Friday, February 7, 2003

After Sweeping Clemency Order, Ex-Gov. Ryan Is a Celebrity. George Ryan has never been in more demand, with interview and speech requests flooding in from earth's far corners, yet, in a way, he has never been so alone. By Jodi Wilgoren. 1:57:51 PM

Many Balking at Vaccination for Smallpox. The plan to vaccinate health care workers against smallpox is getting off to a slow start as hundreds of hospitals say that they will not participate. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 1:57:50 PM

U.S. Seeks 54 Exemptions on Pesticide Ban. WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 The Bush administration is requesting exemptions for 54 companies and trade groups that want to continue using a pesticide scheduled to be phased out by 2005 under a treaty to protect the ozone layer, officials said today. By Christopher Marquis. 1:57:49 PM

U.S. Issues Warning on Terrorist Threats. Increasingly jittery about the heightened threat of terrorist attacks, the U.S. warned Americans overseas to "remain vigilant." By The New York Times. 1:57:47 PM

U.S. Agents Seize Horses of 2 Defiant Indian Sisters. The two elderly Western Shoshone Indians have for 30 years defied federal complaints that they are illegally grazing their animals on public land. By Charlie Leduff. 1:57:47 PM

Confederate Flag Boycott Tests Presidential Candidates' Resolve. Democratic candidates campaigning in the South Carolina primary may breach an economic boycott of the state initiated for its display of the Confederate flag. By Adam Nagourney. 1:57:46 PM

U.S. Ready to Back New U.N. Measure on Iraq, Bush Says. The U.S. signaled that it would welcome a second U.N. resolution authorizing war to disarm Baghdad. By Eric Schmitt with Julia Preston. 1:57:46 PM

White House in Tentative Deal on New York Rescue Package. The Bush administration has tentatively agreed to provide up to $980 million to New York City and state officials to help close multibillion-dollar budget deficits. By Raymond Hernandez. 1:57:44 PM

Drug Benefit Not Certain for All on Medicare. The president's Medicare proposal may not include prescription drug benefits for elderly people who remain in the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program. By Robert Pear. 1:57:44 PM

Progress Seen in Border Tests of ID System. Immigration officials say they are moving rapidly to meet a deadline for a sophisticated new identification system to be in use at its 100 most porous entry points. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 1:57:43 PM

NASA Cedes Authority in Columbia Shuttle Inquiry. Under prodding from Congress, NASA transferred authority for the Columbia investigation to an independent review board. By John M. Broder with Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 1:57:43 PM

Moussaoui Case May Have to Shift From U.S. Court to Tribunal. A court order issued secretly last week, granting Zacarias Moussaoui's lawyers access to a captured Qaeda suspect, could lead the government to move the case. By Philip Shenon. 1:57:43 PM

A Shuttle Leader Is Ready 'to Go Fly Again'. Barring an unforeseen change, Colonel Eileen Collins, a veteran of three space shuttle missions, will command the next shuttle mission, the Atlantis. By Jim Yardley. 1:57:41 PM

Hormone Cuts Risk of Premature Birth. Doctors reported that they had found a treatment to reduce the rate of premature births in women at risk of having their babies too early. By Denise Grady. 1:57:41 PM

Many Balking at Vaccination for Smallpox. The plan to vaccinate health care workers against smallpox is getting off to a slow start as hundreds of hospitals say that they will not participate. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 1:57:40 PM

Workers Fear the Loss of a Shuttle Will Also Mean the Loss of Jobs. For more than 40 years, the Michoud Assembly Facility, on New Orlean's eastern edge, has been tied to the country's space program in good times and bad. By Edward Wong. 1:57:40 PM

NASA Cedes Authority in Columbia Shuttle Inquiry. Under prodding from Congress, NASA transferred authority for the Columbia investigation to an independent review board. By John M. Broder and Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 1:57:39 PM

Executive Changes at Vivendi Unit. Jean-Ren/ Fourtou, the chief executive of Vivendi Universal, said he had asked Bertrand Meheut to become chairman of the Canal Plus Group. By Suzanne Kapner. 1:57:29 PM

2 Biggest Airlines in Brazil, Varig and TAM, Plan Merger. Brazil's limping flagship airline said that it would merge with its largest rival to form a single airline with $4 billion in annual revenue. By Tony Smith. 1:57:29 PM

Air Canada to Sell Parts of Its Operations. Air Canada said that it would sell sizable stakes in its aircraft maintenance, ground handling and regional airline units. By Bernard Simon. 1:57:28 PM

Ericsson Names New Chief. Ericsson appointed Carl-Henric Svanberg, an executive with no telecommunications experience, as its new chief. By Suzanne Kapner. 1:57:28 PM

Bank of England Cuts Lending Rate to Lowest Level Since 1955. The Bank of England unexpectedly cut interest rates to the lowest level in nearly half a century. By Eric Pfanner. 1:57:27 PM

European Bank Opts to Leave Things Unchanged. The European Central Bank said it would not lower interest rates. By Mark Landler. 1:57:27 PM

Briefly Noted. 3 CHARGED IN MICHIGAN Three more men have been charged with racketeering in connection with a ring of cigarette smugglers accused of fund-raising for an Islamic militant group. Two Detroit-area brothers were convicted last year of smuggling cigarettes from North Carolina to Michigan, manipulating state tax differences to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the militant group Hezbollah. Eleven new indictments in that case were made public this week, including charges against Elias Akhdar, 30; Hassan Makki, 41; and Salim Awde, 45. All had listed residences in southeastern Michigan, and were of Lebanese descent. The United States Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Michigan said Mr. Akhdar and Mr. Makki have taken part in military exercises with Hezbollah. A judge ruled that Mr. Akhdar and Mr. Makki were to be detained until trial. Mr. Awde was awaiting extradition to Michigan from New York. ÊÊ David Enders (NYT) GUANTçNAMO SUICIDE ATTEMPTS Suicide attempts among terrorism suspects held at Guant[omega]namo Bay in Cuba are on the rise, the Pentagon said yesterday. At least 5 of the more than 600 detainees at the naval base have tried to hang themselves in the past three weeks, said a Pentagon spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Barbara Burfeind. Amnesty International urged the United States authorities to investigate the suicide attempts to determine whether the manner in which interrogations are conducted may have contributed. ÊÊ (AP) SOLDIER DIES IN KUWAIT An American soldier was killed and four others were injured in a vehicle accident near an American military base in Kuwait yesterday, the Army said. The identities of the soldiers were withheld until relatives were informed, said an army spokesman, David Connolly. The accident occurred at 4 p.m. near Camp Arifjan in central Kuwait. 1:57:26 PM

World Briefing: Europe. CYPRUS: Greece And Turkey Agree To Talks; THE HAGUE: `Insider' Witness At Milosevic Trial; NORTHERN IRELAND: Guerrilla'S Associates Flee; ITALY: Volcano Refugees Return Home; SERBIA: Delay For Presidential Election;. 1:57:25 PM

World Briefing: Asia. INDIA: New Antipolio Campaign; INDIA: Arrest In Burning Of Hindus On Train; KYRGYZSTAN: Government Says Voters Back Leader;. 1:57:24 PM

Many Balking at Vaccination for Smallpox. The plan to vaccinate health care workers against smallpox is getting off to a slow start as hundreds of hospitals say that they will not participate. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 1:57:23 PM

Progress Seen in Border Tests of ID System. Immigration officials say they are moving rapidly to meet a deadline for a sophisticated new identification system to be in use at its 100 most porous entry points. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 1:57:23 PM

U.S. Issues Warning on Terrorist Threats. Increasingly jittery about the heightened threat of terrorist attacks, the U.S. warned Americans overseas to "remain vigilant." By The New York Times. 1:57:23 PM

Aluminum Tubes With Multiple Uses. POWELL Iraq has sought to purchase special aluminum tubes from 11 countries. 1:57:22 PM

Disguising Chemical Arms Production. POWELL Iraq, under the guise of permitted civilian programs, has tried to rebuild parts of its chemical arms establishment, including at Tariq, whose facilities were designed for making chemical weapons and where key figures from past programs are still employed. It has not accounted for 550 artillery shells with mustard agent, 30,000 empty munitions that can be filled with chemical agents, and enough ingredients to make 500 tons of poison gas. 1:57:22 PM

The Link Between Al Qaeda and Iraq. POWELLÊThere is a 1:57:21 PM

Extending the Range of Ballistic Missiles. POWELL Iraq is trying to develop ballistic missiles that could fly more than 700 miles and has built a stand to test engines for long-range missiles. It has also developed short-range systems that violate the United Nations flight limit of 150 kilometers, or about 93 miles. It has illegally imported rocket engines. 1:57:21 PM

Mobile Factories for Biological Weapons. POWELL Iraq has at least seven mobile factories to make biological weapons, some on trucks and others on rail cars. A typical truck-mounted factory consists of two or three trucks. The mobile factories can produce anthrax and botulinum toxin. Iraq has also developed the technique of making dry biological agents using its mobile vehicles. The information on the mobile labs is derived from several Iraqi defectors and informants, including some who provided eyewitness accounts. Iraq has previously weaponized aflatoxin and ricin in addition to botulinum toxin and anthrax. 1:57:20 PM

How Powell's Evidence Compares to Findings From Prior Intelligence. The main purpose of the presentation that Secretary of State Colin L. Powell made to the United Nations Security Council was to demonstrate that Iraq was not complying with United Nations demands that it abandon its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction. 1:57:20 PM

Across Iraq's Border, a Land Haunted by War. It was in Shalemcheh, Iran, that President Saddam Hussein of Iraq used chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers. By Elaine Sciolino. 1:57:19 PM

NATO Is Torn Over Weapons for the Turks. Three NATO members blocked the deployment of defensive equipment to Turkey today, prolonging a deadlock that a U.S. diplomat said threatened the alliance's credibility. By Thomas Fuller, International Herald Tribune. 1:57:19 PM

U.N. Envoys Said to Differ Sharply in Reaction to Powell Speech. The debate among Security Council members over Iraq is being waged everywhere, from the world's capitals to the private corners of the U.N. By Julia Preston. 1:57:18 PM

Hong Kong Shipments Rejected Under New Anti-Terrorism Rules. New anti-terrorism rules have prompted shipping lines to reject 310 freight containers that Hong Kong exporters tried to ship to American ports this week. By Kevin Bradsher. 1:57:18 PM

Russia Opposes New U.N. Resolution Against Iraq. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said today that Russia does not see any grounds for passing a new U.N. Security Council resolution to authorize the use of force against Iraq. By The Associated Press. 1:57:17 PM

Muscovites' Love for a Classic Ends at the Park. Plans for a monument to Mikhail Bulgakov, one of Russia's most adored authors, have caused an uproar in Moscow. By Sabrina Tavernise. 1:57:17 PM

Mexico Digs at Last for Truth About 1968 Massacre. Every reputable historian says this: Government troops massacred student protesters in Mexico City on the eve of the 1968 Olympic Games. By Tim Weiner. 1:57:17 PM

In Iran's Hair Salons, the Rebels Wield Scissors. Four hundred women from Khuzestan Province gathered to confront one of the most sensitive issues of the Islamic Republic: hair. By Elaine Sciolino. 1:57:16 PM

Powell's Performance Earns Mixed Reviews. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's speech to the Security Council on Iraq was well received abroad, but did it change any minds? 1:57:13 PM

Scientist Gives Inspectors First Private Talk. The interview itself seemed less significant on its own than as a possible sign that Iraq was feeling deep pressure. By Ian Fisher. 1:57:12 PM

How Venezuelan Outlasted His Foes. The strike is over and President Hugo Ch[omega]vez is savoring victory over enemies whose tactics to unseat him have failed. By Juan Forero. 1:57:12 PM

F.B.I. Recruits Chinese Students in U.S.. The F.B.I. is recruiting Chinese students at American universities to gain insight into what it says is an intensified effort by the Chinese government to obtain militarily useful technologies. By Matt Richtel. 1:57:11 PM

7 Die in Mideast Violence; Sharon Gains Coalition Support. Against the backdrop of violence, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon continued his efforts to form a new coalition government. By James Bennet. 1:57:10 PM

Arrests Reported in Britain and Germany. Officials linked the operation in Britain to recent arrests of North Africans charged with plotting attacks with the deadly toxin ricin. By Warren Hoge. 1:57:09 PM

U.S. Ready to Back New U.N. Measure on Iraq, Bush Says. The U.S. signaled that it would welcome a second U.N. resolution authorizing war to disarm Baghdad. By Eric Schmitt with Julia Preston. 1:57:08 PM

Bush Administration Defends Its Approach on North Korea. The Bush administration warned North Korea on Thursday against trying to take advantage of the United States' focus on Iraq. By James Dao. 1:57:08 PM

U.S. in Talks on Allowing Turkey to Occupy a Kurdish Area in Iraq. The plan is being bitterly resisted by at least some leaders of Iraq's Kurdish groups, who fear Turkish domination in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. By Dexter Filkins with C. J. Chivers. 1:57:07 PM

U.S. Scholar Uncredited Britain's Report on Iraq. The British government said today it had erred in not crediting an academic whose work it copied for a dossier on Iraq. By The Associated Press. 1:57:06 PM

Bush Urges U.N. to 'Make Up Its Mind' on Iraq. An unusually stern President Bush challenged the United Nations today to see that Iraq is disarmed. By David Stout. 1:57:05 PM

Technology Briefing: Software. U.S. SETTLES ANTITRUST CASE AGAINST GEMSTAR; EARNINGS DECLINE AT E.D.S.;. 1:57:03 PM

World Business Briefing: Americas. BRAZIL: Industrial Output Rises; MEXICO: Mine Strike Ends;. 1:57:02 PM

How Venezuelan Outlasted His Foes. The strike is over and President Hugo Ch[omega]vez is savoring victory over enemies whose tactics to unseat him have failed. By Juan Forero. 1:57:01 PM

2 Biggest Airlines in Brazil, Varig and TAM, Plan Merger. Brazil's limping flagship airline said that it would merge with its largest rival to form a single airline with $4 billion in annual revenue. By Tony Smith. 1:57:00 PM

Air Canada to Sell Parts of Its Operations. Air Canada said that it would sell sizable stakes in its aircraft maintenance, ground handling and regional airline units. By Bernard Simon. 1:56:59 PM

Ericsson Names New Chief. Ericsson appointed Carl-Henric Svanberg, an executive with no telecommunications experience, as its new chief. By Suzanne Kapner. 1:56:58 PM

Bank of England Cuts Lending Rate to Lowest Level Since 1955. The Bank of England unexpectedly cut interest rates to the lowest level in nearly half a century. By Eric Pfanner. 1:56:57 PM

European Bank Opts to Leave Things Unchanged. The European Central Bank said it would not lower interest rates. By Mark Landler. 1:56:57 PM

Larry LeSueur, Pioneering War Correspondent, Dies at 93. Larry LeSueur was the CBS correspondent who made the first radio broadcast to America telling of the Allied liberation of Paris in World War II. By Richard Goldstein. 1:56:56 PM

Executive Changes at Vivendi Unit. Jean-Ren/ Fourtou, the chief executive of Vivendi Universal, said he had asked Bertrand Meheut to become chairman of the Canal Plus Group. By Suzanne Kapner. 1:56:55 PM

Coca-Cola Shifts Duties for Classic. In a setback for McCann-Erickson Worldwide, Coca-Cola has formally awarded creative duties for Coca-Cola Classic, to Berlin Cameron/Red Cell. By The New York Times. 1:56:54 PM

Jesse Ventura Has Deal for MSNBC Talk Show. MSNBC has completed a deal to hire Jesse Ventura, the recently departed Minnesota governor, as a talk show host. By Jim Rutenberg. 1:56:54 PM

Gannett Profit Up 40%, Lifted by TV Ad Sales. Gannett, the largest American newspaper publisher and owner of 22 television stations, said its fourth-quarter profit rose 40 percent. By Bloomberg News. 1:56:53 PM

Productivity Fell in Quarter but Rose Sharply in 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. 1:56:52 PM

He Made $169 Million, but May Lose It All. Thanks to Ernst & Young's clever tax strategy, the president of Sprint may have paid no taxes on $149 million in recent profits. By Floyd Norris. 1:56:51 PM

A Wagon Like Dad's, but Now I'm in Front. In the cult of the station wagon, owners like Steve Barnes often look for the wagons they grew up with or have fond memories of. By Kimberly Stevens. 1:56:50 PM

Broker Convicted of Fraud Is Set Free. A former stockbroker who was once known as the "broker to the stars" and was later convicted of swindling his clients, many of them Hollywood celebrities, has won an early release from federal prison. By Dow Jones/ap. 1:56:50 PM

Some Union Leaders Call Layoffs Bearable. Creating a split among New York City's municipal unions, the leaders of three unions said yesterday that they would rather see city workers laid off than agree to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's demand for $600 million in givebacks. By Steven Greenhouse. 1:56:49 PM

Wireless Rivalries Fuel Fight Over a BellSouth Executive. Sprint's effort to hire Gary D. Forsee from BellSouth drew an angry reaction from Cingular Wireless. By Simon Romero. 1:56:48 PM

Earnings Increase 21% at PepsiCo. PepsiCo had a 21 percent increase in its fourth-quarter earnings. Net income was $805 million, up from $667 million. By Sherri Day. 1:56:47 PM

Citigroup Appointments in Research. Citigroup named a new head of global stock research in the first top-level appointments by Sallie Krawcheck since she was hired four months ago to run the Smith Barney unit. By Bloomberg News. 1:56:47 PM

Shares Drop on Bond Sale; Chairman Sold Stock Earlier. Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold sold $500 million in convertible bonds, and its stock fell $1.32, or 7.3 percent, to $16.84 a share. By Alex Berenson. 1:56:46 PM

Drug Benefit Not Certain for All on Medicare. The president's Medicare proposal may not include prescription drug benefits for elderly people who remain in the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program. By Robert Pear. 1:56:45 PM

Some Patients to Receive Cancer Drug. ImClone Systems and Bristol-Myers Squibb will begin to provide their cancer drug to a limited number of colorectal cancer patients who have exhausted other treatment options. By Andrew Pollack. 1:56:44 PM

Teamsters Reach Tentative Pact That Provides Raises for Drivers. The tentative agreement covers 65,000 drivers and warehouse workers and provides raises of 11.3 percent over five years. By Steven Greenhouse. 1:56:43 PM

F.B.I. Recruits Chinese Students in U.S.. The F.B.I. is recruiting Chinese students at American universities to gain insight into what it says is an intensified effort by the Chinese government to obtain militarily useful technologies. By Matt Richtel. 1:56:42 PM

Bush Proposal for Savings Could Hurt Financial Firms. Many small businesses are expected to cancel retirement plans for their employees if the administration's proposal for saving programs becomes law. By Joseph B. Treaster. 1:56:42 PM

AMF, Bowling Giant, Is Said to Seek Buyer. AMF Bowling Worldwide, the world's largest bowling company, is planning to put itself up for sale. By Andrew Ross Sorkin. 1:56:41 PM

F.B.I. Is Investigating HealthSouth Trades. The F.B.I. said that it had opened a criminal investigation into the trading of shares of the HealthSouth Corporation. By Milt Freudenheim. 1:56:40 PM

Steel Supplier Is Threatening to Drop G.M.. The largest steel supplier to General Motors is threatening to cut off shipments because of a dispute over contract terms. By Danny Hakim. 1:56:39 PM

Wealthy Suing Accountants Over Rejected Tax Shelters. Some wealthy Americans who paid millions in fees to buy tax shelters are suing after the I.R.S. denied their tax savings. By David Cay Johnston. 1:56:38 PM

Tyco Auditors Knew of Executive Deals, Prosecutors Say. PricewaterhouseCoopers, the outside auditor for Tyco, knew about some of the transactions that are part of a criminal case, prosecutors said today. By Reuters. 1:56:37 PM

Unemployment Rate Falls to 5.7% as Job Growth Surges. The economy unexpectedly added 143,000 jobs in January and the unemployment rate fell to 5.7 percent, a shot of good news for an ailing economy. By David Leonhardt. 1:56:36 PM

National Briefing: Midwest. OHIO: Extra Penalty In Hate-Crimes Law ; MICHIGAN: Ex-Charity Executive Pleads Guilty. 1:56:34 PM

Harvard Black Guide Will Delete Offending Pages. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 6 The Harvard University Black Students Association has deleted material from its newly published guide to black life at the university after many students complained that the passage was offensive to women and meant as a personal insult. By The New York Times. 1:56:33 PM

Excerpts From NASA Conference. Following are excerpts from comments yesterday by the administrator of NASA, Sean O'Keefe, about the investigation into the disintegration of the shuttle Columbia, as recorded by Federal Document Clearing House Inc.: We do not want to rule out any theory, any approach, any possible set of factors that could be, when combined, lead to some other judgment. That is a determination that the Columbia Accident Investigation Board will render. 1:56:32 PM

What Really Worried Me About the Shuttle. Now is not the time for recriminations. We should all do whatever we can to help rekindle the nation's support for the shuttle. By Richard D. Blomberg. 1:56:31 PM

Learning the Lessons of Challenger Inquiry. News Analysis WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 When the Challenger fell from the sky 17 years ago, the chief suspect seemed obvious to many who knew the space shuttle and its weakest links: it was frigid cold that day in Florida, and many times before cold had nearly led to disaster. By David E. Sanger. 1:56:30 PM

Workers Fear the Loss of a Shuttle Will Also Mean the Loss of Jobs. For more than 40 years, the Michoud Assembly Facility, on New Orleans' eastern edge, has been tied to the country's space program in good times and bad. By Edward Wong. 1:56:29 PM

NASA Seeks Answers From Simulators, Amid Some Doubting. Besides sifting debris and data, investigators seeking to understand what destroyed the space shuttle Columbia are using powerful computers and wind-tunnel models to simulate the doomed craft and the forces at play as it hurtled toward earth. By Andrew C. Revkin. 1:56:27 PM

Computers Driving Shuttle Are to Be Included in Inquiry. Columbia's onboard computer hardware and software not the crew were driving when the craft made its fatal re-entry on Saturday. By Steve Lohr. 1:56:26 PM

Studies of Airplane Crashes Could Provide Guidance. Engineers who investigate plane crashes might be able to apply their experience to the Columbia, except that this failure occurred 40 miles above Earth, while moving at Mach 18. By Matthew L. Wald and James Glanz. 1:56:24 PM

Search for Debris Is Slowed in East Texas by Rain and Cold. Somewhere beneath the murky surface of the Toledo Bend Reservoir may be the answers NASA needs, but rains have turned the already silty water into chocolatey darkness. By Jeffrey Gettleman. 1:56:23 PM

Final Flight Was Not Columbia's First to Face Re-entry Problems. Other shuttle flights, including the Columbia, have experienced the turbulence-related problems, that NASA says the spacecraft went through before disintegration. By John H. Cushman Jr.. 1:56:22 PM

A Shuttle Leader Is Ready 'to Go Fly Again'. Barring an unforeseen change, Col. Eileen Collins, a veteran of three space shuttle missions, will command the next shuttle mission, the Atlantis. By Jim Yardley. 1:56:20 PM

U.S. Agents Seize Horses of 2 Defiant Indian Sisters. The two elderly Western Shoshone Indians have for 30 years defied federal complaints that they are illegally grazing their animals on public land. By Charlie Leduff. 1:56:19 PM

U.S. Issues Warning on Terrorist Threats. Increasingly jittery about the heightened threat of terrorist attacks, the U.S. warned Americans overseas to "remain vigilant." By The New York Times. 1:56:17 PM

U.S. Seeks 54 Exemptions on Pesticide Ban. WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 The Bush administration is requesting exemptions for 54 companies and trade groups that want to continue using a pesticide scheduled to be phased out by 2005 under a treaty to protect the ozone layer, officials said today. By Christopher Marquis. 1:56:16 PM

Progress Seen in Border Tests of ID System. Immigration officials say they are moving rapidly to meet a deadline for a sophisticated new identification system to be in use at its 100 most porous entry points. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 1:56:15 PM

Many Balking at Vaccination for Smallpox. The plan to vaccinate health care workers against smallpox is getting off to a slow start as hundreds of hospitals say that they will not participate. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 1:56:13 PM

Moussaoui Case May Have to Shift From U.S. Court to Tribunal. A court order issued secretly last week, granting Zacarias Moussaoui's lawyers access to a captured Qaeda suspect, could lead the government to move the case. By Philip Shenon. 1:56:12 PM

White House in Tentative Deal on New York Rescue Package. The Bush administration has tentatively agreed to provide up to $980 million to New York City and state officials to help close multibillion-dollar budget deficits. By Raymond Hernandez. 1:56:11 PM

Hormone Cuts Risk of Premature Birth. Doctors reported that they had found a treatment to reduce the rate of premature births in women at risk of delivering too early. By Denise Grady. 1:56:09 PM

Teamsters Reach Tentative Pact That Provides Raises for Drivers. The tentative agreement covers 65,000 drivers and warehouse workers and provides raises of 11.3 percent over five years. By Steven Greenhouse. 1:56:08 PM

After Sweeping Clemency Order, Ex-Gov. Ryan Is a Celebrity. George Ryan has never been in more demand, with interview and speech requests flooding in from earth's far corners, yet, in a way, he has never been so alone. By Jodi Wilgoren. 1:56:07 PM

Confederate Flag Boycott Tests Presidential Candidates' Resolve. Democratic candidates campaigning in the South Carolina primary may breach an economic boycott of the state initiated for its display of the Confederate flag. By Adam Nagourney. 1:56:06 PM

NASA Cedes Authority in Columbia Shuttle Inquiry. Under prodding from Congress, NASA transferred authority for the Columbia investigation to an independent review board. By John M. Broder with Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 1:56:04 PM