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1805589

2006

11

18

Arts, Briefly; PBS-Affiliated Channel Is Criticized, Again

PBS Kids Sprout, a digital cable channel for preschoolers, is facing new criticism over its choice of a replacement host for one of its shows because of a racy role she plays in a new film. The new host on ''The Good Night Show,'' Michele Lepe, plays an undercover policewoman who poses as a prostitute in a short independent picture, ''Jamaica Motel.'' Last summer the channel fired the original host, Melanie Martinez, because seven years ago she acted in videos spoofing public service announcements advocating sexual abstinence. Sprout, a joint venture of the Public Broadcasting System, Comcast, Hit Entertainment and Sesame Workshop, said at the time that Ms. Martinez's earlier role might ''undermine her character's credibility with our audience.'' A parenting blog, the Zero Boss, accused Sprout of ''hypocrisy'' for hiring Ms. Lepe after firing Ms. Martinez. PBS's ombudsman, Michael Getler, wrote in recent columns that he had received complaints from viewers, and that while he hadn't seen ''Jamaica Motel,'' Sprout's ''decision-making here looks to me to be inconsistent.'' Sandy Wax, the president of the channel, said in a statement that ''prior to hiring Michele, we were given full disclosure of all her acting credits.'' ELIZABETH JENSEN

PBS Kids Sprout, a digital cable channel for preschoolers, is facing new criticism over its choice of a replacement host for one of its shows because of a racy role she plays in a new film. The new host on ''The Good Night Show,'' Michele Lepe, plays an undercover policewoman who poses as a prostitute in a short independent picture, ''Jamaica Motel.'' Last summer the channel fired the original host, Melanie Martinez, because seven years ago she acted in videos spoofing public service announcements advocating sexual abstinence. Sprout, a joint venture of the Public Broadcasting System, Comcast, Hit Entertainment and Sesame Workshop, said at the time that Ms. Martinez's earlier role might ''undermine her character's credibility with our audience.'' A parenting blog, the Zero Boss, accused Sprout of

1496583

2003

06

13

Olympic Hopefuls Gather in New York

With the 2004 Athens Olympics rapidly approaching, the New York City Fencing World Cup is carrying added significance. The World Cup is a leading Olympic qualifying tournament, and the preliminaries at Columbia University yesterday trimmed the number of men's and women's sabre fencers to 128 from 300. The top 16 fencers in the world in each event received an automatic bid for the finals today, but the rest had to qualify yesterday. More than 100 women's foil fencers will compete for 64 spots in the final rounds starting today and running through tomorrow.

With the 2004 Athens Olympics rapidly approaching, the New York City Fencing World Cup is carrying added significance. The World Cup is a leading Olympic qualifying tournament, and the preliminaries at Columbia University yesterday trimmed the number of men's and women's sabre fencers to 128 from 300. The top 16 fencers in the world in each event received an automatic bid for the finals today, but the rest had to qualify yesterday. More than 100 women's foil fencers will compete for 64 spots in the final rounds starting today and running through tomorrow. The Fencing World Cup's stature, combined with the thrill of competing at home, is one reason the United States fencer and Olympic medalist Iris Zimmerman wants to do well in the tournament. ''The pressure is

1660104

2005

03

27

A Tale of a Laborer In California's Fields

THE Romance of Magno Rubio,'' Lonnie Carter's play about Filipino laborers in 1930's California, has been directed by Loy Arcenas in seven different productions. I did not seen the first six, but it could not be that off base to say, after watching the dazzling production at the Long Wharf Theater's Stage II, that all that practice is paying off. Unfortunately, there is still that pesky script. Mr. Carter, who often works in verse, has written most of the play in rap cadences, with a strict rhyme scheme. But rapping, to paraphrase Ice-T, ain't easy, and here it is mostly just clunky. The undergraduate earnestness of the lines does not help.

THE Romance of Magno Rubio,'' Lonnie Carter's play about Filipino laborers in 1930's California, has been directed by Loy Arcenas in seven different productions. I did not seen the first six, but it could not be that off base to say, after watching the dazzling production at the Long Wharf Theater's Stage II, that all that practice is paying off. Unfortunately, there is still that pesky script. Mr. Carter, who often works in verse, has written most of the play in rap cadences, with a strict rhyme scheme. But rapping, to paraphrase Ice-T, ain't easy, and here it is mostly just clunky. The undergraduate earnestness of the lines does not help. Still, experimentation cuts both ways. So the rap fails. The musical numbers, the dancing, the smattering of

1511263

2003

08

11

If You Can't Take the Heat, Get Out of Crawford

How hot was it at President Bush's ranch last week? So hot that he momentarily slipped up and let it be known that the 106-degree temperatures were getting to him.

How hot was it at President Bush's ranch last week? So hot that he momentarily slipped up and let it be known that the 106-degree temperatures were getting to him. ''We've got to get in before we have a heat stroke,'' Mr. Bush told reporters at his ranch on Friday, trying to end an 18-minute news conference with his top military advisers under the blistering noon sun. Then he corrected himself. ''Before you have a heat stroke,'' he told reporters, implying, once again, that he could take the heat even if all those squishy White House correspondents, who would rather be at Mr. Bush's parents' place in Maine, could not. The heat wave was the big story at the president's ranch last week, serving as a kind of

1242351

2000

10

27

Rivera and Rest of Pen Did Job When Needed

For Mariano Rivera, who etched his name deeper into the World Series record book last night as perhaps the greatest relief pitcher in Series history, the key word was relief. It was relief that poured freely from him as he exhaled, screamed to the sky and raised his arms as Mike Piazza's long fly ball settled into the glove of Bernie Williams for the final out of the Series. Rivera, with his second save of the Series, and a record-setting seventh World Series save, wrapped up the Yankees' 4-2 victory, standing on the mound in exhilaration as he had in each of the last two season-ending victories. ''This is my third one on the field,'' Rivera said as he danced from family member to friend on the field, nearly an hour after the end of the game. ''I'll tell you what, it feels good.''

For Mariano Rivera, who etched his name deeper into the World Series record book last night as perhaps the greatest relief pitcher in Series history, the key word was relief. It was relief that poured freely from him as he exhaled, screamed to the sky and raised his arms as Mike Piazza's long fly ball settled into the glove of Bernie Williams for the final out of the Series. Rivera, with his second save of the Series, and a record-setting seventh World Series save, wrapped up the Yankees' 4-2 victory, standing on the mound in exhilaration as he had in each of the last two season-ending victories. ''This is my third one on the field,'' Rivera said as he danced from family member to friend on the field,

1268587

2001

02

05

I'm a Student, a Worker and a Kid

To the Editor: ''Problems Seen for Teenagers Who Hold Jobs'' (front page, Jan. 29) describes the negative toll that long hours of work take on the school performance of teenagers. Under federal law, child farm workers are allowed to work for even longer hours and at younger ages than their peers at other jobs. An estimated 300,000 children work as hired laborers in commercial agriculture in the United States.

To the Editor: ''Problems Seen for Teenagers Who Hold Jobs'' (front page, Jan. 29) describes the negative toll that long hours of work take on the school performance of teenagers. Under federal law, child farm workers are allowed to work for even longer hours and at younger ages than their peers at other jobs. An estimated 300,000 children work as hired laborers in commercial agriculture in the United States. Human Rights Watch has interviewed child farm workers who worked 10 hours a day at age 12 and others who worked 12 or more hours a day at age 14. The impact of such long hours on the education of child farm workers is devastating. Only 55 percent finish high school. Congress must amend outdated laws to ensure that

1490240

2003

05

19

No Smoking in New York. See Ya.

To the Editor: I am sorry that Joe Jackson is thinking about leaving the country because of New York's smoking ban (Op-Ed, May 16). Mr. Jackson should keep in mind that the main reason for this ban was to protect the workers, not just the patrons. As he stated, there are many compromises that can be made to allow smokers to smoke in establishments without bothering the nonsmoking patrons, but the workers would still be affected. Given the high rate of unemployment, you can't argue that if you don't want to work in a smoking environment, you should get another job. All people should have equal access to employment, which I believe overrides equal access to smoking environments.

To the Editor: I am sorry that Joe Jackson is thinking about leaving the country because of New York's smoking ban (Op-Ed, May 16). Mr. Jackson should keep in mind that the main reason for this ban was to protect the workers, not just the patrons. As he stated, there are many compromises that can be made to allow smokers to smoke in establishments without bothering the nonsmoking patrons, but the workers would still be affected. Given the high rate of unemployment, you can't argue that if you don't want to work in a smoking environment, you should get another job. All people should have equal access to employment, which I believe overrides equal access to smoking environments. Good luck to Mr. Jackson in his search for a

1319127

2001

08

22

Papers Show U.S. Knew Of Genocide In Rwanda

Newly declassified government documents show that several senior United States officials were aware of the dimensions of the genocide in Rwanda in early 1994, even as some sought ways to avoid getting involved. The 16 documents, released today by the National Security Archive, a research group at George Washington University, provide new details of the deliberations within the Clinton administration from April through May 1994 as the killings took place. By the end of June, an estimated 800,000 people were killed by government-backed militias.

Newly declassified government documents show that several senior United States officials were aware of the dimensions of the genocide in Rwanda in early 1994, even as some sought ways to avoid getting involved. The 16 documents, released today by the National Security Archive, a research group at George Washington University, provide new details of the deliberations within the Clinton administration from April through May 1994 as the killings took place. By the end of June, an estimated 800,000 people were killed by government-backed militias. The general contours of the inability and unwillingness of the United Nations and its members, notably the United States, France and Belgium, to help stop the killings have been widely reported. The United Nations studied the debacle in detail, and its top officials have

1796168

2006

10

10

Voluntary Lettuce Recall Creates More Worry for Farmers

It is, in scope and severity, a fairly minor recall: about 8,500 cartons of lettuce, which may or may not have come into contact with irrigation water contaminated with E. coli bacteria. No one has gotten sick, the lettuce company involved emphasized, adding that the move was precautionary. But for farmers in the Salinas Valley of California, already reeling from last month's deadly E. coli outbreak in spinach, the timing could not have been worse.

It is, in scope and severity, a fairly minor recall: about 8,500 cartons of lettuce, which may or may not have come into contact with irrigation water contaminated with E. coli bacteria. No one has gotten sick, the lettuce company involved emphasized, adding that the move was precautionary. But for farmers in the Salinas Valley of California, already reeling from last month's deadly E. coli outbreak in spinach, the timing could not have been worse. ''It clearly has the potential to set back our effort to regain consumer confidence,'' said Bob Perkins, the executive director of the farm bureau in Monterey County, one of three counties to which the contaminated spinach was linked. ''Right now, I don't know how the story is playing out with the general public,

1723461

2005

12

09

Dunkin' Brands Is Attracting A Crowd of Would-Be Owners

It's time to buy the doughnuts. Three groups of private equity buyers and the Triarc Companies, the owner of Arby's, are planning to bid for control of Dunkin' Brands, the fast-growing group that owns the Dunkin' Donuts chain, Baskin-Robbins ice cream and the Togo's sandwich shops, several executives involved in the process said Thursday.

It's time to buy the doughnuts. Three groups of private equity buyers and the Triarc Companies, the owner of Arby's, are planning to bid for control of Dunkin' Brands, the fast-growing group that owns the Dunkin' Donuts chain, Baskin-Robbins ice cream and the Togo's sandwich shops, several executives involved in the process said Thursday. Thursday night in New York was the deadline for submitting bids. The French beverage group Pernod Ricard is selling Dunkin' Brands, which it acquired when it paid $14 billion for Allied Domecq in April. The group, with 6,000 Dunkin' Donuts stores worldwide, is expected to fetch more than $2 billion. The group's stores had $4.8 billion in sales last year, up 12 percent, helped by new stores and new products. Baskin-Robbins has 5,400 stores

1427701

2002

09

29

BackTalk; Uncertainty and Stress Cross the Finish Line

Kate Johnson told no one about her dream. Johnson, a 23-year-old United States women's national rower, had seen her arms raised into the air as her boat skimmed across the finish line. She woke up feeling calm, then pushed the image out of her mind. Hours later, Johnson's body had gone numb. It had been only six minutes but her legs were aching, her mind was blank. She looked left and right and then glanced down as the finish line passed under her boat. She flung her arms in the air and felt a chill as she saw her dream of being a world champion splayed across the jumbo screen before her.

Kate Johnson told no one about her dream. Johnson, a 23-year-old United States women's national rower, had seen her arms raised into the air as her boat skimmed across the finish line. She woke up feeling calm, then pushed the image out of her mind. Hours later, Johnson's body had gone numb. It had been only six minutes but her legs were aching, her mind was blank. She looked left and right and then glanced down as the finish line passed under her boat. She flung her arms in the air and felt a chill as she saw her dream of being a world champion splayed across the jumbo screen before her. A week ago, the last day of competition at the 2002 FISA World Rowing Championships in

1813434

2006

12

21

Leaving NATO, U.S. General Still Seeks Troops for Afghanistan

The Marine Corps general who just completed a tour as NATO's supreme commander said Wednesday that NATO's force in Afghanistan was still 2,500 troops short, but he cited progress in persuading nations that send soldiers to remove restrictions on their combat roles. The commander, Gen. James L. Jones, said the alliance's summit meeting last month in Riga, Latvia, led members of the alliance to pledge aid to NATO partners whose troops were in danger, even if the day-to-day rules of some countries restricted offensive operations.

The Marine Corps general who just completed a tour as NATO's supreme commander said Wednesday that NATO's force in Afghanistan was still 2,500 troops short, but he cited progress in persuading nations that send soldiers to remove restrictions on their combat roles. The commander, Gen. James L. Jones, said the alliance's summit meeting last month in Riga, Latvia, led members of the alliance to pledge aid to NATO partners whose troops were in danger, even if the day-to-day rules of some countries restricted offensive operations. NATO took over the leading role in the Afghan security mission this year, but is still short of troops and equipment, especially helicopters, he said in an interview with two reporters. The interview was taped for broadcast on Sunday on C-Span's ''Newsmakers'' program.

1264464

2001

01

21

For Lincoln, a Poignant Night in Another Theater

EVEN if President Bush were not celebrating his inauguration this weekend, no one, I am sure, would expect him to put in an appearance when Verdi's ''Masked Ball'' returns to the Metropolitan Opera repertory tomorrow evening. But when ''A Masked Ball'' was first given in New York, at the Academy of Music in 1861, the president-elect was there the second week. This happened to be Abraham Lincoln, a detail of no little poignancy. ''Un Ballo in Maschera,'' composed in 1859, is Verdi's only opera set in North America. Verdi intended to locate the action in Sweden. But the Italian censors objected: ''A Masked Ball'' ends with an assassination, and an Italian had recently tried to assassinate the French emperor, Napoleon III. Sweden was too close for comfort. So Verdi agreed to resituate his opera in a place no one in Italy could readily envision: 17th-century Massachusetts. Accordingly, the assassin's victim was changed from the Swedish king to Riccardo, Count of Warwick, governor of Boston. In other words, Lincoln (whose physical safety was already considered to be at risk) attended an opera about the assassination of an American ruler mere weeks before he took office on March 4.

EVEN if President Bush were not celebrating his inauguration this weekend, no one, I am sure, would expect him to put in an appearance when Verdi's ''Masked Ball'' returns to the Metropolitan Opera repertory tomorrow evening. But when ''A Masked Ball'' was first given in New York, at the Academy of Music in 1861, the president-elect was there the second week. This happened to be Abraham Lincoln, a detail of no little poignancy. ''Un Ballo in Maschera,'' composed in 1859, is Verdi's only opera set in North America. Verdi intended to locate the action in Sweden. But the Italian censors objected: ''A Masked Ball'' ends with an assassination, and an Italian had recently tried to assassinate the French emperor, Napoleon III. Sweden was too close for comfort. So

1311561

2001

07

23

Aiding Dictatorship, Not Democracy

SPAIN BETRAYED The Soviet Union In the Spanish Civil War Edited by Ronald Radosh, Mary R. Habeck and Grigory Sevostianov Illustrated. 537 pages. Yale University Press. $35. You have only to read George Orwell's ''Homage to Catalonia'' to know, contrary to the well-cultivated and widely accepted myth, that the Soviet Union and Stalin did not fight the good and moral fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Over the years, many (not all) historians examining the Spanish conflict -- that vortex of noble failure and international romanticism -- have essentially agreed with Orwell, finding that the real motive of the Soviet Union was to establish dictatorial control of a European country, ruthlessly eliminating all opposition from within the republican camp, and not to safeguard Spanish democracy.

SPAIN BETRAYED The Soviet Union In the Spanish Civil War Edited by Ronald Radosh, Mary R. Habeck and Grigory Sevostianov Illustrated. 537 pages. Yale University Press. $35. You have only to read George Orwell's ''Homage to Catalonia'' to know, contrary to the well-cultivated and widely accepted myth, that the Soviet Union and Stalin did not fight the good and moral fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Over the years, many (not all) historians examining the Spanish conflict -- that vortex of noble failure and international romanticism -- have essentially agreed with Orwell, finding that the real motive of the Soviet Union was to establish dictatorial control of a European country, ruthlessly eliminating all opposition from within the republican camp, and not to safeguard Spanish democracy. Now

1460555

2003

01

30

Jogger Case Panel

To the Editor: Re ''New Slant on Jogger Case Lacks Official Certainty'' (news analysis, Jan. 28): The defendants' confessions in the Central Park jogger case were not ''wrong about when, where and how the rape took place.'' All the defendants gave generally the same descriptions of the assault; three of the four who were taken to the scene correctly identified it; and the time of the rape cannot be fixed accurately by anyone. The confessions were consistent with what our panel concluded was most likely to have occurred: that the original defendants and Matias Reyes both attacked the female jogger, successively.

To the Editor: Re ''New Slant on Jogger Case Lacks Official Certainty'' (news analysis, Jan. 28): The defendants' confessions in the Central Park jogger case were not ''wrong about when, where and how the rape took place.'' All the defendants gave generally the same descriptions of the assault; three of the four who were taken to the scene correctly identified it; and the time of the rape cannot be fixed accurately by anyone. The confessions were consistent with what our panel concluded was most likely to have occurred: that the original defendants and Matias Reyes both attacked the female jogger, successively. You write that our panel ''attacked Mr. Reyes's credibility at length but did not subject the original confessions to similar scrutiny.'' The issue of Matias Reyes's credibility

1664775

2005

04

14

Bad Afternoon on L.I.R.R.

A series of mishaps in less than 70 minutes disrupted the evening commuting of tens of thousands of Long Island Rail Road riders yesterday. Shortly after 5 p.m., smoke was detected in one tunnel, Line 3, that is used by eastbound Long Island trains, according to a railroad spokesman. At 5:15, an Amtrak train broke down in another tunnel, blocking traffic in two tunnels, Lines 1 and 2, shared by the railroads. The Amtrak train was cleared to move at 5:25, and Long Island service was restored in Line 3 at 5:47. But at 6:10, another Amtrak train was disabled on Line 2 for nine minutes.

A series of mishaps in less than 70 minutes disrupted the evening commuting of tens of thousands of Long Island Rail Road riders yesterday. Shortly after 5 p.m., smoke was detected in one tunnel, Line 3, that is used by eastbound Long Island trains, according to a railroad spokesman. At 5:15, an Amtrak train broke down in another tunnel, blocking traffic in two tunnels, Lines 1 and 2, shared by the railroads. The Amtrak train was cleared to move at 5:25, and Long Island service was restored in Line 3 at 5:47. But at 6:10, another Amtrak train was disabled on Line 2 for nine minutes. Most of the Long Island Rail Road's 90,000 eastbound commuters were delayed up to half an hour. From 5:36 to 6:03 ,

1674559

2005

05

22

On a Christian Mission to the Top

For a while last winter, Tim Havens, a recent graduate of Brown University and now an evangelical missionary there, had to lead his morning prayer group in a stairwell of the campus chapel. That was because workers were clattering in to remake the lower floor for a display of American Indian art, and a Buddhist student group was chanting in the small sanctuary upstairs. Like most of the Ivy League universities, Brown was founded by Protestant ministers as an expressly Christian college. But over the years it gradually shed its religious affiliation and became a secular institution, as did the other Ivies. In addition to Buddhists, the Brown chaplain's office now recognizes ''heathen/pagan'' as a ''faith community.''

For a while last winter, Tim Havens, a recent graduate of Brown University and now an evangelical missionary there, had to lead his morning prayer group in a stairwell of the campus chapel. That was because workers were clattering in to remake the lower floor for a display of American Indian art, and a Buddhist student group was chanting in the small sanctuary upstairs. Like most of the Ivy League universities, Brown was founded by Protestant ministers as an expressly Christian college. But over the years it gradually shed its religious affiliation and became a secular institution, as did the other Ivies. In addition to Buddhists, the Brown chaplain's office now recognizes ''heathen/pagan'' as a ''faith community.'' But these days evangelical students like those in Mr. Havens's prayer

1207477

2000

06

15

Springsteen and the Message of 'American Skin'

To the Editor: Re ''Has the Boss Joined Ranks With the Limousine Liberals?'', by John Tierney (Big City column, June 14):

To the Editor: Re ''Has the Boss Joined Ranks With the Limousine Liberals?'', by John Tierney (Big City column, June 14): I am a Bruce Springsteen fan who attended the Monday night concert at which ''American Skin'' was played. Mr. Tierney oversimplified the meaning of the song, saying Mr. Springsteen's message is that ''it is a really bad idea for police officers to kill an innocent man'' and that ''it is a really, really bad idea if the killing involves multiple discharges of bullets.'' The song, which is about the tragic killing of Amadou Diallo, deals with much larger issues, like urban paranoia, race, and the fear and confusion that many police officers face on the streets. Mr. Tierney assumes that Mr. Springsteen is attacking the four officers

1606028

2004

08

23

Lawsuit Claims Free Speech for Online Casino Ads

An Internet company that publishes information about online gambling has asked a federal district court in Louisiana to decide whether advertisements for Internet casinos are protected forms of speech. The lawsuit, filed on Aug. 9 by Casino City Inc., which operates CasinoCity.com, an online casino directory, charges that the Justice Department violated the Constitution by threatening American publishers with criminal penalties if they broadcast, print or display advertisements for gambling Web sites. The company is asking the court to issue a declaratory judgment that advertisements for online casinos are constitutionally protected speech.

An Internet company that publishes information about online gambling has asked a federal district court in Louisiana to decide whether advertisements for Internet casinos are protected forms of speech. The lawsuit, filed on Aug. 9 by Casino City Inc., which operates CasinoCity.com, an online casino directory, charges that the Justice Department violated the Constitution by threatening American publishers with criminal penalties if they broadcast, print or display advertisements for gambling Web sites. The company is asking the court to issue a declaratory judgment that advertisements for online casinos are constitutionally protected speech. The suit is the first brought against the federal government, which has been engaged in an aggressive effort to crack down on online gambling. Prosecutors last year started a grand jury investigation into the efforts of

1568985

2004

03

25

Hollywood, Where You're Terrific if You're Even Good

IT'S ALL TRUE A Novel of Hollywood By David Freeman 272 pages. Simon & Schuster. $23. ''It's All True'' has more mileage on its odometer than the usual Hollywood novel. That's because its main character, Henry Wearie, has an attitude to match his moniker and has often been around the block. Henry is a screenwriter of few credits but long standing, with the obliviousness to humiliation that is a necessary survival skill. One of the biggest successes on his résumé is a $250,000 screenplay that was never produced. The other involved a harrowing process of spinning real life into Hollywoodiana and is now referred to strictly as the work of its auteur-director, regardless of Henry's contribution.

IT'S ALL TRUE A Novel of Hollywood By David Freeman 272 pages. Simon & Schuster. $23. ''It's All True'' has more mileage on its odometer than the usual Hollywood novel. That's because its main character, Henry Wearie, has an attitude to match his moniker and has often been around the block. Henry is a screenwriter of few credits but long standing, with the obliviousness to humiliation that is a necessary survival skill. One of the biggest successes on his résumé is a $250,000 screenplay that was never produced. The other involved a harrowing process of spinning real life into Hollywoodiana and is now referred to strictly as the work of its auteur-director, regardless of Henry's contribution. These circumstances might well pave the way for a spiteful tell-all about