Thursday, February 6, 2003

Full Transcript of NASA News Conference 4:53:30 PM

Object, Caught in a Tree, Prompts Thoughts of God. SLIDELL, La., Feb. 5 Sitting in her backyard swing with her Bible in her lap, Nancy Youngs squinted at the white fabric 30 feet up in the branches of the oak tree. By Edward Wong. 4:53:29 PM

Questions Arise Over Ingredient of Columbia Shuttle Insulation. Questions were raised on whether banning ozone-harming chlorofluorocarbons, an ingredient in the shuttle fleet's original insulation, contributed to the disaster. By Andrew C. Revkin. 4:53:29 PM

Engineers List All the Ideas, Striking Them One by One. Ron D. Dittemore of NASA described yesterday how an engineer responds to a mysterious event. Start with what you know, in this case that the shuttle Columbia was lost as it returned to Earth. By William J. Broad and Andrew C. Revkin. 4:53:28 PM

Flurry of Trees to Rise in Israel in Memory of Lost Astronauts. The Jewish National Fund America has had a surge in sales of trees to be planted in Israel in the aftermath of the shuttle disaster. By Stephanie Strom. 4:53:28 PM

House and Senate Panels Will Hold Joint Hearing on Shuttle. House and Senate committees with oversight of the space program will convene a joint hearing next Wednesday to begin inquiries into what caused the breakup of the shuttle Columbia. By Carl Hulse. 4:53:27 PM

A Persistent Questioner Leads the Columbia House Inquiry. A plain-spoken 65-year-old lawmaker from upstate New York will lead the House investigation into the space shuttle breakup, making some Republicans nervous. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 4:53:27 PM

Assessing the Odds of Catastrophe. A rapidly evolving set of computing tools allow mathematicians, engineers and insurance executives to understand the odds of catastrophe. By Seth Schiesel. 4:53:26 PM

U.S. Charges 2 in Shuttle Debris Theft to 'Make an Example'. NACOGDOCHES, Tex, Feb. 5 Federal agents arrested two people in East Texas today and accused them of stealing debris from the space shuttle Columbia. By Jeffrey Gettleman. 4:53:26 PM

NASA Officials Look to Western States for Pieces of Shuttle Puzzle. NASA officials said that they were taking all witness accounts from Western states as clues to where and when things started to go wrong. By Dean E. Murphy with Charlie Leduff. 4:53:25 PM

Range of Shuttle Theories, but None Seem to Fit All the Facts. NASA investigators say that the disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia has turned into a scientific mystery. By James Glanz. 4:53:25 PM

National Briefing: Science and Health. Mapping Alzheimer's Progress. 4:53:24 PM

National Briefing: New England. MASSACHUSETTS: Pension Fund Falls. 4:53:24 PM

National Briefing: Southwest. ARIZONA: Phoenix Rail Approval. 4:53:23 PM

National Briefing: West. ILLINOIS: Rallying Doctors Against Insurance Costs. 4:53:22 PM

S.E.C. Choice Says He's No Harvey Pitt. William H. Donaldson, President Bush's choice to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, won bipartisan support at a confirmation hearing. By Stephen Labaton. 4:53:22 PM

Warning on Hitting Debt Ceiling of $6.4 Trillion. The Treasury Department warned that the government would hit its debt ceiling around Feb. 20, and urged Congress to increase the authority to borrow. By Carl Hulse. 4:53:21 PM

Increase for Budget Office Is Double the Overall Goal. The White House budget director is adamant that the growth in federal spending next year must not top 4 percent, yet his own agency is seeking an 8.5 percent increase. By Philip Shenon. 4:53:21 PM

New York Times Names Sports Editor. The appointment of Thomas A. Jolly as sports editor of The New York Times was announced yesterday by Howell Raines, the executive editor. Mr. Jolly, now an assistant news editor, succeeds Neil Amdur, who was named senior editor for staffing /national recruiting in August and oversaw the search for his successor. By The New York Times. 4:53:20 PM

Defense Department Forum Focuses on Environment. Even as the possibility of war with Iraq looms, Defense Department officials took time out to talk about spotted owls and red-cockaded woodpeckers. By Katharine Q. Seelye. 4:53:20 PM

New Method Aids Evaluation of Alzheimer's Drugs. Scientists have developed a technique that allows them to watch the destruction by Alzheimer's disease travel through the brains of living patients. By Erica Goode. 4:53:19 PM

Mobilizing a Theater of Protest. Again.. Hearing the drumbeat of a new war, artists are trying to recapture their place as catalysts for public debate and dissent. By Julie Salamon. 4:53:18 PM

Lawmaker Says Interning U.S. Japanese Was Proper. The chairman of a House subcommittee on domestic security has said that it had been appropriate to intern Japanese-Americans during World War II. By Christopher Marquis. 4:53:18 PM

Maine Suits Swirl on Hebrew National Umbrella Ads. The owner of an outdoor restaurant filed a suit in Federal District Court after a town official ordered him to tape over umbrellas advertising Hebrew National Beef Franks. By Adam Liptak. 4:53:17 PM

Excerpts From NASA News Conference. Following are excerpts from a news conference yesterday in Houston by Ron D. Dittemore, the manager of NASA's space shuttle program, as recorded by Federal Document Clearing House Inc. A full transcript is online at nytimes.com/columbia. 4:53:17 PM

National Briefing: Washington. Union Leader Picks Kerry for 2004. 4:53:16 PM

Rumsfeld Warns He Will Ask Congress for More Billions. The defense secretary plans to ask Congress for additional funds, above those already proposed in the new budget, to fight terrorism and for any conflict with Iraq. By Leslie Wayne. 4:53:16 PM

Delayed Debate Starts on Judge Picked by Bush. As the Senate opened debate on federal appeals court nominee Miguel Estrada, some Democrats discussed mounting a possible filibuster to block his confirmation. By Neil A. Lewis. 4:53:15 PM

F.D.A. Says Food Supply May Contain Altered Pigs. The Food and Drug Administration said that it was investigating the possibility that genetically engineered pigs might have been illegally sold for use as food. By Andrew Pollack. 4:53:15 PM

No Legal Precedent Is Seen Should Columbia Families Choose to Sue. Government employees, like almost all employees, have no right to sue their employer for death on the job, whether their workplace is the post office or a spaceship. By Adam Liptak. 4:53:14 PM

Drug Tested in Gulf War Is Approved for Troops. The Food and Drug Administration gave final approval yesterday to a drug used to help protect troops against one type of nerve gas that might be used in a war with Iraq. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 4:53:13 PM

U.S. Economy in Worst Hiring Slump in 20 Years. The economy has fallen into its worst hiring slump in almost 20 years, and business executives say they remain unsure when it will end. By David Leonhardt. 4:53:13 PM

Powell Presents Case to Show Iraq Has Not Disarmed. The secretary of state presented photographs and intercepts of conversations aimed at proving that Saddam Hussein poses an imminent danger to the world. By Steven R. Weisman. 4:53:12 PM

Confidential Advisory Warns of Rise in Possible Terror Threats. American authorities have spotted a recent upsurge in possible terrorist threats and are warning law enforcement officials to be alert. By Eric Lichtblau and David Johnston. 4:53:11 PM

Guilty Plea Due in United Way Theft. A former vice president for finance at a Lansing, Mich., United Way will plead guilty in federal court in the largest embezzlement ever at the charity. By Stephanie Strom. 4:53:11 PM

Houston Woman on Trial in Killing of Husband Testifies. A Houston murder trial took a dramatic turn when the defendant took the stand against the advice of her lawyer, who later passed out in a hallway during a break. By Nick Madigan. 4:53:11 PM

Prosecutors Call Tyson Smuggling Trial a Case of 'Corporate Greed'. The government presented its opening argument against Tyson Foods, accused of smuggling Mexicans into the United States to work in its chicken plants. By Sherri Day. 4:53:10 PM

NASA Now Doubts Tank Foam Debris Doomed Columbia. NASA officials expressed doubt that a piece of foam debris that struck Columbia during liftoff could have led to its destruction. By John M. Broder. 4:53:10 PM

Letters to the Editor. Too Many Security Patches. 4:53:09 PM

Pocket PC's for Smaller Pocketbooks. Pocket PCs have generally offered more features than Palm devices, but they have also been bigger, heavier and pricier. Not anymore. By David Pogue. 4:53:08 PM

Valentines Day, Well Done. What to get for Valentines Day for a sweetheart who doesnt eat sweets? There's one real alternative: meat. By Michelle Slatalla. 4:53:08 PM

Technology Briefing: Hardware. 3 COMPANIES TO MAKE GAMES FOR NOKIA; HOTELS.COM POSTS BIG PROFIT; SHARES SOAR;. 4:53:07 PM

Technology Briefing: E-Commerce. COMPUTER ASSOCIATES ACQUIRES NETREON; SUNGARD DATA BUYS HTE FOR $121 MILLION; SOTHEBY'S WILL DISCONTINUE AUCTIONS ON ITS WEB SITE;. 4:53:07 PM

Who's Sneakier? Spy Toys Differ for Girls and Boys. The toy manufacturer Wild Planet takes make-believe spying seriously. By Ian Austen. 4:53:05 PM

Watching a Cold Front Advance Across Your Palmtop Screen. Weather reports on television have long been accompanied by a swirl of computer-animated images and photographs. By Ian Austen. 4:53:04 PM

Personal 555 Number Is Still Mostly Fiction. Most 555 telephone numbers are still the stuff of fiction. Heres why. By Marcia Biederman. 4:53:03 PM

A 60-Gigabyte Guardian Averts Hard-Drive Disasters. he 60-gigabyte version of the Iomega HDD portable drive not only makes it possible to store big things in small packages but also helps automate backup sessions, saving both time and space. By J.d. Biersdorfer. 4:53:02 PM

Psst: A Spot Where Gamers Get Their Own Inside Skinny. Publishers Weekly has long kept readers up to date on the inner workings of the book business. By Noah Shactman. 4:53:01 PM

Can I Borrow Your Lipstick? Sure, Check Out the First Song. the trend toward ever smaller digital products, Philips Electronics is introducing Key Rings, a range of audio and photo products the size and shape of a lipstick. By Eric A. Taub. 4:53:01 PM

Wi-Fi as Savior? France's Farm Dwellers Hope So. A rural patch in western France will become the country's first testing ground for rural deployment of high-speed Internet service. By Kristen Hinman. 4:53:00 PM

In an $800 Palm-Based Model, the Aroma of Power and Luxury. Palm organizers have been creeping up to Pocket PC-ish features and power. By David Pogue. 4:53:00 PM

Guarding the Back Door to Your XP Computer. My antivirus program has not found anything amiss, but should I be concerned? By J.d. Biersdorfer. 4:52:59 PM

A Projector to Match Your Magnetism. To make a presentation to a large group, a digital projector can be handy. Now, there are good reasons to consider getting your own. By Larry Magid. 4:52:58 PM

Tax Shelter Is Worrying Sprint's Chief. The chief of Sprint, William T. Esrey, said that he could lose his fortune if a tax shelter that he bought from the company's auditors is improper. By David Cay Johnston with Jonathan D. Glater. 4:52:57 PM

Vodafone Wants to Shed Part of Its Japanese Venture. The Vodafone Group, the British mobile phone giant, confirmed that it wants to sell its fixed-line telephone business in Japan. By Ken Belson. 4:52:57 PM

Win Friends, Influence People, or Just Aim and Fire. The Sims made every player a god; The Sims Online does away with omnipotence. By Charles Herold. 4:52:56 PM

For the Smart Dresser, Electric Threads That Cosset You. Designers traditionally choose textiles based on their beauty, strength or cost. Now they can choose them based on their ability to conduct electricity. By Anne Eisenberg. 4:52:56 PM

Getting Game Boy to Play Their Tune. Two African-Americans, an engineer and a business consultant, created a new technology that turns the Nintendo Game Boy into a digital music and video player. By Michel Marriott. 4:52:55 PM

Assessing the Odds of Catastrophe. A rapidly evolving set of computing tools allow mathematicians, engineers and insurance executives to understand the odds of catastrophe. By Seth Schiesel. 4:52:55 PM

More Chess Players Use Computers for Edge. As chess players increasingly turn to computers to plan their strategies, some fear that the game is being diluted. By Amy Harmon. 4:52:54 PM

Troubled Ericsson Names a New Chief Executive. Ericsson, the struggling Stockholm-based maker of telecommunications equipment, appointed an executive with no telecommunications experience today. By Suzanne Kapner. 4:52:53 PM

Technology Briefing: E-Commerce. COMPUTER ASSOCIATES ACQUIRES NETREON; SUNGARD DATA BUYS HTE FOR $121 MILLION; SOTHEBY'S WILL DISCONTINUE AUCTIONS ON ITS WEB SITE;. 4:52:51 PM

World Business Briefing: Australia/New Zealand. NEW ZEALAND: Retailer'S Sales Are Weak;. 4:52:51 PM

A Factory Is Transformed by the Art of Real Estate. A factory on the outskirts of Beijing, built by East Germans in the 50's, is emerging as a center for artists who are renovating the old halls while leaving up the Mao slogans. By Erik Eckholm. 4:52:50 PM

French Bank Says It Will Seek Acquisitions in Western U.S.. The chairman of BNP Paribas also said on Wednesday that the company had ruled out a possible merger with a rival French bank, Soci/t/ G/n/rale. By Kerry Shaw. 4:52:49 PM

Drug Maker in Ireland Posts Heavy Losses. The full scale of the challenges that the Elan Corporation faces became clear when the company reported a net loss of $639 million in the fourth quarter. By Brian Lavery. 4:52:49 PM

Vodafone Wants to Shed Part of Its Japanese Venture. The Vodafone Group, the British mobile phone giant, confirmed that it wants to sell its fixed-line telephone business in Japan. By Ken Belson. 4:52:48 PM

Toyota to Build Assembly Plant in Texas. Toyota Motor said that its profits nearly doubled in the last quarter of 2002 and announced that it would build a new assembly plant in Texas. By Ken Belson with Micheline Maynard. 4:52:48 PM

Europe Cites Interference by 3 States. The European Commission began an effort to force Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark to give up a technique they use to block foreign ownership of formerly state-owned companies. By Paul Meller. 4:52:47 PM

Coliseum Books Finds a New Home on 42nd Street. Coliseum Books, the bookstore near Columbus Circle that closed in January, 2002, will reopen opposite the New York City Public Library's main branch. By Terry Pristin. 4:52:45 PM

Peter Shaw, TV Producer and Agent, Dies at 84. Peter Shaw, a retired talent agent and studio executive, was a co-producer of the long-running television series "Murder, She Wrote" starring his wife, Angela Lansbury. By The New York Times. 4:52:43 PM

Alexander Ross, 80, Advertising Executive, Is Dead. Alexander I. Ross was a former advertising executive and national leader in Jewish organizations. By The New York Times. 4:52:41 PM

New York Times Names Sports Editor. The appointment of Thomas A. Jolly as sports editor of The New York Times was announced yesterday by Howell Raines, the executive editor. Mr. Jolly, now an assistant news editor, succeeds Neil Amdur, who was named senior editor for staffing /national recruiting in August and oversaw the search for his successor. By The New York Times. 4:52:40 PM

Maine Suits Swirl on Hebrew National Umbrella Ads. The owner of an outdoor restaurant filed a suit in Federal District Court after a town official ordered him to tape over umbrellas advertising Hebrew National Beef Franks. By Adam Liptak. 4:52:38 PM

A Neverland World of Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson comes off in this two-hour ABC special as creepy, but almost touching in his delusional na[apple]vet/. By Alessandra Stanley. 4:52:36 PM

Up-and-Comers Down Under. The success of a Nirvana-esque garage-rock act from Australia, the Vines, has led to a flurry of American major-label talent scouts scouring Australian clubs. By Neil Strauss. 4:52:34 PM

Poets Pit Pens Against Swords. At what seems the moment before war, America's poets are suddenly again playing a traditional, if at times quixotic, role as spokesmen for dissent. By Martin Arnold. 4:52:32 PM

Hip-Hop Impresario Urges Pepsi Boycott. An organization led by the rap impresario Russell Simmons called for a boycott of the Pepsi-Cola Company. By The New York Times. 4:52:31 PM

Amid Much Anticipation, a Rapper Makes a Debut. The rapper 50 Cent is arguably the most popular act in hip-hop, and there is a lot of buzz about his debut album, "Get Rich or Die Trying," due out Thursday. By Lola Ogunnaike. 4:52:29 PM

Sprint's Shares Rise, but Its Woes Are Rising Faster. Management tumult at the telecommunications company Sprint reached a new level yesterday as the chief executive, William T. Esrey, acknowledged that he was the subject of an Internal Revenue Service audit. By Simon Romero. 4:52:28 PM

Tax Shelter Is Worrying Sprint's Chief. The chief of Sprint, William T. Esrey, said that he could lose his fortune if a tax shelter that he bought from the company's auditors is improper. By David Cay Johnston with Jonathan D. Glater. 4:52:26 PM

Prosecutors Call Tyson Smuggling Trial a Case of 'Corporate Greed'. The government presented its opening argument against Tyson Foods, accused of smuggling Mexicans into the United States to work in its chicken plants. By Sherri Day. 4:52:24 PM

Monsanto Posts Profit as Sales Increase. Monsanto, maker of the worlds' best-selling herbicide, Roundup, reported a fourth-quarter profit as sales of genetically engineered crops improved. By Bloomberg News. 4:52:22 PM

Cendant Reports a Profit in 4th Quarter. Cendant, the provider of travel and real estate services, said that it had a profit in the fourth quarter. By Bloomberg News. 4:52:21 PM

Allstate Reports 69% Increase in Quarterly Profit. The Allstate Corporation, the auto and home insurer, said that fourth-quarter profit rose 69 percent. By Bloomberg News. 4:52:19 PM

Bush's Plan Would Scrap Many Investor Taxes. The combined impact of President Bush's tax cut proposals would go a long way toward eliminating taxes on investment income. By Edmund L. Andrews. 4:52:18 PM

Growth and Employment in Services Rose Modestly Last Month. The service sector grew at a slightly stronger pace in January than in December. By Dow Jones/ap. 4:52:17 PM

Warning on Hitting Debt Ceiling of $6.4 Trillion. The Treasury Department warned that the government would hit its debt ceiling around Feb. 20, and urged Congress to increase the authority to borrow. By Carl Hulse. 4:52:17 PM

Treasury to Add Auctions to Meet U.S. Budget Needs. The Treasury Department said that it was add auctions to cover rising budget deficits, which are projected to reach record levels this year. By Jonathan Fuerbringer. 4:52:16 PM

No Legal Precedent Is Seen Should Columbia Families Choose to Sue. Government employees, like almost all employees, have no right to sue their employer for death on the job, whether their workplace is the post office or a spaceship. By Adam Liptak. 4:52:16 PM

A Projector to Match Your Magnetism. To make a presentation to a large group, a digital projector can be handy. Now, there are good reasons to consider getting your own. By Larry Magid. 4:52:15 PM

S.E.C. Choice Says He's No Harvey Pitt. William H. Donaldson, President Bush's choice to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, won bipartisan support at a confirmation hearing. By Stephen Labaton. 4:52:15 PM

Can Enron Change the Energy Business?. Many questions remain about energy trading practices, despite the lessons of Enron's collapse. By Neela Banerjee. 4:52:14 PM

Trying to Predict a Military Victory. Two professors are using the idea of the "production function" to try to answer a question: What does it take to produce a military victory? By Alan B. Krueger. 4:52:13 PM

Sears Sees Profit Below Estimates. HOFFMAN ESTATES, (Reuters) - Sears, Roebuck and Co. (S.N), the largest U.S. department store chain, on Thursday reported its 17th straight monthly decline in sales at stores open at least a year and said its first-quarter profit would be far below Wall Street estimates. By Reuters. 4:52:12 PM

Delta Moves to Speed Check-In. Delta Air Lines plans to alter its check-in procedures at 81 airports in hopes of ensuring that most customers do not have to wait more than two minutes to check in. By Susan Stellin. 4:52:12 PM

El Paso Cuts Dividend; Asset Sales Planned. The El Paso Corporation, the energy pipeline company, will conserve cash by cutting its dividend 82 percent and selling more assets. By Patrick Mcgeehan. 4:52:11 PM

Retail Sales Sluggish During January. NEW YORK (AP) -- The nation's retailers struggled again with a difficult sales climate during January, although they were able to clear out winter leftovers thanks to deep discounts and frigid temperatures. By The Associated Press. 4:52:10 PM

LM Ericsson Replacing Longtime CEO. STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- LM Ericsson is replacing longtime chief executive with an outsider as the telecom equipment maker tries to return to profitability after two years of losses. Ericsson shares surged on the news. By The Associated Press. 4:52:09 PM

After Successfully Reducing Debt, Primedia Explores Sale of Seventeen. Primedia, led by Tom Rogers, announced that it would explore a sale of Seventeen magazine, the teen magazine with the highest circulation. By David Carr. 4:52:09 PM

Bank of England Cuts Rates to Lowest Point Since 1955. The bank's monetary policy committee trimmed 0.25 percent off its base lending rate to a 48-year low of 3.75 percent today, making its first change in rate for 14 months. By Eric Pfannerinternational Herald Tribune. 4:52:08 PM

Troubled Ericsson Names a New Chief Executive. Ericsson, the struggling Stockholm-based maker of telecommunications equipment, appointed an executive with no telecommunications experience today. By Suzanne Kapner. 4:52:08 PM

Venezuela Imposes Currency Controls to Shore Up Economy. President Hugo Ch[omega]vez announced today a series of currency controls intended to bolster Venezuela's diminishing foreign reserves and price cuts on essential goods. By Juan Forero. 4:52:07 PM

U.S. Economy in Worst Hiring Slump in 20 Years. The economy has fallen into its worst hiring slump in almost 20 years, and business executives say they remain unsure when it will end. By David Leonhardt. 4:52:07 PM

Productivity Dipped in Quarter, but Surged for All of 2002. Companies stopped becoming more efficient in the final three months of last year as a slowing economy caught many by surprise. By David Leonhardt. 4:52:06 PM

New S.E.C. Regulation Requires Analysts to Certify Research. The Securities and Exchange Commission voted 4 to 0 today to require Wall Street analysts to vouch that the views expressed in their research reports were really their own. By Reuters. 4:52:06 PM

Letters. No Mere Couch Potatoes. 4:51:56 PM

New Method Aids Evaluation of Alzheimer's Drugs. Scientists have developed a technique that allows them to watch the destruction by Alzheimer's disease travel through the brains of living patients. By Erica Goode. 4:51:55 PM

Range of Theories, but None That Seems to Fit All the Facts. NASA investigators say that the disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia has turned into a scientific mystery. By James Glanz. 4:51:55 PM

Excerpts From NASA News Conference. Following are excerpts from a news conference yesterday in Houston by Ron D. Dittemore, the manager of NASA's space shuttle program, as recorded by Federal Document Clearing House Inc. A full transcript is online at nytimes.com/columbia. 4:51:54 PM

Sniffing Scientist, Pursuing a Theory. Chandler Burr, pictured, sets out to explain how obsessive curiosity turned Luca Turin into a pioneering olfactory theorist. By Janet Maslin. 4:51:53 PM

National Briefing: Southwest. ARIZONA: Phoenix Rail Approval. 4:51:52 PM

Flurry of Trees to Rise in Israel in Memory of Lost Astronauts. The Jewish National Fund America has had a surge in sales of trees to be planted in Israel in the aftermath of the shuttle disaster. By Stephanie Strom. 4:51:52 PM

Drug Tested in Gulf War Is Approved for Troops. The Food and Drug Administration gave final approval yesterday to a drug used to help protect troops against one type of nerve gas that might be used in a war with Iraq. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 4:51:51 PM

Questions Arise Over Ingredient of Columbia Shuttle Insulation. Questions were raised on whether banning ozone-harming chlorofluorocarbons, an ingredient in the shuttle fleet's original insulation, contributed to the disaster. By Andrew C. Revkin. 4:51:51 PM

NASA Officials Look to Western States for Pieces of Shuttle Puzzle. NASA Officials said that they were taking all witness accounts from Western states as clues to where and when things started to go wrong. By Dean E. Murphy with Charlie Leduff. 4:51:50 PM

NASA Now Doubts Tank Foam Debris Doomed Columbia. NASA officials expressed doubt that a piece of foam debris that struck Columbia during liftoff could have led to its destruction. By John M. Broder. 4:51:50 PM

A Reprise of 1962, With Less Electricity. In many ways, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's presentation echoed Adlai E. Stevenson's 1962 display of photographs of Soviet missile installations in Cuba. By Adam Clymer. 4:51:49 PM

Treasury to Add Auctions to Meet U.S. Budget Needs. The Treasury Department said that it was add auctions to cover rising budget deficits, which are projected to reach record levels this year. By Jonathan Fuerbringer. 4:51:48 PM

No Legal Precedent Is Seen Should Columbia Families Choose to Sue. Government employees, like almost all employees, have no right to sue their employer for death on the job, whether their workplace is the post office or a spaceship. By Adam Liptak. 4:51:48 PM

Questions Arise Over Ingredient of Columbia Shuttle Insulation. Questions were raised on whether banning ozone-harming chlorofluorocarbons, an ingredient in the shuttle fleet's original insulation, contributed to the disaster. By Andrew C. Revkin. 4:51:47 PM

National Briefing: Washington. Union Leader Picks Kerry for 2004. 4:51:47 PM

Disagreements on Specifics but Unanimity That There Is No Going Back. There was one shared reaction among people across the New York region who paused on Wednesday to hear what Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said. By Sarah Kershaw. 4:51:46 PM

Powell Gets Good Reviews, but Few Stands Are Changed. Political leaders from both parties said that they were impressed with the breadth of the evidence against Iraq Secretary of State Colin L. Powell presented. By David Firestone. 4:51:46 PM

Powell's Case Against Iraq: Piling Up the Evidence. The secretary of state's strategy was to make a detailed case to demonstrate a pattern of Iraqi deceit. By Michael R. Gordon. 4:51:46 PM

Lawmaker Says Interning U.S. Japanese Was Proper. The chairman of a House subcommittee on domestic security has said that it had been appropriate to intern Japanese-Americans during World War II. By Christopher Marquis. 4:51:45 PM

Defense Department Forum Focuses on Environment. Even as the possibility of war with Iraq looms, Defense Department officials took time out to talk about spotted owls and red-cockaded woodpeckers. By Katharine Q. Seelye. 4:51:45 PM

U.S.-Russia Atomic Arms Pact Wins Senate Panel's Backing. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed a treaty that obliges the U.S. and Russia to cut their strategic nuclear arsenals by two-thirds. By James Dao. 4:51:44 PM

House and Senate Panels Will Hold Joint Hearing on Shuttle. House and Senate committees with oversight of the space program will convene a joint hearing next Wednesday to begin inquiries into what caused the breakup of the shuttle Columbia. By Carl Hulse. 4:51:44 PM

A Persistent Questioner Leads the Columbia House Inquiry. A plain-spoken 65-year-old lawmaker from upstate New York will lead the House investigation into the space shuttle breakup, making some Republicans nervous. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 4:51:43 PM

Intelligence Break Led U.S. to Tie Envoy Killing to Iraqi Qaeda Cell. A satellite phone conversation gave away the location of a Qaeda operative, who yielded a detailed account of the network's operations under interrogation. By Patrick E. Tyler. 4:51:42 PM

S.E.C. Choice Says He's No Harvey Pitt. William H. Donaldson, President Bush's choice to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, won bipartisan support at a confirmation hearing. By Stephen Labaton. 4:51:41 PM

F.D.A. Says Food Supply May Contain Altered Pigs. The Food and Drug Administration said that it was investigating the possibility that genetically engineered pigs might have been illegally sold for use as food. By Andrew Pollack. 4:51:41 PM

Drug Tested in Gulf War Is Approved for Troops. The Food and Drug Administration gave final approval yesterday to a drug used to help protect troops against one type of nerve gas that might be used in a war with Iraq. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 4:51:40 PM

Increase for Budget Office Is Double the Overall Goal. The White House budget director is adamant that the growth in federal spending next year must not top 4 percent, yet his own agency is seeking an 8.5 percent increase. By Philip Shenon. 4:51:40 PM

Confidential Advisory Warns of Rise in Possible Terror Threats. American authorities have spotted a recent upsurge in possible terrorist threats and are warning law enforcement officials to be alert. By Eric Lichtblau and David Johnston. 4:51:39 PM

Rumsfeld Warns He Will Ask Congress for More Billions. The defense secretary plans to ask Congress for additional funds, above those already proposed in the new budget, to fight terrorism and for any conflict with Iraq. By Leslie Wayne. 4:51:39 PM

Ashcroft Pushes Executions in More Cases in New York. The attorney general made the order in cases in which prosecutors had recommended against or did not ask for capital punishment, lawyers say. By Benjamin Weiser and William Glaberson. 4:51:38 PM

Warning on Hitting Debt Ceiling of $6.4 Trillion. The Treasury Department warned that the government would hit its debt ceiling around Feb. 20, and urged Congress to increase the authority to borrow. By Carl Hulse. 4:51:38 PM

Delayed Debate Starts on Judge Picked by Bush. As the Senate opened debate on federal appeals court nominee Miguel Estrada, some Democrats discussed mounting a possible filibuster to block his confirmation. By Neil A. Lewis. 4:51:37 PM

Powell Presents Case to Show Iraq Has Not Disarmed. The secretary of state presented photographs and intercepts of conversations aimed at proving that Saddam Hussein poses an imminent danger to the world. By Steven R. Weisman. 4:51:37 PM

World Business Briefing: Europe. GERMANY: Jobless Rate Rises; GERMANY: Bank Posts Loss; RUSSIA: Less Red Tape; THE NETHERLANDS: Bank Acquisition;. 4:51:36 PM

World Business Briefing: Asia. SOUTH KOREA: Loss At Bank; SOUTH KOREA: Electronics Loss; MALAYSIA: Cellular Takeover Advances;. 4:51:35 PM

Trying to Predict a Military Victory. Two professors are using the idea of the "production function" to try to answer a question: What does it take to produce a military victory? By Alan B. Krueger. 4:51:35 PM

French Bank Says It Will Seek Acquisitions in Western U.S.. The chairman of BNP Paribas also said on Wednesday that the company had ruled out a possible merger with a rival French bank, Soci/t/ G/n/rale. By Kerry Shaw. 4:51:34 PM

Europe Cites Interference by 3 States. The European Commission began an effort to force Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark to give up a technique they use to block foreign ownership of formerly state-owned companies. By Paul Meller. 4:51:34 PM

Drug Maker in Ireland Posts Heavy Losses. The full scale of the challenges that the Elan Corporation faces became clear when the company reported a net loss of $639 million in the fourth quarter. By Brian Lavery. 4:51:33 PM

Vodafone Wants to Shed Part of Its Japanese Venture. The Vodafone Group, the British mobile phone giant, confirmed that it wants to sell its fixed-line telephone business in Japan. By Ken Belson. 4:51:32 PM

World Briefing: Americas. MEXICO: Former Police Official Slain; MEXICO: Effort To Avert Clash With Rebels;. 4:51:31 PM

Arthur Olsen, 82, Reporter and Envoy, Dies. Arthur J. Olsen covered West and East Germany and Eastern Europe for The Times at the height of the cold war. By Douglas Martin. 4:51:31 PM

Kevin Spacey Puts Down New Roots at the Old Vic. Kevin Spacey, the two-time Academy Award-winning actor, has been named the director of a new production company at the Old Vic Theater in London. By Warren Hoge. 4:51:30 PM

Wi-Fi as Savior? France's Farm Dwellers Hope So. A rural patch in western France will become the country's first testing ground for rural deployment of high-speed Internet service. By Kristen Hinman. 4:51:30 PM

Flurry of Trees to Rise in Israel in Memory of Lost Astronauts. The Jewish National Fund America has had a surge in sales of trees to be planted in Israel in the aftermath of the shuttle disaster. By Stephanie Strom. 4:51:29 PM

Demolishing Gaza Home, Israelis Kill Militant's Stepmother. While demolishing the home of a Palestinian militant in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces crushed to death his 65-year-old stepmother. By James Bennet. 4:51:29 PM

Korean Border Opens to Traffic as Bus Tour Leaves for the North. Buses carrying 100 South Koreans crossed the North Korean frontier, opening the first road for normal traffic between the Koreas since the Korean War. By Don Kirk. 4:51:28 PM

Iraq's Response: 'Incorrect Allegations'. Following are excerpts from the response given yesterday by Mohammed Aldouri, Iraq's United Nations ambassador, to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's address to the United Nations Security Council, as recorded by Federal News Service Inc. A full transcript is online: nytimes.com/international. 4:51:28 PM

In Their Words: The Security Council. Following are excerpts from a meeting of the United Nations Security Council yesterday after the address by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, as recorded by Federal News Service Inc. A full transcript is online: nytimes.com/international. 4:51:27 PM

New Allies Back U.S. Iraq Policy. International Herald Tribune. By International Herald Tribune. 4:51:27 PM

Powell's Address, Presenting 'Deeply Troubling' Evidence on Iraq. Following is a transcript of an address given yesterday by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to the United Nations Security Council, as recorded by Federal News Service Inc. 4:51:27 PM

Speech Praised by Europe's Politicians, but Public Is Still Unpersuaded. Those inclined to support the American position on Iraq found justification for their views in Colin Powell's speech, but skeptics remained skeptical. By Richard Bernstein. 4:51:26 PM

Turkey Backs United States Plans for Iraq. The prime minister of Turkey said he would ask Parliament later this month to open the country's bases to thousands of American combat troops. By Dexter Filkins. 4:51:26 PM

Hussein Aide Denounces Powell's Case as Full of Baseless 'Stunts'. Iraq denounced as "manufactured" and "baseless" the arguments made to the United Nations Security Council by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. By Ian Fisher. 4:51:25 PM

France, Backed by Germany, Calls for Stronger Inspections, but the U.S. Is Unmoved. In a move that seemed intended to blunt the United States' drive toward war to disarm the Iraqi government, France with the support of Germany proposed to strengthen U.N. weapons inspections. By Julia Preston. 4:51:25 PM

Kurds Puzzled by Report of Terror Camp. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's assertion that Islamic extremists were operating a poisons training camp and factory in northern Iraq appeared to surprise Kurdish officials. By C. J. Chivers. 4:51:24 PM

Exiled Mullah Denies Claims of Terror Ties Made by U.S.. Colin L. Powell did not mention Mullah Krekar by name, but he did dwell on Ansar al-Islam, seeking to demonstrate the existence of an alliance between Iraq and Al Qaeda. By Don Van Natta Jr.. 4:51:23 PM

Rebels in Liberia Within 15 Miles of Capital. Charles Taylor, a warlord turned elected president, flew back to the capital on Wednesday and invited the rebels to talk. By Somini Sengupta. 4:51:22 PM

Suspect Is Arrested in the Killing of a Hong Kong Businessman. The police in mainland China said on Wednesday that they had arrested the suspected gunman in the slaying of a prominent Hong Kong businessman. By Keith Bradsher. 4:51:21 PM

North Korea Restarts Plant With Ability to Fuel Arms. North Korea said that it had resumed "normal operations" at a mothballed nuclear reactor that could be used to produce weapons-grade uranium. By Howard W. French. 4:51:21 PM

A Factory Is Transformed by the Art of Real Estate. A factory on the outskirts of Beijing, built by East Germans in the 50's, is emerging as a center for artists who are renovating the old halls while leaving up the Mao slogans. By Erik Eckholm. 4:51:21 PM

Serb Chief Asks for Kosovo Talks in June. Serbia's prime minister, Zoran Djindjic, appealed on Wednesday for international negotiations on the future of Kosovo to be started in June. By Daniel Simpson. 4:51:20 PM

African Women Gather to Denounce Genital Cutting. To lend urgency to the campaign, the first ladies of Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Mali and Guinea all condemned the cutting of young girls. By Marc Lacey. 4:51:20 PM

U.N. Begins Choosing the Judges for New Court. The U.N. moved forward this week toward creating an International Criminal Court a project that America's allies hope the U.S. will support over time. By Christopher Marquis. 4:51:19 PM

Putin Meets Pakistani, Ending Long Breach. The presidents of Pakistan and Russia met in the Kremlin and pledged a fresh start to relations after decades of alliances with each other's sworn enemies. By Michael Wines. 4:51:19 PM

World Court Tells U.S. to Delay Executing 3. The International Court of Justice ordered the U.S. to postpone the executions of three Mexicans until the court has had a chance to rule on a complaint filed by Mexico. By Marlise Simons. 4:51:17 PM

U.S.-Russia Atomic Arms Pact Wins Senate Panel's Backing. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed a treaty that obliges the U.S. and Russia to cut their strategic nuclear arsenals by two-thirds. By James Dao. 4:51:16 PM

Powell Presents Case to Show Iraq Has Not Disarmed. The secretary of state presented photographs and intercepts of conversations aimed at proving that Saddam Hussein poses an imminent danger to the world. By Steven R. Weisman. 4:51:16 PM

7 Detained in British Anti-Terror Raids. Officials linked the operation arrests in Britain of North Africans charged with plotting attacks with the toxin ricin. By Warren Hoge. 4:51:14 PM

Senate Presses Powell on North Korea. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said today United States will deal with that North Korea from a posture of strength and resolve a point the White House also made. By David Stout. 4:51:13 PM

Turkey Moves Toward Allowing U.S. Combat Troops on Bases. In a move to prepare to stage attacks on Iraq from Turkey, the nation's Parliament approved a plan today that would allow the U.S. to renovate its military bases and ports. By Dexter Filkins with Carla Baranauckas. 4:51:11 PM

Palestinian Gunmen Attacked Israeli Army Post. Two Palestinian gunmen killed an Israeli officer and a soldier in Nablus today before being shot dead. By James Bennet. 4:51:10 PM

North Korea Intensifies War of Words With U.S.. North Korea warned today of "total war" if the United States dared to attack its nuclear complex. By Don Kirk. 4:51:09 PM

Powell's Case Against Iraq: Piling Up the Evidence. The secretary of state's strategy was to make a detailed case to demonstrate a pattern of Iraqi deceit. By Michael R. Gordon. 4:51:06 PM

Intelligence Break Led U.S. to Tie Envoy Killing to Iraqi Qaeda Cell. A satellite phone conversation gave away the location of a Qaeda operative, who yielded a detailed account of the network's operations under interrogation. By Patrick E. Tyler. 4:51:04 PM

Powell Sees Inspectors' Visit as Key to Case Against Iraq. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell told senators today that "within weeks" the Iraqi situation will be brought to a conclusion. By The Associated Press. 4:51:03 PM