Mario M Cuomo

Not to be out of touch, New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo peered into a baseball presented to him by Harlem schoolchildren and called it "an astrologer's delight. . . ." "It says there's a Democratic President in your future," Cuomo continued, eyeing the ball intently. "Wait, there's another message in fine print: He's either going to be white or he's going to be black."

Gov. Mario M. Cuomo said Wednesday that he will not change his mind and seek the Democratic presidential nomination, despite Gary Hart's slip in the polls because of allegations of infidelity. "The country is not in that bad a position," Cuomo said. The governor said he does not believe allegations that Hart spent the night with a model-actress while Hart's wife was in Denver. Democratic Party leaders said the party has a large enough pool of interested talent and need not turn to Cuomo.

Students outraged at proposed tuition hikes at City University seized more buildings today as spreading demonstrations paralyzed operations at eight campuses. The takeovers marked the fifth day of turmoil on city campuses that have a combined enrollment of 188,000. Demonstrations began at City College and spread to campuses in the Bronx and Brooklyn. At issue were school budget cuts and $200-a-year tuition increases expected under the state's pared-back new budget, which Gov. Mario M. Cuomo must sign by midnight Tuesday.

New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo said Monday that he will make speeches, appear on television and offer advice to help Democrat Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. Cuomo, who delivered the nominating speech for Clinton at last week's Democratic National Convention, also said he will serve as honorary New York state chairman for the Arkansas governor's campaign.

More than 10,000 state government workers, chanting, "Cuomo's got to go!" marched on the state Capitol in Albany, N.Y., to protest Gov. Mario M. Cuomo's call for massive state layoffs. Cuomo has said that the layoff of about 7,000 workers is necessary to help the state balance its budget. His proposed $51.9-billion budget for the next fiscal year includes $4.5 billion in spending cuts and $1 billion in higher taxes. The demonstrators demanded greater tax increases to avert layoffs.

About 3,000 people, including weeping police officers and firefighters who had been among the first to reach the disaster, jammed a memorial service for seven children killed when a tornado tore into their elementary school in Newburgh, N.Y. "We gather here because, despite the inadequacy of our words, so great a grief cannot be borne without being shared," Gov. Mario M. Cuomo told mourners.