Saturday, March 1, 2003

Letters to the Editor. When Military Contractors Offer Aid to Countries To the Editor:. 11:32:19 PM

China: Partner, Rival or Both?. Last year, for the first time, China probably bested the United States as the world's top choice for foreign investment. By Daniel Altman. 11:32:19 PM

A Vox Populi on Local Retailers. This week, Zagat, the publisher of pithy and opinionated pocket guides to restaurants, is introducing its first New York City Shopping Guide. By Ruth La Ferla. 11:32:19 PM

Once Secure, Argentines Now Lack Food and Hope. A year after the Argentine economy collapsed, the crisis has turned millions of Argentines into paupers without jobs, hope or enough food. By Larry Rohter. 11:32:18 PM

You Are What You Queue. Our lives and psyches are more public than ever, thanks to Netflix. By Craig Tomashoff. 11:32:17 PM

'A Consumers' Republic': The New Patriotism. Lizabeth Cohen sees the postwar age of mass consumption as both a triumph for capitalist production and a failure for civil society. By David M. Oshinsky. 11:32:16 PM

Disaster Centers: It's Location, Location. Ever since the attack on the World Trade Center, financial institutions downtown have struggled with the question of how big a logistical insurance policy they need. By David W. Dunlap. 11:32:15 PM

The Bad News on Certification Was Old News to the Market. The market, on average, did not punish the stocks of companies whose C.E.O.'s failed to certify financial statements. By Mark Hulbert. 11:32:14 PM

Ad Business Outlook May Be Brightening. Lauren Rich Fine, an advertising and marketing services analyst at Merrill Lynch discusses the business of advertising. By Kenneth N. Gilpin. 11:32:14 PM

The Shape of Things to Come. With the FX45, Nissan has managed to whip up what may well be the Next Big Thing: the high-performance crossover S.U.V. By Dan Neil. 11:32:13 PM

The Wisdom and Folly of Tax Cuts and Deficits. Democrats have also proposed tax cuts and both parties say they are more worried about stimulating the economy than balancing the budget. By Edmund L. Andrews. 11:32:13 PM

Leaving Tracks All Over the Dockets. A riddle: How are the Jeep, the Hummer and the Studebaker all alike? They're all the subjects of litigation over how they look. By Mickey Meece. 11:32:12 PM

Questions to Ask Before You Sign On. NE in four large employers plans to introduce a consumer-driven health plan in 2004, according to Forrester Research. These plans include employer-funded cash accounts, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, from which participants make withdrawals to pay for medical care. After depleting the account, the employee pays out of pocket until a deductible is reached. 11:32:12 PM

Don't Count on Corporate Bonds for Safety. Investors who hope that their retreat to bondville will reduce risk in their battered portfolios could be dead wrong. By Gretchen Morgenson. 11:32:11 PM

Brokers to Bankers: `No Trespassing'. In allowing an 11th-hour add-on to a $397 billion spending bill, Republican Congressional leaders handed the nation's real estate brokers an important symbolic victory if perhaps a temporary one in their concerted push to keep banks at bay. By Carl Hulse. 11:32:11 PM

A Makeover Can Be More Than Skin Deep. A marriage rescue plan: Get a tan. Hire a personal trainer. Have liposuction. Enlarge breasts. By Ellyn Spragins. 11:32:10 PM

At Least Those 401(k)'s Beat the Stock Market. DIARY At Least Those 401(k)'s Beat the Stock Market. By Compiled by Jeff Sommer. 11:32:10 PM

A Higher Minimum Wage (and Beyond City Hall). DIARY A Higher Minimum Wage (And Beyond City Hall) Dozens of municipalities around the country have joined the By Vivian Marino. 11:32:09 PM

A Time to Look Ahead for Tax Advantages. DIARY A Time to Look Ahead For Tax Advantages With the deadline approaching for filing income tax returns, many taxpayers are still looking over last year's records for tax breaks in 2002. But they can also plan their personal finances to gain tax benefits for future years. Bernard S. Kent, personal financial services partner for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Detroit, offered some suggestions. 11:32:09 PM

Joseph C. Williams III of the Commerce Growth Fund. Investors' tendency to overreact to news has worsened in the last six months or so, says Joseph C. Williams III, who runs the $180 million Commerce Growth fund. By Carole Gould. 11:32:09 PM

Which European Stocks Would Hold Up in a War?. Ben Funnell, a strategist at Morgan Stanley, has devised a "war basket" of European stocks that he contends will hold up well if shooting starts. By Conrad De Aenlle. 11:32:08 PM

Belt-Loosening in the Work Force. Does work make you fat? Some economists are suggesting that the answer is yes. By Daniel Akst. 11:32:08 PM

A Hidden Expense Lurks in Some Card Statements. Business travelers expect their companies to repay their expenses, but many reimbursements are falling short because employees are not accounting for currency-conversion fees. By Jennifer Bayot. 11:32:07 PM

Too Old to Work?. If you're over 40 and work for a big company, your future may well be tied to the fate of 6,400 Allstate agents who refuse to be "streamlined." By Adam Cohen. 11:32:06 PM

An Auditor (and Target) in Chief. Sir David Tweedie is among the most powerful people in the auditing profession today, leading a movement that will reshape rules in dozens of countries around the world. By Suzanne Kapner. 11:32:06 PM

Rebuilding the Paths to Work When a Nest Egg Is Lost. There's a virtual army of retired people in the New York area who, having had their incomes hammered by the stock market bust, are looking for work. By Julia Lawlor. 11:32:05 PM

Twice the Effort in a Cold, Blue Winter. A recent poll found that nearly half of all workers describe themselves as consistently less productive during the winter months. By Lisa Belkin. 11:32:04 PM

Nepotism? No Way. Scott A. Livengood, the chief executive of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, views himself and his employees as a big, doughnut-loving family. By Scott A. Livengood, Written with Abby Ellin. 11:32:04 PM

Reaching Out to the Multitasking Modern Teenager. The digital cable channel MuchMusic USA is betting that it can get people watching its shows by having them log on at the same time. By J. D. Considine. 11:32:03 PM

Turn Off That Cellphone. It's Meeting Time.. Tom Rotherham says there may be no faster way to anger a top executive these days than to let your cellphone trill during an important meeting. By Maggie Jackson. 11:32:03 PM

Online Advice Finds Few Takers. Big American companies have been adding online financial advice to their 401(k) plans, but most employees aren't bothering to use it. By Virginia Munger Kahn. 11:32:02 PM

Home Depot Seeks Elbow Room Outside Cities. Home Depot is using ZIP code data from its stores' sales receipts to decide where to build new stores. By Alex Markels. 11:32:02 PM

A New Health Plan Works, at Least for the Healthy. The health reimbursement arrangement, or H.R.A., is being studied closely by policy experts and insurance companies. By Beth Kobliner. 11:32:01 PM

Gold Is on the Rise, So What's Bugging Barrick?. It should be time to celebrate at gold companies. But one of the industry's largest players, Barrick Gold, is struggling. By Kurt Eichenwald. 11:32:01 PM

No Worry, Even Now, at Morgan Stanley. In an interview, Philip J. Purcell spoke optimistically about Morgan Stanley's prospects a view not supported by the firm's lagging stock price. By Patrick Mcgeehan and Landon Thomas Jr.. 11:32:00 PM

Oil Price Jump Adds to Jitters Over Economy. The most common cause of recessions, a surge in oil prices, is again afflicting the global economy. By David Leonhardt. 11:32:00 PM

The Wisdom and Folly of Tax Cuts and Deficits. Democrats have also proposed tax cuts and both parties say they are more worried about stimulating the economy than balancing the budget. By Edmund L. Andrews. 11:31:22 PM

Chief of U.S. Olympic Committee Resigns. The resignation ended a two-month siege in which Lloyd Ward resisted stepping down, despite having been punished for violating the organization's ethics code. By Richard Sandomir. 11:31:21 PM

Gay Couple Challenges Florida Ban on Homosexual Adoptions. A federal appeals court will hear a challenge to a Florida ban on adoption by homosexuals, the only group categorically restricted from adopting by the state. By Adam Liptak. 11:31:21 PM

Alfred Bernstein, 92, Lawyer Guided by New Deal, Dies. Alfred Bernstein was a New Deal lawyer who led the movement to unionize government workers and later helped desegregate Jim Crow-era Washington. By Alan Feuer. 11:31:20 PM

A Call for Softer, Greener Language. The Republicans have subtly refocused its message on the environment to appeal to suburban voters after a party strategist called the issue their biggest vulnerability. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:31:20 PM

So Many Underdogs, So Much Time. It may be a great thing for the Democratic Party to have nine people running for president, but is it a good thing for the candidates? By Adam Nagourney. 11:31:19 PM

NASA Moving Some Officials From Inquiry of Columbia. NASA will move officials directly involved with the Columbia mission off the investigation into the loss of the shuttle to avoid possible conflicts of interest. By John Schwartz. 11:31:19 PM

Pentagon Faces New Questions on Old Problem. A decision to let a panel that addressed issues of sexual assault expire is under new scrutiny after many Air Force cadets said their complaints of assaults were mishandled. By Michael Moss. 11:31:18 PM

Iraq Begins Destroying Missiles. Under the supervision of inspectors, Iraq crushed four of the short range missiles that the U.N. said were illegal. By Neil Macfarquhar. 11:31:18 PM

Pakistanis Arrest Qaeda Figure Seen as Planner of 9/11. The arrest of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed represented a major victory in the U.S.-led global search for leaders of Al Qaeda. By Erik Eckholm. 11:31:17 PM

In Deadly Area, Signs Urge End to Killings. Residents of Englewood, a homicide-plagued Chicago neighborhood, have noticed the appearance of mysterious handmade signs asking for the violence to stop. By John W. Fountain. 10:24:08 PM

A Call for Softer, Greener Language. The Republicans have subtly refocused its message on the environment to appeal to suburban voters after a party strategist called the issue their biggest vulnerability. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 10:24:08 PM

Alfred Bernstein, 92, Lawyer Guided by New Deal, Dies. Alfred Bernstein was a New Deal lawyer who led the movement to unionize government workers and later helped desegregate Jim Crow-era Washington. By Alan Feuer. 10:24:07 PM

Where Risk Is an Unwritten on the Ticket. For anyone who has spent much time in nightclubs, the recent tragedies in Chicago and West Warwick, R.I., may come as no surprise. By John Leland. 10:24:07 PM

NASA Moving Some Officials From Inquiry of Columbia. NASA will move officials directly involved with the Columbia mission off the investigation into the loss of the shuttle to avoid possible conflicts of interest. By John Schwartz. 10:24:06 PM

Indicted California Police Chief Keeps Job. SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 ÷ Despite being indicted by a grand jury, Chief Prentice E. Sanders of the San Francisco Police Department remains on the job this weekend, an indication that his friend and political mentor, Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr., intends to fight to clear the chief's name. By Dean E. Murphy. 10:24:06 PM

Pausing From Grief, Rhode Islanders Decide Show Must Go On. No government handbook explains when, in the wake of a state catastrophe, it is all right to smile again. By Dan Barry. 10:24:05 PM

Night Out for 3 Friends Leaves an Eternal Scar. In a place where no one seems wholly unconnected to anyone else, it is difficult to take a measure of the grief caused by a nightclub fire that took 97 lives. By Lydia Polgreen. 10:24:04 PM

Gay Couple Challenges Florida Ban on Homosexual Adoptions. A federal appeals court will hear a challenge to a Florida ban on adoption by homosexuals, the only group categorically restricted from adopting by the state. By Adam Liptak. 10:24:03 PM

Wrinkles Gone? New Uses Studied for Botox. Botulinum toxin is being tested often with encouraging results as a treatment for a wide variety of health problems. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 10:24:02 PM

Pentagon Faces New Questions on Old Problem. A decision to let a panel that addressed issues of sexual assault expire is under new scrutiny after many Air Force cadets said their complaints of assaults were mishandled. By Michael Moss. 10:24:01 PM

Oil Price Jump Adds to Jitters Over Economy. The most common cause of recessions, a surge in oil prices, is again afflicting the global economy. By David Leonhardt. 10:24:00 PM

'The Journey of Man': Following the Genes of a Common Ancestor. Spencer Wells, a geneticist, explains how all men alive on earth today can trace their ancestry to a single African man who lived around 60,000 years ago. By Carl Zimmer. 10:23:26 PM

'Freedom Evolves': Evolution Explains It All for You. Daniel C. Dennett argues that determinism and freedom are perfectly compatible. By Galen Strawson. 10:23:26 PM

Unarmed American Intruder Roils Britain. The American ruddy duck has been flying around Britain for 50 years but only now is showing its capacity to hit the British where they live. By Warren Hoge. 10:23:25 PM

Wrinkles Gone? New Uses Studied for Botox. Botulinum toxin is being tested often with encouraging results as a treatment for a wide variety of health problems. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr.. 10:23:24 PM

NASA Moving Some Officials From Inquiry of Columbia. NASA will move officials directly involved with the Columbia mission off the investigation into the loss of the shuttle to avoid possible conflicts of interest. By John Schwartz. 10:23:23 PM

China: Partner, Rival or Both?. Last year, for the first time, China probably bested the United States as the world's top choice for foreign investment. By Daniel Altman. 10:22:41 PM

Which European Stocks Would Hold Up in a War?. Ben Funnell, a strategist at Morgan Stanley, has devised a "war basket" of European stocks that he contends will hold up well if shooting starts. By Conrad De Aenlle. 10:22:40 PM

'Jarhead': A Marine's Desert Song. Out of the 1991 war against Iraq comes Anthony Swofford, a Marine sniper, to say in his book that he had a ball. By Mark Bowden. 10:22:40 PM

There's a Battlefield in Each Bedroom and Backyard. As of this moment, the U.S. is not at war with Iraq. But in the world of make-believe, America has come, has seen and has conquered. By Jonathan Miller. 10:22:39 PM

You Can Bet on It: Playing the Odds on War. Several online gambling sites are currently offering odds on whether there will be war between the United States and Iraq. 10:22:39 PM

To Charm and Disarm. Mohamed ElBaradei talks about the Iraqi inspections, North Korea and what keeps him up at night. By Interview by David Wallis. 10:22:38 PM

Dreaming of Democracy. Kanan Makiya has written a utopian blueprint for postwar Iraq. But its reception suggests that a post-Saddam happily-ever-after may be wishful thinking. By George Packer. 10:22:38 PM

Cold Comfort. A negotiating trip to North Korea was a chilling experience in more ways than one. By Jason T. Shaplen. 10:22:37 PM

Britons Get Their 15 Minutes of Farm. Every weekday at 7 p.m., BBC's Radio 4 broadcasts a jaunty rural saga that has been charming Britain for more than half a century. By Ellen Himelfarb. 10:22:37 PM

Major Catch, Critical Time. The apprehension of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, possibly the most fearsome of Osama bin Laden's chief lieutenants, came at a critical juncture. By David Johnston. 10:22:36 PM

Tied to Many Plots, an Elusive Figure Who Came to U.S. Attention Late. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is believed by American officials to be the central planner of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. By James Risen. 10:22:36 PM

Hussein Is Urged by Arab Emirates to Give Up Power. At an Arab League summit, the president of the United Arab Emirates proposed a deal that would allow the Baghdad leadership to cede power for immunity. By Steven Lee Myers. 10:22:35 PM

To White House, Inspector Is Now More a Dead End Than a Guidepost. Hans Blix's practice of balancing the positive with the negative on Iraq has frustrated the White House and strained his relations with Washington. By Steven R. Weisman. 10:22:35 PM

Unarmed American Intruder Roils Britain. The American ruddy duck has been flying around Britain for 50 years but only now is showing its capacity to hit the British where they live. By Warren Hoge. 10:22:34 PM

Democratic Hopes Test China's Political Limits. A law professor who tried to run for office in Shanghai without the support of party officials found out just how closed the system is. By Joseph Kahn. 10:22:34 PM

Once Secure, Argentines Now Lack Food and Hope. A year after the Argentine economy collapsed, the crisis has turned millions of Argentines into paupers without jobs, hope or enough food. By Larry Rohter. 10:22:33 PM

Ireland Faces Harsh Reality About Abuse of Alcohol. As the Irish have seen other cultures drinking in a more controlled fashion, their sense of what is socially acceptable has evolved. By Brian Lavery. 10:22:33 PM

U.S. Is Striking Iraqi Missiles Near Kuwait. Iraq has placed surface-to-surface missiles within range of Kuwait in recent weeks, prompting a series of American airstrikes. By Michael R. Gordon. 10:22:33 PM

Iraqi Opposition Groups Show Fissures at a Unity Meeting. Crucial talks among Iraq's opposition leaders aimed at showing credible political unity were wrapping up on a sour note. By Agence France-presse. 10:22:32 PM

A Pivot Point for the Middle East. Since last June, the Bush administration has premised its policy toward peace in the Middle East on an act of selfless statesmanship from Yasir Arafat. By James Bennet. 10:22:32 PM

Rallies in Seoul Differ on U.S., Highlighting a Generation Gap. South Koreans took to the streets for conflicting demonstrations that underlined a deep generational divide in attitudes toward North Korea and the U.S. By Keith Bradsher. 10:22:31 PM

Iraq Begins Destroying Missiles. Under the supervision of inspectors, Iraq crushed four of the short range missiles that the U.N. said were illegal. By Neil Macfarquhar. 10:22:31 PM

Turkish Deputies Refuse to Accept G.I.'s in Blow to Bush. The Turkish Parliament rejected a measure that would have allowed U.S. troops to use the country as a base for attacking Iraq. By Dexter Filkins. 10:22:30 PM

Pakistanis Arrest Qaeda Figure Seen as Planner of 9/11. The arrest of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed represented a major victory in the U.S.-led global search for leaders of Al Qaeda. By Erik Eckholm. 10:22:30 PM

You Are What You Queue. Our lives and psyches are more public than ever, thanks to Netflix. By Craig Tomashoff. 10:22:24 PM

Online Advice Finds Few Takers. Big American companies have been adding online financial advice to their 401(k) plans, but most employees aren't bothering to use it. By Virginia Munger Kahn. 10:22:24 PM

Reaching Out to the Multitasking Modern Teenager. The digital cable channel MuchMusic USA is betting that it can get people watching its shows by having them log on at the same time. By J. D. Considine. 10:22:23 PM

Turn Off That Cellphone. It's Meeting Time.. Tom Rotherham says there may be no faster way to anger a top executive these days than to let your cellphone trill during an important meeting. By Maggie Jackson. 10:22:23 PM

Hunt for Falklands Wreck Opens Old Wounds. Amid growing controversy, a National Geographic Society expedition will search for the remains of an Argentine warship sunk during the Falklands War. By Larry Rohter. 9:32:10 AM

NASA Chief Disputes Idea That Space Shuttle Was Hopeless. If NASA had known that the Columbia was in trouble during its mission, the agency would have devoted all its resources to saving the crew, says NASA's administrator. By Warren E. Leary. 9:32:09 AM

Video Shows Crew Before Shuttle Disintegrated. NASA released a video showing Columbia astronauts marveling at the light show during re-entry, minutes before the spacecraft disintegrated. By John Schwartz. 9:32:09 AM

Online Library Wants It All, Every Book. The directors of the new Alexandria Library have begun an ambitious effort to make virtually all of the world's books available at a mouse click. By Robert F. Worth. 9:32:02 AM

World Business Briefing: Africa. SOUTH AFRICA: Miner'S Profit Falls;. 9:32:00 AM

World Business Briefing: Americas. CANADA: Economic Growth Slows; CANADA: 4 Companies Face Fraud Charges;. 9:32:00 AM

World Business Briefing: Europe. BRITAIN: Bank Selects Chief; ITALY: Utility'S Profit Falls; ITALY: Loss At Fiat; THE NETHERLANDS: Upc To Take A Charge;. 9:31:59 AM

An Outspoken Arab in Europe: Demon or Hero?. Dyab Abou Jahjah, known as Belgium's Malcolm X, is the founder of the Arab European League, a new immigrant protest movement. By Marlise Simons. 9:31:59 AM

South Korea's New President Names His Economic Team. South Korea's new president, Roh Moo Hyun, has named an economic team to confront the challenge of staving off an economic downturn. By Don Kirk. 9:31:58 AM

Does Democracy Avert Famine?. Amartya Sen's famous theory that famines do not occur in democracies is being tested by starvation in India. By Michael Massing. 9:31:57 AM

Behind the Paper Doors, a Japan in Turmoil. Japanese streets are immaculate. Chic restaurants overflow with guests. How can Japan possibly be a country in crisis? By Howard W. French. 9:31:57 AM

Online Library Wants It All, Every Book. The directors of the new Alexandria Library have begun an ambitious effort to make virtually all of the world's books available at a mouse click. By Robert F. Worth. 9:31:56 AM

Rally Round the Awards, Boys. Rock the Vote, an organization committed to "empowering young people to change their world," sponsored a bizarre concert at Roseland Ballroom last Saturday night. By Kelefa Sanneh. 9:31:56 AM

Roy Grace, Art Director in the Creative Heyday of Ads, Dies at 66. Roy Grace helped to produce memorable campaigns for brands like Alka-Seltzer, American Tourister and Volkswagen. By Stuart Elliott. 9:31:55 AM

5,000 Yale Workers Plan to Go on Strike. Nearly 5,000 workers at Yale University, including janitors, cafeteria workers, secretaries and graduate teaching assistants, plan to go on strike on Monday. By Steven Greenhouse. 9:31:54 AM

Bloomberg Says Enough With the Billionaire Talk. Michael R. Bloomberg, the billionaire mayor, said yesterday he wants people to view him as something other than, well, rich. By Nichole M. Christian. 9:31:54 AM

Government Moves to Curtail the Use of Ephedra. Federal officials proposed new labels to warn consumers that ephedra could cause heart attack, stroke and death. By Robert Pear with Denise Grady. 9:31:53 AM

Casualties of 9/11 Rebuilding. A plan for a gigantic new transit center on Broadway between Fulton and John Streets will displace some businesses and tenants in lower Manhattan. By Joseph P. Fried. 9:31:52 AM

W.H.O. Adopts Tobacco Pact but Many Countries Object. Many major nations, including the United States and Germany, said they would not adopt the treaty in its current form. By Alison Langley. 9:31:51 AM

Lehman Cuts Pay of Chief. Lehman Brothers ut the pay of its chairman and chief executive, Richard Fuld, by 22 percent last year, to $12.5 million, as the company's profit fell 18 percent. By Bloomberg News. 9:31:50 AM

Mortgages Will Still be Rated. Credit rating agencies have indicated they will continue to rate pools of mortgages that include those from New York City because its new predatory lending law does not threaten investors' returns. By Jonathan Fuerbringer. 9:31:49 AM

Proposals on Medicare. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed changes intended to reduce excessive payments in reimbursing hospitals for the sickest patients. By Bloomberg News. 9:31:49 AM

Global Crossing Deal Shifts. A Hong Kong company that is seeking to acquire Global Crossing with a partner is considering ways to revise its proposed deal. By Simon Romero. 9:31:48 AM

Fed Official Defends Rate Cuts. Donald L. Kohn, a member of the Federal Reserve, offered the central bank's most extended rebuttal yet to those who have criticized its policies. By Edmund L. Andrews. 9:31:48 AM

U.S. to Allow Wine Labels That List Health Claims. The Treasury Department approved a request by winemakers that they be allowed to make health claims on their bottles. By Floyd Norris with Amanda Hesser. 9:31:47 AM

New Front Opens in Court Battle Over Mall Empire. Taubman Centers, the shopping mall empire built by A. Alfred Taubman, secretly rejected an acquisition offer from a rival in 1998. By Andrew Ross Sorkin. 9:31:47 AM

Tight U.S. Job Market Adds to Jitters Among Consumers. Americans are now more worried about their job prospects than at any time since 1993, raising the risk that consumer spending, the cornerstone of the economy, will slow. By Alex Berenson. 9:31:46 AM

Bayer Official Offers Defense in Texas Trial of Drug Suit. A senior Bayer executive testified that company officials recommended against selling an anticholesterol drug because they thought its sales potential was limited. By Melody Petersen. 9:31:45 AM

Senior Bush Defends '91 Decision on Iraq. Former President George H. W. Bush has defended his decision not to remove Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein, from power in 1991. By James Dao. 9:31:44 AM

Along Borders, Tension and Uncertainty Prevail. BROWNSVILLE, Tex. Gil Aldaz knows every bend of the Rio Grande from here to the Gulf of Mexico, all the clandestine border crossings out in the boondocks, places with names like Dead Man's Curve, where people sneak into the United States almost every day. By Tim Weiner. 9:31:44 AM

For Lott, Uneasy Role as One of 100 in Senate. Senator Trent Lott still strolls the Senate floor two months after he was deposed as majority leader in a humiliating fight over racially charged remarks. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 9:31:43 AM

NASA Chief Disputes Idea That Space Shuttle Was Hopeless. If NASA had known that the Columbia was in trouble during its mission, the agency would have devoted all its resources to saving the crew, says NASA's administrator. By Warren E. Leary. 9:31:43 AM

Former Klansman Is Found Guilty of 1966 Killing. Ernest Avants, 72, a former Ku Klux Klansman, was found guilty of murdering a black man as part of plot to kill the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. By Rick Bragg. 9:31:42 AM

Senator Suspects Crimes at U.S.O.C.. Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska did not offer any details about what sort of criminal activity could be occurring in the United States Olympic Committee. By Richard Sandomir. 9:31:41 AM

Fed Official Defends Rate Cuts. Donald L. Kohn, a member of the Federal Reserve, offered the central bank's most extended rebuttal yet to those who have criticized its policies. By Edmund L. Andrews. 9:31:40 AM

U.S. Sees Quick Start of North Korea Nuclear Site. Officials expect that in the next few weeks North Korea will turn on the reprocessing plant that can produce weapons-grade plutonium. By David E. Sanger. 9:31:39 AM

The Pentagon Releases a Proposed List of War Crimes to Be Judged by Tribunals. Categories in the document include attacks on civilians, the taking of hostages, the use of poisons, the deployment of human shields, terrorism and rape. By The New York Times. 9:31:39 AM

Government Moves to Curtail the Use of Ephedra. Federal officials proposed new labels to warn consumers that ephedra could cause heart attack, stroke and death. By Robert Pear with Denise Grady. 9:31:38 AM

Court Lets Stand the Ban on 'God' in Pledge. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit let stand a modified version of its decision that the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. By Adam Liptak. 9:31:38 AM

Border Inspectors to Look for Radioactive Materials. Beginning this weekend, all travelers arriving in the U.S. will be screened by federal inspectors for radiological materials. By Philip Shenon. 9:31:37 AM

U.S. Says Hussein Must Cede Power to Head Off War. The White House said that the only way to prevent war in Iraq would be to disarm the country and depose Saddam Hussein. By Felicity Barringer with David E. Sanger. 9:31:36 AM

Behind the Paper Doors, a Japan in Turmoil. Japanese streets are immaculate. Chic restaurants overflow with guests. How can Japan possibly be a country in crisis? By Howard W. French. 9:31:34 AM

Global Crossing Deal Shifts. A Hong Kong company that is seeking to acquire Global Crossing with a partner is considering ways to revise its proposed deal. By Simon Romero. 9:31:33 AM

Border Inspectors to Look for Radioactive Materials. Beginning this weekend, all travelers arriving in the U.S. will be screened by federal inspectors for radiological materials. By Philip Shenon. 9:31:29 AM

Along Borders, Tension and Uncertainty Prevail. BROWNSVILLE, Tex. Gil Aldaz knows every bend of the Rio Grande from here to the Gulf of Mexico, all the clandestine border crossings out in the boondocks, places with names like Dead Man's Curve, where people sneak into the United States almost every day. By Tim Weiner. 9:31:28 AM

Student Groups Plan Walkout to Protest War. Students at hundreds of high schools and colleges nationwide are planning a walkout on Wednesday to protest the Bush administration's plans for war in Iraq. By Tamar Lewin. 9:31:27 AM

Briefly Noted. HEZBOLLAH SMUGGLER SENTENCED The first person convicted under a law that bars aid to terrorists was sentenced to 155 years in prison. The man, Mohamad Hammoud, led a cigarette-smuggling ring based in Charlotte, N.C., that sent money to the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah. Mr. Hammoud and his brother, Chawki, brought cigarettes from North Carolina, where low taxes keep down prices, to Michigan for resale without paying that state's taxes. In June, Mr. Hammoud became the first person convicted under a 1996 federal law prohibiting aid to designated terrorist groups.ÊÊ (AP) IRELAND: AIRPORT IS SHUNNED Two airlines that the United States military charters to fly troops overseas, North American Airlines and Miami Airlines, have pulled out of stopover and refueling arrangements at Shannon Airport, on Ireland's west coast near Limerick, because of security concerns. Protesters have infiltrated runways and hangars on three occasions recently to attack aircraft with paint, hatchets and hammers, causing enough damage to prevent the planes from flying. Another such airline, World Airways, had stopped landing at Shannon in January. Now, only one American military carrier will land at the airport. ÊÊ Brian Lavery (NYT) ROMANIA: CAUGHT BETWEEN ALLIES President Ion Iliescu of Romania said in an interview this week that he was unhappy to find himself caught between Washington and Paris in the dispute over Iraq. 9:31:26 AM

New Element in Iraq's Mix. President Bush would be satisfied only with Iraq's complete disarmament and the departure of Saddam Hussein into exile. By Patrick E. Tyler. 9:31:24 AM

Senior Bush Defends '91 Decision on Iraq. Former President George H. W. Bush has defended his decision not to remove Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein, from power in 1991. By James Dao. 9:31:23 AM

Putin Again Rejects U.S. Calls for Support of a War, Fearing Effect on the Mideast. Once again and with fervor, President Vladimir V. Putin rebuffed American calls to support a possible military campaign in Iraq. By Michael Wines. 9:31:22 AM

Kurds and Arabs Clash, Over a Ball. A professional soccer team from Erbil, a city in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, on Friay played a team from Baghdad, the capital. By David Rohde. 9:31:21 AM

Both Britain and Spain Dismiss Offer on Iraq Missiles. The prime ministers of Britain and Spain dismissed Iraq's reported promise to destroy its Samoud 2 missiles as an attempt by Saddam Hussein to play "games." By Emma Daly. 9:31:21 AM

Experts See High Risk of Strife in Iraq if Hussein Is Deposed. Experts say that if President Saddam Hussein were to leave Iraq, the outcome could be messy, unpredictable and very violent. By Ian Fisher. 9:31:20 AM

Germany Threatens to Scuttle Accord on Tobacco Control. The German delegation is opposing the wording of an article in the antismoking treaty that would place a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising. By Alison Langley. 9:31:19 AM

Hunt for Falklands Wreck Opens Old Wounds. Amid growing controversy, a National Geographic Society expedition will search for the remains of an Argentine warship sunk during the Falklands War. By Larry Rohter. 9:31:19 AM

An Outspoken Arab in Europe: Demon or Hero?. Dyab Abou Jahjah, known as Belgium's Malcolm X, is the founder of the Arab European League, a new immigrant protest movement. By Marlise Simons. 9:31:18 AM

Pakistani Guards Shot Dead at U.S. Office. At least one gunman attacked Pakistani police officers standing guard outside the American Consulate in Karachi, killing two officers. By Erik Eckholm. 9:31:18 AM

Plan for U.S. Troops in Philippines Hits Snag. Plans to send U.S. troops to the Philippines hit an impasse when the countries' top officials could not agree on operation rules. By Eric Schmitt. 9:31:17 AM

U.S. Sees Quick Start of North Korea Nuclear Site. Officials expect that in the next few weeks North Korea will turn on the reprocessing plant that can produce weapons-grade plutonium. By David E. Sanger. 9:31:16 AM

U.S. Says Hussein Must Cede Power to Head Off War. The White House said that the only way to prevent war in Iraq would be to disarm the country and depose Saddam Hussein. By Felicity Barringer with David E. Sanger. 9:31:15 AM