Friday, March 7, 2003

Making Faces. A London surgeon's plan to transplant a human face has caused some alarm about the nature of identity. But hasn't science already shown that the self is a myth? By Charles Siebert. 11:31:22 PM

Stars in His Eyes Over a Pen. Neil De Grasse Tyson, the Frederick P. Rose director of the Hayden Planetarium, has a passion for fountain pens. By Elaine Louie. 11:31:22 PM

A Frog Lends a Hand to Rhododendrons. For the past four years, Dr. Mark Brand has been inserting genes derived from an African frog into rhododendrons. By Henry Homeyer. 11:31:21 PM

A G.O.P. Freshman's Crash Pad...and His Dem. Colleague's 1BR. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) and Frank Ballance (D-N.C.), two of the first-year members of Congress, look on the bright side. By Amy Barrett. 11:31:20 PM

New York's Senators Jockey for Influence. Competition between Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton is heating up as the two state senators compete for issues they can call their own. By Raymond Hernandez. 11:31:20 PM

National Briefing: Washington. TROUBLED AIRCRAFT GROUNDED;. 11:31:20 PM

Sniper Suspect Is Disciplined for Cell Graffiti. FAIRFAX, Va., March 7 Jail officials today disciplined Lee Malvo, the teenager charged in the Washington-area sniper shootings, for scrawling By Jayson Blair. 11:31:19 PM

Oil and Gas Industry Exempt From New Clean Water Rules. New clean water regulations requiring small construction sites to develop plans for storm water will not apply to the oil and gas industries. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:31:19 PM

Missile-Defense Critic's Suit Is Dismissed. At the request of the government, a federal judge has dismissed a suit against a contractor for the nation's antimissile defense system. The judge agreed with the government's contention that national security would be endangered if the suit went forward. By William J. Broad. 11:31:18 PM

White House Criticism Draws Sharp Letter From Republican. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee rebutted administration assertions that Congress shortchanged domestic security in a new spending bill. By Carl Hulse. 11:31:17 PM

Republicans Back Bush's Iraq Policy, Democrats Call It Rash. Senate Republicans said they fully supported the president's intent to disarm Saddam Hussein forcibly with or without new United Nations backing. By Carl Hulse. 11:31:16 PM

National Briefing: South. MISSISSIPPI: Voter Identification Plan Passes; LOUISIANA: Hunt For Missing Woman;. 11:31:11 PM

National Briefing: Mid-Atlantic. PENNSYLVANIA: Surprise Testimony On Slaying; PENNSYLVANIA: Child-Pornography Ruling;. 11:31:11 PM

National Briefing: West. CALIFORNIA: Police Chief'S Indictment;. 11:31:10 PM

National Briefing: Washington. TROUBLED AIRCRAFT GROUNDED;. 11:31:10 PM

Beleaguered Black College Gets $1.5 Million Rescue Package. Taking money from their own budgets, the 39 colleges that constitute the United Negro College Fund voted to donate almost $1.5 million to Morris Brown College in Atlanta. By Greg Winter. 11:31:09 PM

The Split Verdict on Harry Potter. There is a growing acceptance of the stories of the boy wizard, with a blessing of sorts from the Vatican recently and even new efforts to preach Christianity itself through them. By Mindy Sink. 11:31:09 PM

In Federal Offices, Too, Readiness Varies Widely. With each federal agency essentially responsible for its own security and training, preparedness for terrorism in the capital varies widely. By Christopher Marquis. 11:31:08 PM

Sniper Suspect Is Disciplined for Cell Graffiti. FAIRFAX, Va., March 7 Jail officials today disciplined Lee Malvo, the teenager charged in the Washington-area sniper shootings, for scrawling By Jayson Blair. 11:31:08 PM

Oil and Gas Industry Exempt From New Clean Water Rules. New clean water regulations requiring small construction sites to develop plans for storm water will not apply to the oil and gas industries. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:31:07 PM

White House Criticism Draws Sharp Letter From Republican. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee rebutted administration assertions that Congress shortchanged domestic security in a new spending bill. By Carl Hulse. 11:31:07 PM

Missile-Defense Critic's Suit Is Dismissed. At the request of the government, a federal judge has dismissed a suit against a contractor for the nation's antimissile defense system. The judge agreed with the government's contention that national security would be endangered if the suit went forward. By William J. Broad. 11:31:06 PM

Hunting Shuttle Clues, Inch by Inch. Combing the pastures, forests and lakes of northern and eastern Texas, search parties have found more than 22,000 pieces of the Columbia. By John Schwartz. 11:31:06 PM

Republicans Back Bush's Iraq Policy, Democrats Call It Rash. Senate Republicans said they fully supported the president's intent to disarm Saddam Hussein forcibly with or without new United Nations backing. By Carl Hulse. 11:31:05 PM

Gun Makers Will Not Face Trial, Judge Rules. A state judge in San Diego dismissed a lawsuit by 12 California cities and counties against the nation's gun manufacturers yesterday, though he said their suit against three gun wholesalers and two retail dealers could go to trial. By Fox Butterfield. 11:31:04 PM

F.D.A. to Put New Rules on Dietary Supplements. The Food and Drug Administration moved to impose new rules on dietary supplements that would force manufacturers to make clean and accurately labeled products. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr. with Sherri Day. 11:31:03 PM

Resignation of Bishop in Troubled Tucson Diocese Is Accepted. The pope accepted the resignation of an ailing Tucson, Ariz., bishop who presided over a diocese that is nearly bankrupt due to its large settlements with abuse victims. By Laurie Goodstein. 11:31:02 PM

Troop Movement Could Cost $25 Billion, Congressional Office Finds. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that simply sending troops and equipment to the Persian Gulf to fight Iraq and bringing them home would cost about $25 billion. By David E. Rosenbaum. 11:31:01 PM

Top Air Force Officer Warns Academy Officials. The Air Force chief of staff said that senior officials at the Air Force Academy could be held accountable for their handling of female cadets' reports of sexual assault. By Michael Janofsky. 11:31:01 PM

Lawmaker Proposes a Measure to Restrain Tuition Increases. A Republican lawmaker responsible for shepherding higher education policy through the House has proposed penalizing schools that raise tuition too quickly. By Greg Winter. 11:03:17 PM

President Bush's News Conference on Iraq 11:03:16 PM

Excerpts From President Bush's News Conference on Iraq. Following are excerpts from President Bush's news conference last night, as recorded by The New York Times. A full transcript is online at nytimes.com/iraq. 11:03:16 PM

Democrats Say War Is Premature. The two Democratic leaders of Congress, Tom Daschle and Nancy Pelosi, said that it would be premature for the United States to initiate armed conflict with Iraq. By Carl Hulse. 11:03:15 PM

Surreal Time of Waiting. Washington is waiting. Congress sits on the sidelines. Dinner invitations are issued with "ifs." By Todd S. Purdum. 11:03:14 PM

Stricter Rules for Modified Crops. The Agriculture Department has announced stricter rules for crops that are genetically modified to produce pharmaceuticals or industrial chemicals. By Andrew Pollack. 11:03:14 PM

NASA Official Says Agency Faces a Drain on Its Talent Pool. NASA's top official warned on Thursday that the agency faced alarming trends in retirements, competition from industry and a decline in graduates with technical skills. By Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 11:03:13 PM

Senate Approves U.S.-Russian Treaty to Cut Nuclear Arsenals. The treaty requires both countries to reduce their arsenals of deployed strategic nuclear weapons to below 2,200 warheads each over the next 10 years. By James Dao. 11:03:13 PM

A Welfare-to-Work Study Finds No Harm to Children. Poor children suffer no psychological damage when their mothers move from welfare to work, as millions of women have in recent years, a major new study says. By Robert Pear. 11:03:12 PM

$60 Million Package Aims to Improve School Security. The Bush administration is about to announce a $60 million program to help school districts design response and evacuation plans for terrorism-related emergencies. By Philip Shenon. 11:03:12 PM

Bush Seeks Global Pressure on North Korea. President Bush on Thursday said he is working hard to get China, Japan and Russia to press North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. By James Dao. 11:03:11 PM

Troop Movement Could Cost $25 Billion, Congressional Office Finds. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that simply sending troops and equipment to the Persian Gulf to fight Iraq and bringing them home would cost about $25 billion. By David E. Rosenbaum. 11:03:11 PM

Top Air Force Officer Warns Academy Officials. The Air Force chief of staff said that senior officials at the Air Force Academy could be held accountable for their handling of female cadets' reports of sexual assault. By Michael Janofsky. 11:03:10 PM

F.D.A. to Put New Rules on Dietary Supplements. The Food and Drug Administration moved to impose new rules on dietary supplements that would force manufacturers to make clean and accurately labeled products. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr. with Sherri Day. 11:03:10 PM

In Federal Offices, Too, Readiness Varies Widely. With each federal agency essentially responsible for its own security and training, preparedness for terrorism in the capital varies widely. By Christopher Marquis. 11:03:09 PM

U.N. Split Widens as Allies Dismiss Deadline on Iraq. The U.S. and Britain will push the U.N. to vote on a new resolution that would give Iraq until March 17 to disarm. France, Russia and China dismissed the proposal. By Felicity Barringer. 11:03:09 PM

World Business Briefing: Americas. VENEZUELA: New Oil Board; CANADA: New Jobs;. 11:02:43 PM

Insurance for Terrorism Still a Rarity. Despite government officials warning of renewed attacks, most of corporate America still has no insurance coverage for acts of terrorism. By Joseph B. Treaster. 11:02:43 PM

Vertically Challenged in Malaysia. The Petronas Twin Towers, the world's tallest buildings, have much unrented space, though it is not a fear of terrorism that keeps the tenants away. By Wayne Arnold. 11:02:42 PM

Chinese Company to Buy Stake in Big Caspian Oil Field. China's state-controlled offshore oil company announced on Friday that it would buy a $615 million stake in an immense oil field in the Caspian Sea. By Keith Bradsher. 11:02:42 PM

A.R. Stokes, 83, Who Paved Way for DNA Breakthrough, Is Dead. Dr. Alexander R. Stokes was the scientist and mathematician who discerned in 1950 that DNA is helical in shape. By Stuart Lavietes. 11:02:41 PM

A Plea Deal, Then Freedom, in Terror Case. The use of secret evidence in the case of a New Jersey man who sold false identification to two of the September 11 hijackers has caused reverberations in other cases. By Jonathan Miller. 11:02:41 PM

White House Criticism Draws Sharp Letter From Republican. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee rebutted administration assertions that Congress shortchanged domestic security in a new spending bill. By Carl Hulse. 11:02:40 PM

Republicans Back Bush's Iraq Policy, Democrats Call It Rash. Senate Republicans said they fully supported the president's intent to disarm Saddam Hussein forcibly with or without new United Nations backing. By Carl Hulse. 11:02:40 PM

Troop Movement Could Cost $25 Billion, Congressional Office Finds. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that simply sending troops and equipment to the Persian Gulf to fight Iraq and bringing them home would cost about $25 billion. By David E. Rosenbaum. 11:02:39 PM

In Federal Offices, Too, Readiness Varies Widely. With each federal agency essentially responsible for its own security and training, preparedness for terrorism in the capital varies widely. By Christopher Marquis. 11:02:39 PM

World Briefing: Europe. RUSSIA: Trying To Mend Ties With Georgia; CYPRUS: Protest Against Peace Plan; SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO: The First President; GERMANY: Broke Berlin Finds Money For Frogs;. 11:02:38 PM

World Briefing: Asia. CAMBODIA: Sihanouk Says He'Ll Quit If Fired; INDIA: Kashmir Avalanches Kill 17; NEPAL: Lawyers Take Aim At King;. 11:02:38 PM

In a Chief Inspector's Words: 'A Substantial Measure of Disarmament'. Following are excerpts from reports by Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei to the United Nations Security Council yesterday, as recorded by Federal News Service Inc. A full transcript is online at nytimes.com/international. 11:02:37 PM

In the Delegates' Words: Hawks and Doves Debate at the Security Council. Following are excerpts from responses at the United Nations to weapons inspectors' reports yesterday, as recorded by Federal News Service Inc. A full transcript is available online at nytimes.com/international. 11:02:37 PM

Changes to Draft Resolution on Iraq. Yesterday, the United States, Britain and Spain amended a previous draft resolution to the Security Council that had decided that Iraq had 11:02:36 PM

Squabbling Diplomats, a Mixed Report Card From Iraq and a Ticking Clock. What President Bush has called the final phase of diplomacy in America's countdown to war with Iraq devolved into a war of words at the United Nations. By The New York Times. 11:02:35 PM

Beyond Iraq, U.N. Is Issue. The Security Council's 15 member nations seem to be fighting for their institution as much as over Iraq. By Patrick E. Tyler. 11:02:35 PM

Search for Al Qaeda Leader Focuses on Pakistan Border Area. A small team of American Special Operations forces has been dispatched to the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan in an attempt to find Osama bin Laden. By David Johnston. 11:02:34 PM

Musing on an Exodus of G.I.'s, South Korea Hails U.S. Presence. Hints by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld that some American military units should leave South Korea are provoking a sudden new appreciation of the U.S. military presence. By James Brooke. 11:02:34 PM

Arab Gunmen Kill 2 at Settlement Near Hebron. Two Palestinian gunmen disguised as religious Jews infiltrated an Israeli settlement, killing at least two people and wounding three others. By James Bennet. 11:02:33 PM

Justice in Guatemala Can Be Gasoline and a Match. The shared experience of decades of war and the resulting breakdown in village leadership left divisions and suspicions that set the stage for vigilante outbursts. By David Gonzalez. 11:02:33 PM

Diplomacy at High Speed, Pour la France!. Dominique de Villepin, France's foreign minister, has emerged as the most vocal and relentless critic of the Bush administration's march to war against Iraq. By Elaine Sciolino. 11:02:32 PM

Fierce Winds Destroy 17 Army Tents in Kuwait. The wind rose late Thursday night and blew in a stinging rage for hours. Some soldiers ran with only the clothes on their backs when their tents began to fall and had to take shelter in shower trailers. By Jim Dwyer. 11:02:32 PM

A Day of Emotion and Undiplomatic Bluntness. In their third group encounter in a month, the foreign ministers of the world's leading powers dropped diplomatic niceties in a public struggle to overcome their bitter impasse on Iraq. By Steven R. Weisman. 11:02:31 PM

Sentiment Against War Is Voiced Across World. Any possible war without the Council's consent might well strengthen anti-American feelings and weaken popular support for American allies. By Tim Weiner. 11:02:31 PM

Bosnian Serbs Told to Pay $2 Million for Srebrenica Massacre. The money will be spent to build a memorial at the graveyard where families of the victims plan to bury their relatives' remains when they are finally identified. By Daniel Simpson. 11:02:30 PM

Despite Accord, Reconciliation Proves Elusive in Ivory Coast. Another round of talks was held to hammer out how much power each side would wield, but mediators suggested, with frustration, that new hurdles kept emerging. By Somini Sengupta. 11:02:30 PM

Bush Orders Sanctions Imposed Against Leaders of Zimbabwe. President Bush's executive order bars Americans from having any business dealings with the Zimbabwean leaders and freezes whatever assets they may have in the U.S. By David Stout. 11:02:29 PM

Qaeda Aide Slipped Away Long Before Sept. 11 Attack. The U.S. came tantalizingly close to catching Khalid Shaikh Mohammed seven years ago, after his indictment in America for terrorist activities. By James Risen with David Johnston. 11:02:29 PM

Israelis Step Up Gaza Intervention. Israel has begun doing in Gaza what it has done since last summer in the West Bank: taking back territory ceded to Palestinian control under the Oslo accords. By James Bennet. 11:02:28 PM

North Korean Fliers Said to Have Sought Hostages. North Korean fighter jets that intercepted an American spy plane last weekend were trying to take its crew hostage. By Eric Schmitt. 11:02:28 PM

U.N. Split Widens as Allies Dismiss Deadline on Iraq. The U.S. and Britain will push the U.N. to vote on a new resolution that would give Iraq until March 17 to disarm. France, Russia and China dismissed the proposal. By Felicity Barringer. 11:02:27 PM

National Briefing: Southwest. TEXAS: School To Allow Gay-Straight Alliance;. 11:02:26 PM

National Briefing: Health And Science. STUDY FINDS GUNS IN SCHOOL CAME FROM HOME;. 11:02:26 PM

National Briefing: Northwest. WASHINGTON: Plan To Ease Trapping Ban; WASHINGTON: Radioactive Shipments Stalled; OREGON: Hospitalization For Mentally Ill Inmates;. 11:02:23 PM

Excerpts From President Bush's News Conference on Iraq. Following are excerpts from President Bush's news conference last night, as recorded by The New York Times. A full transcript is online at nytimes.com/iraq. 11:02:22 PM

Full Text of President Bush's News Conference on Iraq 11:02:21 PM

Stricter Rules for Modified Crops. The Agriculture Department has announced stricter rules for crops that are genetically modified to produce pharmaceuticals or industrial chemicals. By Andrew Pollack. 11:02:20 PM

NASA Official Says Agency Faces a Drain on Its Talent Pool. NASA's top official warned on Thursday that the agency faced alarming trends in retirements, competition from industry and a decline in graduates with technical skills. By Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 11:02:19 PM

Panel Finds No Connection Between Cancer and Abortion. A scientific panel appointed by the National Cancer Institute has concluded that there is no evidence that having an abortion increases the risk of breast cancer later. By Lawrence K. Altman. 11:02:18 PM

Mars Has Molten Core, Hinting Vitality. The finding that Mars has a molten core, reported by NASA scientists, reinforces the idea that the planet may harbor volcanoes, liquid water and possibly life. By William J. Broad. 11:02:18 PM

Doctors Use Bone Marrow Stem Cells to Repair a Heart. Doctors have used stem cells in an attempt to repair the heart of a 16-year-old boy, the first time that such an operation is known to have been tried in the United States. By Nicholas Wade. 11:02:17 PM

Taliban Ally Hurt in Attack While in Prison. John Walker Lindh, the American imprisoned for aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan, was attacked by an inmate earlier this week but not seriously hurt, the F.B.I. said. By Nick Madigan. 11:02:16 PM

Mall Case Creates Antiwar Celebrity. An unassuming state lawyer nearing retirement whose idea of political protest was to wear a "Peace on Earth" T-shirt at the local shopping mall is suddenly a celebrity. By Winnie Hu. 11:02:15 PM

Surreal Time of Waiting. Washington is waiting. Congress sits on the sidelines. Dinner invitations are issued with "ifs." By Todd S. Purdum. 11:02:14 PM

Careful Tone and Timing. The president's approach is to present himself as a calm, reasonable leader, not an aggressive warrior, in a human give-and-take with the media. By Elisabeth Bumiller. 11:02:13 PM

Schools Seek Balance as Students Join War Debate. In classrooms around the country, teachers are struggling to maintain academic decorum while encouraging students to discuss world events that are dividing adults. By Sam Dillon. 11:02:12 PM

Few Convictions in Airport Security Cases. Federal prosecutors are winning few convictions in the cases of scores of New York City airport workers arrested last year as part of a national security crackdown. By William Glaberson. 11:02:11 PM

Lawmaker Proposes a Measure to Restrain Tuition Increases. A Republican lawmaker responsible for shepherding higher education policy through the House has proposed penalizing schools that raise tuition too quickly. By Greg Winter. 11:02:10 PM

Deal Clears Way for Los Angeles Port Project. LOS ANGELES, March 6 A state judge today approved a $60 million settlement that clears the way for the opening of a major development at the city's port while securing cleaner air and better surroundings for neighboring communities. By Barbara Whitaker. 11:02:09 PM

$60 Million Package Aims to Improve School Security. The Bush administration is about to announce a $60 million program to help school districts design response and evacuation plans for terrorism-related emergencies. By Philip Shenon. 11:02:09 PM

Officials Seek Smallpox Vaccine Compensation Fund. Under the proposal, the government would pay $262,100 for each health worker who dies or is completely disabled by the smallpox vaccine. By Robert Pear. 11:02:08 PM

Bush Plan to Curb Malpractice Awards Advances to Full House. Having won the approval of a key House committee, President Bush's proposal to limit awards in malpractice lawsuits heads for full House consideration next week. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 11:02:07 PM

NASA Records in Disarray, Study Leader Tells Board. The leader of a study of space shuttle safety told the board investigating the Columbia's loss that NASA had trouble identifying safety problems because of poor record-keeping. By Matthew L. Wald. 11:02:06 PM

Judge Discards F.B.I. Evidence in Internet Case of Child Smut. A federal judge in Manhattan said F.B.I. agents made false statements in an affidavit used to obtain search warrants in a child pornography case. By Benjamin Weiser. 11:02:05 PM

Fla. Officials Warn of Bacteria Outbreak. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- Health official warned of extensive bacteria outbreaks at several South Florida beaches popular with the spring break crowds. By The Associated Press. 11:02:04 PM

G.O.P. Loses Filibuster Vote on Judicial Nominee. Republicans fell short of the votes needed to end a Democratic filibuster blocking a vote on Miguel Estrada's nomination to the federal appeals court in Washington. By Neil A. Lewis. 11:02:03 PM

Former Attorney General of Texas Is Indicted. Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales was charged Thursday with trying to steer millions of dollars in attorney fees from the state's tobacco settlement to a friend. By The Associated Press. 11:02:02 PM

Democrats Say War Is Premature. The two Democratic leaders of Congress, Tom Daschle and Nancy Pelosi, said that it would be premature for the United States to initiate armed conflict with Iraq. By Carl Hulse. 11:02:01 PM

A Welfare-to-Work Study Finds No Harm to Children. Poor children suffer no psychological damage when their mothers move from welfare to work, as millions of women have in recent years, a major new study says. By Robert Pear. 11:02:00 PM

Many Women Gleeful at Old Friend's Encore. A Web site set up to distribute new supplies of the Today Sponge, a contraceptive that was discontinued in 1994, received so many hits that it crashed. By Kate Zernike. 11:01:59 PM

Air Force Academy Investigated 54 Sexual Assaults in 10 Years. The figures show a widening of the sexual assault scandal that has seized the service academy and stirred outrage on Capitol Hill. By Eric Schmitt with Michael Moss. 11:01:58 PM

President Readies U.S. for Prospect of Imminent War. The president said the U.S. would seek a U.N. vote even if it appears that a new resolution could not pass. A defeat would not deter him, he said, from disarming Iraq. By David E. Sanger with Felicity Barringer. 11:01:57 PM

Women Gleeful at Return of Sponge Contraceptive. A Web site set up to distribute new supplies of the Today Sponge, a contraceptive that was discontinued in 1994, received so many hits that it crashed. By Kate Zernike. 11:01:55 PM

Harnessing Atoms to Create Superfast Computers. George Johnson's book makes the arcane topic of quantum computing accessible and understandable. By Ian Foster. 11:01:54 PM

U.S. and Europe in Fuel Cell Pact. The Energy Department and the European Union agreed to start a cooperative effort aimed at bringing hydrogen-powered cars and electricity generated from fuel cells to market. By Neela Banerjee. 11:01:53 PM

Stricter Rules for Modified Crops. The Agriculture Department has announced stricter rules for crops that are genetically modified to produce pharmaceuticals or industrial chemicals. By Andrew Pollack. 11:01:52 PM

Study of Antarctic Points to Rising Sea Levels. New evidence from a rapidly warming part of Antarctica suggests that ice can flow into the sea much more readily than had been predicted. By Andrew C. Revkin. 11:01:52 PM

NASA Official Says Agency Faces a Drain on Its Talent Pool. NASA's top official warned on Thursday that the agency faced alarming trends in retirements, competition from industry and a decline in graduates with technical skills. By Richard A. Oppel Jr.. 11:01:51 PM

NASA Records in Disarray, Study Leader Tells Board. The leader of a study of space shuttle safety told the board investigating the Columbia's loss that NASA had trouble identifying safety problems because of poor record-keeping. By Matthew L. Wald. 11:01:50 PM

Dr. A. R. Stokes, 83, Dies; Paved Way for DNA Breakthrough. Dr. Alexander R. Stokes, the scientist and mathematician who discerned in 1950 that DNA is helical in shape, died in Welwyn Garden City, a London suburb. By Stuart Lavietes. 11:01:49 PM

Europe's Carmakers Sticking With Diesel. Europeans say diesel cars already deliver many of the benefits that hydrogen or hybrid engines will not deliver for at least a decade. By Mark Landler. 11:01:48 PM

No Recovery Soon for Lobstering in West Long Island Sound. The lobster catch in Long Island Sound has declined about 70 percent since 1998, and even more in the western end of the sound. By Kirk Johnson. 11:01:47 PM

Oil and Gas Industry Exempt From New Clean Water Rules. New clean water regulations requiring small construction sites to develop plans for storm water will not apply to the oil and gas industries. By Jennifer 8. Lee. 11:01:46 PM

Hunting Shuttle Clues, Inch by Inch. Combing the pastures, forests and lakes of northern and eastern Texas, search parties have found more than 22,000 pieces of the Columbia. By John Schwartz. 11:01:45 PM

Technology Briefing: Software. MICROSOFT TO INVEST $2 BILLION IN PROGRAMS;. 11:01:43 PM

EBay to Shift Half.com Sales to Its Main Site. EBay Inc., the world's largest Internet auctioneer, will close Half.com and its Pennsylvania headquarters next year as it tries to shift sales to its main site. 11:01:39 PM

Intel Issues Warning on Sales. Intel warned that first-quarter sales would fall short of its highest forecast as demand declines for flash-memory chips. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:38 PM

AOL in Talks to Sell CD-DVD Maker. AOL Time Warner is in talks about selling the CD and DVD manufacturing business of its Warner Music division. By David D. Kirkpatrick. 11:01:37 PM

McCaw Yielding Control of Nextel's Board. Craig O. McCaw, the billionaire communications entrepreneur, is surrendering control of Nextel Communications. By Barnaby J. Feder. 11:01:36 PM

Judge Discards F.B.I. Evidence in Internet Case of Child Smut. A federal judge in Manhattan said F.B.I. agents made false statements in an affidavit used to obtain search warrants in a child pornography case. By Benjamin Weiser. 11:01:35 PM

Harnessing Atoms to Create Superfast Computers. George Johnson's book makes the arcane topic of quantum computing accessible and understandable. By Ian Foster. 11:01:34 PM

Judge Rejects Suits That Sought Headsets for All Cellphone Users. Mobile phone manufacturers and carriers have won dismissal of lawsuits seeking to force them to provide headsets for their customers. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:34 PM

Inventor Loses Patent Suit on Internet Software. Two makers of software to protect Internet transactions did not infringe patents held by a retired engineer, a jury decided on Friday. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:33 PM

World Business Briefing: Americas. VENEZUELA: New Oil Board; CANADA: New Jobs;. 11:01:31 PM

G.E. Unit Gets China Contracts. The GE Power Systems unit received contracts to provide gas turbine systems to five Chinese power producers. By Dow Jones/ap. 11:01:30 PM

Chinese Company to Buy Stake in Big Caspian Oil Field. China's state-controlled offshore oil company announced on Friday that it would buy a $615 million stake in an immense oil field in the Caspian Sea. By Keith Bradsher. 11:01:29 PM

Vertically Challenged in Malaysia. The Petronas Twin Towers, the world's tallest buildings, have much unrented space, though it is not a fear of terrorism that keeps the tenants away. By Wayne Arnold. 11:01:28 PM

As Chains Spread, Restaurants Hire Fewer Workers. Some of the deepest job cuts in February were recorded by restaurants and bars, which lost 85,000 positions on a seasonally adjusted basis. By Daniel Altman. 11:01:27 PM

Europe's Carmakers Sticking With Diesel. Europeans say diesel cars already deliver many of the benefits that hydrogen or hybrid engines will not deliver for at least a decade. By Mark Landler. 11:01:26 PM

Judge Rejects Suits That Sought Headsets for All Cellphone Users. Mobile phone manufacturers and carriers have won dismissal of lawsuits seeking to force them to provide headsets for their customers. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:25 PM

Heavy Losses Expected as Theaters Go Dark. For producers, the timing could not be worse. Having already grappled with a bitter winter and a weak economy, Broadway was suddenly facing another threat to the lifeblood of its industry ÷ the musical ÷ at the exact moment things were supposed to get better. By Jesse Mckinley. 11:01:24 PM

Inventor Loses Patent Suit on Internet Software. Two makers of software to protect Internet transactions did not infringe patents held by a retired engineer, a jury decided on Friday. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:23 PM

Muppet Deal Is Canceled. EM.TV and Merchandising, a German children's filmmaker, said that it had canceled the sale of its 49.9 percent stake in the Jim Henson Company. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:22 PM

New Deputies Named at California Fund. SACRAMENTO, March 7 (Bloomberg News) The California Public Employees' Retirement System named two administrators to the position of deputy executive officer as part of a management overhaul in response to investment losses and rising health care costs. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:21 PM

Big Pay Package at Citigroup. By Bloomberg News. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:20 PM

Judge Won't Allow New Berkadia Bid. CHICAGO, March 7 (Bloomberg News) A bankruptcy judge today rejected an effort by Berkadia L.L.C., a joint venture between Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and the Leucadia National Corporation, to make a revised $1.15 billion offer for the Conseco Finance Corporation. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:19 PM

Greenspan, Unlike Buffett, Sees Derivatives as Positive Influence. Derivatives have accelerated globalization and helped keep the U.S. from sinking into a deep recession, the Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan, said on Friday. By Bloomberg News. 11:01:17 PM

Musicians' Strike Leaves Broadway Without Musicals. Broadway musicians went on strike on Friday night, and actors and stagehands refused to cross their picket lines. By Robin Pogrebin. 11:01:15 PM

Machinists' Local at United Challenged by Rival Union. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association said yesterday that it had gained enough support to challenge the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers over the right to represent 14,000 mechanics at United Airlines. By Micheline Maynard. 11:01:14 PM

'Sopranos' Star Files Lawsuit Against HBO. A contract dispute between HBO and James Gandolfini, the star of "The Sopranos," has escalated into an unusually bitter public battle. By Bill Carter. 11:01:12 PM

Insurance for Terrorism Still a Rarity. Despite government officials warning of renewed attacks, most of corporate America still has no insurance coverage for acts of terrorism. By Joseph B. Treaster. 11:01:11 PM

Rates Keep Sliding Toward the 1950's. Interest rates are nearing their lowest levels in decades, surprising economists who predicted that rates would start rising. By Jonathan Fuerbringer. 11:01:08 PM

308,000 Jobs Lost in February. The nation suffered job losses in February that were the worst since the two months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. By Daniel Altman. 11:01:06 PM