Tuesday, March 4, 2003

National Briefing: Midwest. FLORIDA: Reconsidering Budget Expenses;. 10:52:29 PM

National Briefing: Mid-Atlantic. SENATE BACKS `UNDER GOD';. 10:52:28 PM

National Briefing: West. CALIFORNIA: `Disaster Of Biblical Proportions';. 10:52:27 PM

National Briefing: Southwest. ILLINOIS: Judge Serves In Face Of Threat;. 10:52:27 PM

National Briefing: South. PENNSYLVANIA: Coltrane Home In Disrepair;. 10:52:26 PM

National Briefing: Northwest. WASHINGTON: Spurning A Muslim Prayer;. 10:52:25 PM

Dr. John Fryer, 65, Psychiatrist Who Said He Was Gay in 1972, Dies. Dr. John E. Fryer was a psychiatrist who came out to his colleagues at a 1972 American Psychiatric Association convention, when homosexuality was classified as a mental illness. By Dudley Clendinen. 10:52:24 PM

When It Goes Wrong at a Charter School. When charters first appeared, they were touted as the free-market alternative to bad old public schools, but as with many market miracles, the bubble has burst. By Michael Winerip. 10:52:23 PM

NASA Studies How to Make Remaining Shuttles Safe to Fly. The needs of the International Space Station crew, 240 miles in orbit, have given a special urgency to the task of fixing safety problems in the three remaining shuttles. By William J. Broad. 10:52:22 PM

Barriers for California Reactor on Road to Nuclear Graveyard. Railroads, ports, environmental groups even the Panama Canal have thrown roadblocks in the way of officials trying to move a decommissioned nuclear reactor to South Carolina. By Nick Madigan. 10:52:20 PM

U.S. Budget Deficit Rising Fast. The deficit is growing much more quickly than expected, even before Congress takes up President Bush's tax plan and without factoring in the costs of a war in Iraq. By Edmund L. Andrews. 10:52:19 PM

A Top Health Official Resigns Under Pressure. Janet Rehnquist, inspector general of the Health and Human Services Department, resigned in the face of Congressional opposition and an inquiry into her conduct. By Christopher Marquis. 10:52:18 PM

Arrest of Terrorist Leaders Blunts Democratic Attacks. The recent arrests of high-level Al Qaeda leaders have weakened Democratic efforts to portray the president's focus on Iraq as a diversion from the war on terror. By Carl Hulse. 10:52:17 PM

Study Raises Estimate of the Nation's Uninsured. WASHINGTON, March 4 An estimated 75 million Americans were without health insurance at some point during the last two years, amounting to nearly a third of all Americans younger than 65, a study has found. By Robin Toner. 10:52:16 PM

Bush Medicare Proposal Urges Switch to Private Insurers. President Bush opened a fractious new round in the Medicare debate by proposing comprehensive drug coverage for the elderly, if they switch to private insurance plans. By Robert Pear and Robin Toner. 10:52:16 PM

Vote Set on Ending Filibuster on Judge. WASHINGTON, March 4 Senate Republicans today set a vote for Thursday on whether to end a Democratic filibuster that has blocked consideration of President Bush's nomination of Miguel Estrada to a federal appeals court seat. By The New York Times. 10:52:16 PM

Ruling on Victor vs. Victoria Offers Split Victory of Sorts. The Supreme Court offered something for both sides in its first interpretation of a new federal law intended to protect famous brand names. By Linda Greenhouse. 10:52:15 PM

Experts Conclude Oil Drilling Has Hurt Alaska's North Slope. Even though oil companies have improved their practices in the Arctic, three decades of drilling along the North Slope have produced a growing number of harmful effects. By Andrew C. Revkin. 10:52:15 PM

Panel Scours Wreckage, Shuttle Data and Management for Clues. The growing accumulation of wreckage of the space shuttle Columbia has yet to yield a coherent picture of what caused it to break up on re-entry a month ago. By Matthew L. Wald with Warren E. Leary. 10:52:14 PM

Suspension of Executions Is Urged for Pennsylvania. A committee appointed by Pennsylvania's Supreme Court recommended halting executions until the effects of possible racial bias in capital cases were better understood. By Adam Liptak. 10:52:14 PM

A Prescription Plan Hailed as a Model Is a Budget Casualty. To cover budget shortfalls, Oregon will cut off medications to schizophrenics, manic-depressives, drug addicts and others who are poor and have no health care. By Timothy Egan. 10:52:13 PM

Police Dept. Indictments Rattle San Francisco. The case of three off-duty police officers accused of beating up two men in November has escalated into a nasty war among some of the city's most powerful politicians. By Dean E. Murphy. 10:52:12 PM

Millions Raised for Qaeda in Brooklyn, U.S. Says. A Yemeni cleric apprehended in Germany on charges of financing terrorism used a Brooklyn mosque to help funnel millions of dollars to Al Qaeda. By Eric Lichtblau with William Glaberson. 10:52:11 PM

Dollar Hits Its Lowest Point in 4 Years. The dollar fell to its lowest point in almost four years against the euro today after Treasury Secretary John W. Snow said that he was "not particularly concerned" about the dollar, which has dropped 20 percent in the last year against the euro. By Bloomberg News. 10:51:59 PM

South Korea to Open Inquiry Into 6 Large Conglomerates. The Korean government is conducting an investigation of six of the nation's largest conglomerates on suspicion of illegal securities transactions. By Don Kirk. 10:51:58 PM

Canada Raises a Major Interest Rate a Quarter Point. The Bank of Canada raised its benchmark interest rate for the fourth time in a year. By Bernard Simon. 10:51:58 PM

Sales Slow as Germans Pile Up Empty Soda Cans. Germany's new deposit law on cans and bottles has sharply reduced beverage sales, causing hardship in a $15 billion industry. By Otto Pohl. 10:51:57 PM

Pataki Seeks Protections for Workers Called to Duty. Gov. George E. Pataki and the Republican minority in the Assembly proposed a variety of financial benefits for state residents called to active military service. By Winnie Hu. 10:51:56 PM

Antiwar Ralliers Seek a Permit, This Time Marching, March 22. The organizers of the antiwar rally that drew a huge crowd in Manhattan on Feb. 15 are trying again to get permission from the city to march through the streets. By Leslie Eaton. 10:51:55 PM

Brooklyn Muslims, Disputing Any Ties to Terror. A spokesman for the mosque's current imam, Abdul Rahman, said the mosque was "very, very surprised" by the allegations. By Andy Newman. 10:51:55 PM

Arrest of Terrorist Leaders Blunts Democratic Attacks. The recent arrests of high-level Al Qaeda leaders have weakened Democratic efforts to portray the president's focus on Iraq as a diversion from the war on terror. By Carl Hulse. 10:51:54 PM

Safety Issues Prompt Woods to Skip Event. If not for the threat of war, Tiger Woods would be in the United Arab Emirates this week, competing in the Dubai Desert Classic. By Clifton Brown. 10:51:54 PM

Briefly Noted. PROBATION IN FAKE I.D. CASE A Superior Court judge in Paterson, N.J., excoriated a naturalized United States citizen for his "reckless and callous disregard" for the safety of others in selling fake identification cards to two of the Sept. 11 hijackers, but she let him walk free today based on a plea agreement of last month. 10:51:53 PM

World Briefing: Europe. ITALY: Red Brigades Suspect Questioned; MACEDONIA: 2 Nato Soldiers Killed; RUSSIA: Troops To Leave Chechnya; GREECE: Terrorism Suspect Denies Charges;. 10:51:53 PM

World Briefing: Asia. NORTH KOREA: More Food Needed; SOUTH KOREA: Train Driver Arrested In Fire;. 10:51:52 PM

World Briefing: Africa. UGANDA: Soldiers Executed; CONGO REPUBLIC: Ebola Toll Reaches 88; KENYA: Central Banker Resigns;. 10:51:52 PM

Hussein's Likely Plan: Make a Stand in Baghdad. If attacked, Saddam Hussein plans to make his stand in Baghdad. It is as much a political strategy as a military one. By Michael R. Gordon. 10:51:52 PM

5 Killed in Error at a Kurdish Checkpoint. Five Muslim men were shot and killed on Tuesday at a highway checkpoint by Kurdish security officers. By C. J. Chivers. 10:51:51 PM

Persian Gulf Nations Send Troops to Protect Kuwait. The disparate Arab force is trivial in a military sense. Still, the deployment means something to the Kuwaitis, who have felt isolated politically. By Marc Santora With Michael R. Gordon. 10:51:50 PM

Powell Says U.S. Can Wage War on Iraq Without Turks. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said that if necessary the U.S. would make plans to wage war against Iraq without Turkish help. By Steven R. Weisman. 10:51:49 PM

In Defeat of U.S. Plan, Turks See a Victory for Democracy. In the eyes of many Turks, the dramatic vote rejecting the American military plan ushered in a new era in Turkish democracy. By Dexter Filkins. 10:51:49 PM

Rights Group Calls for End to Inheriting African Wives. Human Rights Watch condemned the African practice of wife inheritance, in which a widow is transferred to a male relative of her deceased husband. By Marc Lacey. 10:51:48 PM

Chinese Legislature Meets to Appoint Leaders. China's annual legislative session opened on Wednesday, with personalities eclipsing policies for now. By Elisabeth Rosenthal. 10:51:48 PM

New Study Supports Idea Stalin Was Poisoned. Fifty years after Stalin died, an exhaustive study of Soviet records lends new weight to an old theory that he was actually poisoned. By Michael Wines. 10:51:47 PM

In the Man-Ravaged West Bank, a Petrified Zoo. A macabre transformation is under way at the zoo in Qalqiliya in the West Bank. As the animals vanish from the tidy cages, they are reappearing, stuffed, in the zoo's museum. By James Bennet. 10:51:47 PM

Crisis in Italy's State Network Stirs New Claims Against Premier. Silvio Berlusconi is facing new accusations of conflict of interest, brought on by a crisis at the state broadcasting network RAI. By The New York Times. 10:51:46 PM

Irish and British Leaders Fail to Rescue Ulster Peace Accord. Roman Catholic and Protestant politicians failed to rescue the five-year-old accord that brought peace and self-government to Northern Ireland. By Brian Lavery. 10:51:46 PM

Europe Hacker Laws Could Make Protest a Crime. The new laws intended to deter computer hacking could pose problems because the language could also outlaw people who organize protests online. By Paul Meller. 10:51:46 PM

Qaeda Operative Is 'Hero' to Some in Pakistan. The spokesman for Pakistan's largest Islamic party said Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, should be considered a "hero of Islam." By Erik Eckholm. 10:51:45 PM

U.S.-Led Afghan Sweep Yields Unclear Results. As the troops prepared to finish their mission in the Baghran Valley, it remained unclear how successful the three-week operation had been. By Carlotta Gall. 10:51:45 PM

Israeli Troops Kill 3 in Separate Incidents in West Bank and Gaza. In separate shooting incidents and clashes, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, as the White House issued a rare caution to Israel. By James Bennet. 10:51:44 PM

Bombing Kills an American and 20 Others in Philippines. A bomb at an international airport on Tuesday killed at least 21 people including an American Baptist missionary and wounded 170. By Seth Mydans. 10:51:44 PM

Millions Raised for Qaeda in Brooklyn, U.S. Says. A Yemeni cleric apprehended in Germany on charges of financing terrorism used a Brooklyn mosque to help funnel millions of dollars to Al Qaeda. By Eric Lichtblau with William Glaberson. 10:51:43 PM

U.S. Sending 2 Dozen Bombers in Easy Range of North Koreans. President Bush said that if diplomacy failed, he might be forced to turn to military options to prevent the North from making nuclear weapons. By David E. Sanger and Thom Shanker. 10:51:43 PM

Top General Sees Plan to Shock Iraq Into Surrendering. Military officials have said the plan calls for unleashing 3,000 precision-guided bombs and missiles in the first 48 hours of the campaign. By Eric Schmitt and Elisabeth Bumiller. 10:51:42 PM

The Right to Make a Bad Decision. Medical decisions involve value judgments best made by the patients involved. Still, doctors often wonder if they should have done more. By Sandeep Jauhar, M.d.. 10:51:41 PM

The Real Scientific Hero of 1953. While the double helix deserved a good party, another scientific feat that turned 50 this year may turn out to be just as profound. By Steven Strogatz. 10:51:41 PM

Supervisor at Shuttle Plant Cites Pressure Over Repairs. A supervisor overseeing the application of an insulation adhesive on the shuttle Columbia's external fuel tank improperly documented a repair that his workers performed. By Edward Wong. 10:51:40 PM

Letters. A Double-Helix Spinoff. 10:51:39 PM

All the Queen's Relatives. This week's column includes items on nepotism patterns in Formica fusca ants, how ancient burned peat is a source of dioxin now, and heavy ice in Antarctica. By Henry Fountain. 10:51:39 PM

DNA Junk or Not?. This week's question: How do scientists know that there aren't sections of junk DNA that have some biological function? By C. Claiborne Ray. 10:51:38 PM

Diseases Common in Ashkenazim May Be Random. At least some of the hereditary diseases that are relatively common in Ashkenazi Jews exist as a matter of chance, not due to a mutation's hidden advantage. By Nicholas Wade. 10:51:38 PM

Restoring a Forest Goes Slowly, and Advocates Seethe. The restoration of Montana's Bitterroot National Forest has become the focus of a dispute between environmental groups and the United States Forest Service. By Jim Robbins. 10:51:37 PM

Agonizing, Inhospitable Homecoming of Lynx to Colorado. The next batch of lynxes is expected to be released in the San Juan and Rio Grande national forests this spring. By Mindy Sink. 10:51:37 PM

A Flash From the Past: New Evidence Supports Moon Blast. A radiologist in Tulsa, Okla., photographed what he believed was an asteroid striking the surface of the Moon 50 years ago. It now looks like he may have been right. By Henry Fountain. 10:51:37 PM

At South Pole, New Home for a New Era. Residents of the South Pole are getting a new station, which can house, feed, entertain and otherwise support 200 scientists and other workers. By Sandra Blakeslee. 10:51:36 PM

Experts Conclude Oil Drilling Has Hurt Alaska's North Slope. Even though oil companies have improved their practices in the Arctic, three decades of drilling along the North Slope have produced a growing number of harmful effects. By Andrew C. Revkin. 10:51:36 PM

NASA Studies How to Make Remaining Shuttles Safe to Fly. The needs of the International Space Station crew, 240 miles in orbit, have given a special urgency to the task of fixing safety problems in the three remaining shuttles. By William J. Broad. 10:51:35 PM

Panel Scours Wreckage, Shuttle Data and Management for Clues. The growing accumulation of wreckage of the space shuttle Columbia has yet to yield a coherent picture of what caused it to break up on re-entry a month ago. By Matthew L. Wald with Warren E. Leary. 10:51:35 PM

In the Man-Ravaged West Bank, a Petrified Zoo. A macabre transformation is under way at the zoo in Qalqiliya in the West Bank. As the animals vanish from the tidy cages, they are reappearing, stuffed, in the zoo's museum. By James Bennet. 10:51:34 PM

World Business Briefing: Americas. CANADA: Jet Maker Misses Financial Targets; ARGENTINA: Cellphone Stake Sold;. 10:51:32 PM

World Business Briefing: Europe. FRANCE: Utility Reverses A Loss; IRELAND: Profit In Building Materials; GERMANY: Latex Unit Sold; BRITAIN: Bid For Hotelier;. 10:51:32 PM

World Business Briefing: Asia. JAPAN: Bank'S Bad Loans Decline; JAPAN: Bank Aid Advances;. 10:51:31 PM

South African Phone Giant Offers Shares. Telkom South Africa, the national telephone monopoly, went public with the sale by the government of a quarter of its shares. By Nicole Itano. 10:51:29 PM

Canada Raises a Major Interest Rate a Quarter Point. The Bank of Canada raised its benchmark interest rate for the fourth time in a year. By Bernard Simon. 10:51:29 PM

South Korea to Open Inquiry Into 6 Large Conglomerates. The Korean government is conducting an investigation of six of the nation's largest conglomerates on suspicion of illegal securities transactions. By Don Kirk. 10:51:28 PM

Sales Slow as Germans Pile Up Empty Soda Cans. Germany's new deposit law on cans and bottles has sharply reduced beverage sales, causing hardship in a $15 billion industry. By Otto Pohl. 10:51:28 PM

Some Reality-Show Mutations Have Survival Value. Like dung beetles, Fox reality shows have an ingenious ability to put embarrassing material to use. By Alessandra Stanley. 10:51:27 PM

CBS Plans Expanded Coverage of the Tonys. CBS, which has split the Tony Award broadcast with PBS for five years, will carry all three hours of the ceremony in June. By Bill Carter. 10:51:27 PM

New Executives at Hill, Holliday. New Executives At Hill, Holliday Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos in Boston has hired four executives for its offices in New York and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. By The New York Times. 10:51:26 PM

A TV Campaign for Grey Goose Vodka. Grey Goose's path to vodka popularity has taken an unusual turn: extensive advertising on cable TV. By Patricia Winters Lauro. 10:51:26 PM

For Exxon Mobil, Size Is a Strength and a Weakness. Exxon Mobil is a big, rich company. But some analysts and industry executives now wonder: How big is too big? By Neela Banerjee. 10:51:25 PM

HealthSouth Posts Quarterly Loss. HealthSouth reported a loss of $406 million in the fourth quarter, largely as a result of its decision to close some outpatient clinics and to take one-time charges. 10:51:25 PM

Dental Group Is Under Fire for Coke Deal. In an unlikely industry-health partnership, the Coca-Cola Foundation will give about $1 million to an organization dedicated to the health of children's teeth. By Marian Burros. 10:51:25 PM

Steinway Workers Strike. Steinway Musical Instruments, maker of Steinway pianos, said that workers were on strike at a plant in Eastlake, Ohio. By Bloomberg News. 10:51:24 PM

Phillips-Van Heusen Swings to Profit. Phillips-Van Heusen said its fourth-quarter earnings rose 44 percent from the period a year earlier, beating expectations. By Tracie Rozhon. 10:51:24 PM

California Says Files Reveal Effort to Limit Energy Output. The State of California accused major power generators of limiting electricity production to drive up prices during the 2000-2001 energy crisis. By Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 10:51:23 PM

Oxford Health Agrees to Settle Lawsuit. Oxford Health Plans, one of the New York area's biggest health insurers, agreed to pay $225 million to settle a 1997 securities fraud suit. By Bloomberg News. 10:51:23 PM

Bear, Stearns Accepts Deal to Keep Workers in Brooklyn. Bear, Stearns & Company announced that it had agreed to renew its lease in Brooklyn instead of moving 1,500 jobs to Manhattan or New Jersey. By Charles V. Bagli. 10:51:22 PM

George Foreman Adds Meat to Grills. George Foreman, the heavyweight boxer turned pitchman, is adding another product to his lucrative endorsement portfolio. By Sherri Day. 10:51:21 PM

Harvard Professor Proposes Alternative Economics Class. A Harvard professor has proposed an alternative to the introductory economics class taught by an occasional adviser to President Bush. By David Leonhardt. 10:51:21 PM

Industry's Pace Slows; Consumer Spending Drops. The Institute for Supply Management said that manufacturing grew at an unexpectedly sluggish pace in February. By Bloomberg News. 10:51:20 PM

Yale's Labor Troubles Deepen as Thousands Go on Strike. Thousands of employees went on strike Monday against Yale University, shutting its dining halls and forcing the cancellation of many classes. By Steven Greenhouse. 10:51:20 PM

Companies Try to Strike a Balance During a Period of Jitters. Hundreds of companies were drawing up contingency plans for an outbreak of war. By David Jones. 10:51:19 PM

Down on Stocks, Buffett Turns to Junk Bonds. Warren E. Buffett says stocks are not cheap. Now, Mr. Buffett says he has invested significantly in junk bonds. By Floyd Norris. 10:51:19 PM

Some Grim Numbers for the Airlines. How bad are things in the airline business? Consider some numbers. By Joe Sharkey. 10:51:18 PM

Beginning to Feel Like a Big City. Downtown is the only part of Los Angeles that looks and feels like a big city. Even after dark, downtown is starting to hum. By Joe Sharkey. 10:51:18 PM

Martha Stewart Living Suffers 1st Loss. NEW YORK (AP) -- The insider trading investigation surrounding Martha Stewart is taking a toll on her namesake company, contributing to the media and retailing company's first-ever quarterly loss and projections of larger losses ahead. By The Associated Press. 10:51:18 PM

Tyco Taps 2 Corporate Governance Jobs. PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) -- Tyco International named two corporate governance executives who will report directly to the board of the troubled conglomerate, whose accounting is under federal investigation and whose two top managers were indicted on grand larceny charges. By The Associated Press. 10:51:17 PM

Liberty's Malone and Comcast Set to Weigh Future of QVC. John Malone, the billionaire who controls Liberty Media, will soon negotiate ownership of QVC, the cable shopping network. By Geraldine Fabrikant. 10:51:17 PM

Capital One Officer, Facing Inquiry, Quits. The chief financial officer of Capital One is resigning after the S.E.C. said it was pursuing an insider-trading lawsuit against him. By Jennifer Bayot. 10:51:16 PM

Seoul Vows Full Inquiry of Top Companies' Insider Trading. The investigation is in keeping with President Roh Moo Hyun's pledge to reform schemes by tycoons to pass on their wealth to their heirs. By Don Kirk. 10:51:16 PM

New Ways to Untether Travelers. Broadband wireless Internet and e-mail services are becoming available on airplanes, in public places and hotel rooms. By Joe Sharkey. 10:51:15 PM

ImClone Founder Admits Evading Taxes on Art. Samuel D. Waksal, former chief of ImClone Systems, pleaded guilty to evading sales tax on $15 million worth of contemporary art. By Constance L. Hays and Carol Vogel. 10:51:14 PM

Stocks Fall on War Fears. Renewed fears about war and terrorism tormented Wall Street today, sending the Dow Jones industrials to their lowest level in nearly five months. By The Associated Press. 10:51:14 PM

Ahold Shares Fall 10% as Questions About Company Grow. Analysts questioned the supermarket operator's ability to survive as investigations broadened into accounting irregularities at the company. By Eric Pfannerinternational Herald Tribune. 10:51:13 PM

Under Fire, a Star Banker at Credit Suisse Resigns. Frank P. Quattrone, Credit Suisse First Boston's embattled technology banker, resigned today amid criminal investigations. By Landon Thomas Jr.. 10:51:13 PM

Technology Briefing: Internet. NEW EUROPEAN PATENT SYSTEM IS PLANNED; MEDCO SAYS ONLINE PHARMACY SALES REACHED $1.4 BILLION;. 10:51:12 PM

Technology Briefing: Telecommunications. SPRINT HIRED TO CONSOLIDATE ORACLE NETWORK; CELESTICA WILL CLOSE OKLAHOMA CITY PLANT;. 10:51:11 PM

Technology Briefing: Hardware. GLOBAL CHIP SALES ROSE 22% IN JANUARY; PALM SAYS 3RD-QUARTER SALES MISSED FORECAST;. 10:51:11 PM

Sale by Softbank Will End Its Control of Yahoo Japan. Softbank plans to sell part of its majority stake in Yahoo Japan to help meet debt payments and to expand its high-speed Internet services. By Ken Belson. 10:51:08 PM

New Ways to Untether Travelers. Broadband wireless Internet and e-mail services are becoming available on airplanes, in public places and hotel rooms. By Joe Sharkey. 10:51:08 PM

Under Fire, a Star Banker at Credit Suisse Resigns. Frank P. Quattrone, Credit Suisse First Boston's embattled technology banker, resigned today amid criminal investigations. By Landon Thomas Jr.. 10:51:08 PM

Google Expands With Advertising Links. Google Inc. is trying to build upon the Web's most popular search engine to create the Internet's most powerful advertising vehicle. By The Associated Press. 10:51:07 PM

U.S. Sending 2 Dozen Bombers in Easy Range of North Koreans. President Bush said that if diplomacy failed, he might be forced to turn to military options to prevent the North from making nuclear weapons. By David E. Sanger and Thom Shanker. 10:51:06 PM

S.E.C. Chief Has Plan to Pick Audit Board Head. William H. Donaldson, the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has outlined the process to select the leader of a new accounting oversight board. By Stephen Labaton. 10:51:06 PM

Vote Set on Ending Filibuster on Judge. WASHINGTON, March 4 Senate Republicans today set a vote for Thursday on whether to end a Democratic filibuster that has blocked consideration of President Bush's nomination of Miguel Estrada to a federal appeals court seat. By The New York Times. 10:51:05 PM

Panel Scours Wreckage, Shuttle Data and Management for Clues. The growing accumulation of wreckage of the space shuttle Columbia has yet to yield a coherent picture of what caused it to break up on re-entry a month ago. By Matthew L. Wald with Warren E. Leary. 10:51:05 PM

A Top Health Official Resigns Under Pressure. Janet Rehnquist, inspector general of the Health and Human Services Department, resigned in the face of Congressional opposition and an inquiry into her conduct. By Christopher Marquis. 10:51:04 PM

Arrest of Terrorist Leaders Blunts Democratic Attacks. The recent arrests of high-level Al Qaeda leaders have weakened Democratic efforts to portray the president's focus on Iraq as a diversion from the war on terror. By Carl Hulse. 10:51:04 PM

Ruling on Victor vs. Victoria Offers Split Victory of Sorts. The Supreme Court offered something for both sides in its first interpretation of a new federal law intended to protect famous brand names. By Linda Greenhouse. 10:51:04 PM

U.S. Budget Deficit Rising Fast. The deficit is growing much more quickly than expected, even before Congress takes up President Bush's tax plan and without factoring in the costs of a war in Iraq. By Edmund L. Andrews. 10:51:03 PM

Millions Raised for Qaeda in Brooklyn, U.S. Says. A Yemeni cleric apprehended in Germany on charges of financing terrorism used a Brooklyn mosque to help funnel millions of dollars to Al Qaeda. By Eric Lichtblau with William Glaberson. 10:51:03 PM

Bush Medicare Proposal Urges Switch to Private Insurers. President Bush opened a fractious new round in the Medicare debate by proposing comprehensive drug coverage for the elderly, if they switch to private insurance plans. By Robert Pear and Robin Toner. 10:51:02 PM

Top General Sees Plan to Shock Iraq Into Surrendering. Military officials have said the plan calls for unleashing 3,000 precision-guided bombs and missiles in the first 48 hours of the campaign. By Eric Schmitt and Elisabeth Bumiller. 10:51:02 PM