINESS NOTES REGULATION PAY NOW, SPRAY LATER

INTO THE BREACH U.S. tourists return to Europe

LAW

UNMAKING THE APPOINTMENTS The fight is on over Reagan judicial choices

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MURDER IN THE WORST DEGREE LEGAL EAGLES Directed by Ivan Reitman Screenplay by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. (Cinema)

ICONOCLASM ''Q'' CLEARANCE by Peter Benchley Random House; 340 pages; $16.95 (Books)

HOOKY PUCK FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF Directed and Written by John Hughes (Cinema)

THREE WHO CAPTURE THE MAGIC New ballerinas from Italy, Russia and France are revelations (Dance)

ICY HELL THE KOREAN WAR: PUSAN TO CHOSIN BY DONALD KNOX Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 697 pages; $24.95 (Books)

DANCING PARTNERS OF CHIC THE HORNES: AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Gail Lumet Buckley; Knopf; 262 pages; $18.95 (Books)

WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION A pride of new compact disks awards first place to Beethoven (Music)

MILESTONES

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PEOPLE

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TO OUR READERS

A Letter From the Publisher (Publisher's Letter)

LETTERS

STOSS AND RIEMENSCHNEIDER

SIZING UP CUOMO

STRAIGHTENING THE RECORD

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM

DOCTOR'S DILEMMA

REMEMBRANCES OF WHITE