Summary: The Delphi Corporation operating in bankruptcy said that it would keep talking with its unions and General Motors in a bid to reach a deal on lower wage and benefit rates. Delphi has twice delayed asking a bankruptcy court for the ability to void its contracts to continue negotiations. G.M. estimated that Delphi's bankruptcy could cost it up to $12 billion. The union's president, Ron Gettelfinger, is seeking re-election, and has vowed repeatedly to fight for Delphi workers' rights.

Summary: The Delphi Corporation, which is operating in bankruptcy, said that it would keep talking with its unions and General Motors in a bid to reach a deal on lower wage and benefit rates. If there is no deal, Delphi said, it will ask a judge for permission to reject its labor contracts with its six unions, and also ask to terminate its employee pension plans. Delphi has twice delayed asking a bankruptcy court for the ability to void its contracts, in order to continue negotiations. Delphi's biggest union, the United Automobile Workers, has threatened to strike the parts company if Delphi seeks to terminate its contracts. Delphi, which was part of G.M. until 1999, filed for Chapter 11 protection in October.


Summary: Delphi, which was part of G.M. until 1999, filed for Chapter 11 protection in October. A strike at Delphi, which is G.M.'s biggest supplier, would probably cripple G.M. within days, would come at a time when G.M. is struggling. G.M. has estimated that Delphi's bankruptcy could cost it up to $12 billion.

Summary: The Delphi Corporation, which is operating in bankruptcy, said Friday that it would keep talking with its unions and General Motors in a bid to reach a deal on lower wage and benefit rates. Delphi, which was part of G.M. until 1999, filed for Chapter 11 protection in October. G.M. lost $8.6 billion in 2005, and it announced a plan in November to close all of or part of 12 plants, and cut 30,000 jobs. G.M. has estimated that Delphi's bankruptcy could cost it up to $12 billion.


Summary: United States Treasury says that Treasury securities held by the public that is, by everyone except the Federal Reserve System and other arms of the government rose by $306.4 billion. In 2004, they bought $357.8 billion of Treasuries, 98 percent of the growth in outstanding Treasury securities. The government said they added just $61.2 billion in long-term Treasury securities to their portfolios, well below the $201.1 billion they invested in 2004.

Summary: The United States Treasury says that Treasury securities held by the public -- that is, by everyone except the Federal Reserve System and other arms of the government -- rose by $306.4 billion. They bought $357.8 billion of Treasuries in 2004, 98 percent of the growth in outstanding Treasury securities. The government said they added just $61.2 billion in long-term Treasury securities to their portfolios, well below the $201.1 billion they invested in 2004.


Summary: In 2004, they bought $357.8 billion of Treasuries, 98 percent of the growth in outstanding Treasury securities. But the figures show that in 2005 central banks played only a minor role in buying Treasuries.

Summary: They bought $357.8 billion of Treasuries in 2004, 98 percent of the growth in outstanding Treasury securities. But the figures show that central banks played only a minor role in buying Treasuries in 2005.


Summary: The normally staid industry of plasterboard manufacturing was thrown into turmoil when Compagnie de Saint-Gobain of France bid $6.7 billion for BPB of Britain. After BPB mounted a defense that included reporting what it called ''stunning'' first-half results, Saint-Gobain management accused the company of ''exaggerating its prospects,'' and insinuated that the company would miss its growth goals. BPB ultimately fell to Saint-Gobain for £3.89 billion ($6.8 billion), even though management wanted more, in part because hedge funds that wanted to see the deal go through had amassed as much as a quarter of BPB's stock.

Summary: BPB mounted a defense that reported stunning first-half results, Soon after Saint-Gobain management accused the company of exaggerating its prospects and insinuated that the company would miss its growth goals. The Plasterboard manufacturing was thrown into turmoil when BPB ultimately fell to Saint-Gobain for £3.89 billion ($6.8 billion).


Summary: Paul Gibbs, head of European merger research at J. P. Morgan, said that shareholders were saying, they wanted more. Mr. Gibbs also said that there were companies that hadn't changed and we were XYZ Corporation, we knew what we were doing, we were giving them dividends, so what more they wanted. Those types of companies trade at a discount, Mr. Gibbs said, because they have not become more efficient or improved their corporate governance.

Summary: Paul Gibbs, head of European merger research at J.P. Morgan, said that Shareholders are saying, 'We want more,' ''There are companies that haven't changed, Mr. Gibbs said that the companies whose attitude toward investors is they are XYZ Corporation, they know what they are doing, they are giving you dividends, so what more do you want to do. Those types of companies trade at a discount, he said, because they have not become more efficient or improved their corporate governance.


Summary: Eric Cafritz, was a partner with the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson in Paris, and he said that there is just a lot of inefficiency in the European economy. He added that the E.U. and the euro have created opportunities for consolidation that companies in Europe never dreamed of. He further said that if Mittal wins, that will unleash a wave of hostile deals.

Summary: Eric Cafritz, a partner with the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, said that there is just a lot of inefficiency in the European economy. He also added that The E.U. and the euro have created opportunities for consolidation that companies in Europe never dreamed of.


Skilling
Mr. Skilling
Jeffrey K. Skilling

Summary: Kenneth D. Rice, who headed Enron's broadband unit, testified Thursday that former chief executive Jeffrey K. Skilling directed him to paint a positive outlook for the company's board, even as Mr. Skilling knew the broadband division was struggling to survive. Mr. Skilling faces 31 counts of fraud, conspiracy and insider trading, while Mr. Lay faces seven counts of fraud and conspiracy related to the months after he replaced Mr. Skilling as chief executive. Both men sold millions of dollars in stock before the company crumbled, but only Mr. Skilling is charged with improper stock sales.

Summary: Kenneth D. Rice, who headed Enron's broadband unit, testified Thursday that former chief executive Jeffrey K. Skilling directed him to paint a positive outlook for the company's board, even as Mr. Skilling knew the broadband division was struggling to survive. But Mr. Rice, testifying for a third day in the trial of Mr. Skilling and Enron's founder, Kenneth L. Lay, acknowledged under cross-examination that he had no documents or witnesses to support his claim that Mr. Skilling told him to change his presentation. And Mr. Rice later conceded that a document he believes was the less-optimistic draft presentation that Mr. Skilling rejected might have been compiled for another purpose.


Summary: Mark Holscher, a lawyer for Mr. Skilling, asked if he was as certain about preparing that presentation before the May 1 board meeting as the rest of your testimony. The alleged meeting took on a mysterious tone Thursday afternoon when prosecutor Sean M. Berkowitz, the director of the government's Enron Task Force, produced the document for the defense team. Mr. Holscher then asked Mr. Rice why the draft presentation was dated May 9 -- eight days after the board meeting.

Summary: Mark Holscher, a lawyer for Mr. Skilling, asked that whether he is about to prepare that presentation before the May 1 board meeting as the rest of his testimony. The alleged meeting took on a mysterious tone when prosecutor Sean M. Berkowitz, the director of the government's Enron Task Force, produced the document for the defense team, but later, when asked by Judge Simeon T. Lake III if the document was in the government's computer system, he said, he don't know that. Mr. Holscher then asked Mr. Rice why the draft presentation was dated May 9 which is eight days after the board meeting.


Summary: Kenneth D. Rice, who headed Enron's broadband unit, testified Thursday that former chief executive Jeffrey K. Skilling directed him to paint a positive outlook for the company's board. But Mr. Rice, testifying for a third day in the trial of Mr. Skilling and Enron's founder, Kenneth L. Lay, acknowledged under cross-examination that he had no documents or witnesses to support his claim that Mr. Skilling told him to change his presentation. And Mr. Rice later conceded that a document he believes was the less-optimistic draft presentation that Mr. Skilling rejected might have been compiled for another purpose.

Summary: Kenneth D. Rice, who headed Enron's broadband unit, testified that former chief executive Jeffrey K. Skilling directed him to paint a positive outlook for the company's board, even Mr. Skilling knew that the broadband division was struggling to survive. But Mr. Rice, testifying for a third time for Mr. Skilling and Enron's founder, Kenneth L. Lay, acknowledged under cross-examination that there is no documents or witnesses to support his claim, and for that he told him to change his presentation, and was only relying on his memory. And Mr. Rice later conceded that a document he believes was less-optimistic draft presentation that Mr. Skilling rejected might have been compiled for another purpose.


Summary: A House Republican began a broad investigation on an Interior Department program that is expected to give billions of dollars in benefits over the next five years to companies that pump oil and gas on federal territory. That article, drawing on the Interior Department's budget plan for next year, reported that the administration expected to give more than $7 billion worth of ''royalty relief'' to companies producing oil and gas on federal leases in the Gulf of Mexico. In his letter to the Interior Department, Mr. Pombo said the government had not been consistent in carrying out the 10-year-old law, called the Deep Water Royalty Relief Act, and had become embroiled in litigation.

Summary: A House Republican began a broad investigation on Wednesday of an Interior Department program that is expected to give billions of dollars in benefits over the next five years to companies that pump oil and gas on federal territory. That article, putting forth the Interior Department's budget plan for next year, reported that the administration expected to give more than $7 billion worth of royalty relief to companies producing oil and gas on federal leases in the Gulf of Mexico. The program allows the Interior Department, which leases tens of millions of acres of publicly owned land and coastal waters, to let companies pump large volumes of oil and gas in deep waters without paying the government a royalty on their sales.


Summary: In a letter to Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton, Representative Richard W. Pombo, the chairman of the House Resources Committee, demanded memos, correspondence and data on the program and on the negotiations over the law that created it in 1996. Mr. Pombo, a California Republican, said he was beginning the investigation in response to an article published on Tuesday in The New York Times. In his letter to the Interior Department, Mr. Pombo said the government had not been consistent in carrying out the 10-year-old law, called the Deep Water Royalty Relief Act, and had become embroiled in litigation.

Summary: Representative Richard W. Pombo, the chairman of the House Resources Committee, in a letter to Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton, demanded memos, correspondence and data on the program and on the negotiations over the law that created it in 1996. Mr. Pombo, a California Republican, said he was beginning the investigation in response to an article published on Tuesday in The New York Times. He made it clear that a primary purpose of his investigation was to attribute much of the problem to decisions by the Clinton administration to sweeten the incentives in 1998 and 1999.


Summary: Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, have begun their own assault on the Interior Department's management of the program.

Summary: At issue is a program that Congress began in 1996, when both Democrats and Republicans wanted to encourage more exploration and production in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Oil and gas executives plan to argue that Congress wanted royalty relief to be automatic, regardless of how high prices might climb, for all leases awarded between 1996 and 2000. Congressional Democrats, have begun their own assault on the Interior Department's management of the program.


Summary: It's simply that while Trane climbs a building to paint his name, Chibi-Robo climbs a bookshelf to clean crayon marks. Apparently tidiness makes people happy, so Chibi-Robo spends a lot of time picking up cookie crumbs and empty boxes and scrubbing muddy footprints away with a toothbrush.. To clean the house, Chibi-Robo climbs up power cords, uses books as staircases and glides across gaps between shelves using a rotor blade that pops out of his head. CHIBI-ROBO is developed by Skip Ltd. and published by Nintendo for GameCube at $50.

Summary: Chibi-Robo, a cute, finger-size robot whose goal is to be the world's best personal robot by making people happy, promptly begins work on making his household a happy one. Apparently what makes people happy is tidiness, so Chibi-Robo spends a lot of time picking up cookie crumbs and empty boxes and scrubbing muddy footprints away with a toothbrush, all to please his remarkably sloppy owners. To clean the house, Chibi-Robo climbs up power cords, uses books as staircases and glides across gaps between shelves using a rotor blade that pops out of his head.


Summary: SOME controversy has been stirred up by the action-adventure game Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, with anti-graffiti organizations warning that the game could encourage graffiti vandalism. The game's script, by the fashion designer Marc Ecko, who has incorporated graffiti into his designs, paints a picture as two-dimensional as Trane's murals.


Summary: Getting Up follows the campaign of a graffiti artist named Trane to become the most respected graffitist in the city of New Radius. Trane's goal is to blanket the city with his urban art. Trane will climb drainpipes, jump chasms, or shimmy along ledges to reach his urban canvas. Trane also has to battle competing graffitists and security guards, using his fists or found weapons like boards and crowbars. Trane shows an egotistical disregard for others as he paints murals on highway exit signs and kicks out the neon letters of a city sign to spell out his name.

Summary: Beginning by scribbling his name on the walls of grimy apartment buildings, Trane, the most respected graffitist in the city of New Radius, slowly learns to create huge, colorful murals, instructed by famous real-life graffitists like Futura and Shepard Fairey, who give voice to their virtual selves in the game. When the mayor of New Radius declares war on graffiti, the game portrays this as a nefarious stifling of free speech, but it's unconvincing outrage; Trane is just scrawling his name all over the city, after all. Trane shows an egotistical disregard for others as he paints murals on highway exit signs and kicks out the neon letters of a city sign to spell out his name, but the game seems to consider this admirable behavior.


Summary: Chibi-Robo is about a cute, finger-size robot whose goal is to be the world's best personal robot by making people happy. Apparently what makes people happy is tidiness, so Chibi-Robo spends a lot of time picking up cookie crumbs and empty boxes and scrubbing muddy footprints away with a toothbrush, all to please his remarkably sloppy owners. To clean the house, Chibi-Robo climbs up power cords, uses books as staircases, and glides across gaps between shelves using a rotor blade that pops out of his head. Chibi-Robo has a limited amount of energy and every few minutes must run to a wall socket to recharge, and he is often forced to return to his home base to rest. CHIBI-ROBO  Developed by Skip Ltd. and published by Nintendo for GameCube; for all ages at $50.

Summary: Getting Up would seem at first glance to have nothing in common with Skip Ltd.'s adventure game Chibi-Robo. It's simply that while Trane climbs a building to paint his name, Chibi-Robo climbs a bookshelf to clean crayon marks. Apparently what makes people happy is tidiness, so Chibi-Robo spends a lot of time picking up cookie crumbs and empty boxes and scrubbing muddy footprints away with a toothbrush, all to please his remarkably sloppy owners. Chibi-Robo has a limited amount of energy and every few minutes must run to a wall socket to recharge, and he is often forced to return to his home base to rest.


Summary: Robert Potamkin, co-chairman of the group with his brother Alan Potamkin, said in a telephone interview yesterday that the organization started considering Harlem about five years ago. Mr. Potamkin estimates the total cost of the mall, for buildings and land but not cars, is $50 million to $60 million. At $30,000 a car, what Mr. Potamkin calls inventory adds tens of millions of dollars to the final price tag, he said.

Summary: Robert Potamkin, co-chairman of the group with his brother Alan Potamkin, said in a telephone interview yesterday that the organization started considering Harlem about five years ago. When he inspected the site, he asked marketing officials the name of the smaller bridge next to the Triborough Bridge. They told him it was the Willis Avenue Bridge, which carried 15,000 cars a day, and was not included in the total traffic estimated because it was so small it was considered rounding error. Mr. Potamkin said that most car dealerships don't have 15,000 cars driving by.


Summary: The secretary, Melinda Harmon, now Mrs. Raisch, told the police at the time of the killing in 1982 that her husband had been beaten to death by two black men who broke into their home. In an interview with investigators, Mrs. Raisch changed her story. She implicated Mr. Mangelsdorf and acknowledged having a nonsexual but ''emotionally inappropriate'' relationship with him at MidAmerica Nazarene University. Mrs. Raisch was convicted of first-degree murder last May.

Summary: The former Mrs. Harmon, now Mrs. Raisch, told the police at the time of the killing in 1982 that her husband had been beaten to death by two black men who broke into their home. But when the police dusted off the case file in 2001 and visited Mrs. Raisch in Ohio. Mrs. Raisch was convicted of first-degree murder last May. Shortly before her trial, Mr. Mangelsdorf was also charged with murder and spent a week in jail before being released on a $300,000 bond.


Summary: Moving to Ohio, Melinda Harmon married a dentist, had two children and became active in her church and her children's school. Mrs. Harmon told the police at the time of the killing in 1982 that her husband had been beaten to death by two black men who broke into their home. Mr. Mangelsdorf admitted to participating in the murder of Mr. Harmon, a friend.

Summary: The secretary, Melinda Harmon, moved to Ohio, married a dentist, had two children and became active in her church and her children's school. The former Mrs. Harmon, now Mrs. Raisch, told the police at the time of the killing in 1982 that her husband had been beaten to death by two black men who broke into their home. But in the court hearing, Mr. Mangelsdorf admitted to participating in the murder of Mr. Harmon, a friend.


Summary: The evidence proved elusive, though, and the student, Mark Mangelsdorf, the president of the student body at the time, went on to get an M.B.A. from Harvard and assume top posts at several major corporations. But after years of denials, Mr. Mangelsdorf, 45, of Pelham, N.Y., pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a Kansas court on Monday in the bludgeoning of David Harmon. He faces a sentence of 10 to 20 years, though prosecutors said he could be eligible for parole in about 5 years. Besides adamantly denying an involvement in the killing, he said that he would never accept a plea deal.

Summary: For two decades, the police in Olathe, Kan., were convinced that a male student at the local Bible college had conspired with the secretary to the dean of students to kill her husband. The evidence proved elusive and the student, Mark Mangelsdorf, the president of the student body at the time, went on to get an M.B.A. from Harvard and assume top posts at several major corporations. But after years of denials, Mr. Mangelsdorf, 45, of Pelham, N.Y., pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a Kansas court on Monday in the bludgeoning of David Harmon. He faces a sentence of 10 to 20 years, though prosecutors said he could be eligible for parole in about 5 years.


Summary: The Energy Department no longer has an estimate of when it can open the nuclear waste repository that it wants to build at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Last week the deputy energy secretary, Clay Sell, hinted for the first time that the money that the Energy Department had been collecting from the nuclear utilities since the 1980's might not be enough to pay for the project; the last published cost estimate was $60 billion, in 2001. The department is facing lawsuits from utilities that want to recover extra costs created by the delay.

Summary: The Energy Department no longer has an estimate of when it can open the nuclear waste repository that it wants to build at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, and it may never have an accurate prediction of the cost, the secretary, Samuel W. Bodman said that. But it is a first-of-a-kind project, making cost estimates difficult, he said, and the best that the department may be able to do is publish an estimate with a very wide range of error. The department is facing lawsuits from utilities that want to recover extra costs created by the delay.


Summary: Samuel W. Bodman, was the secretary, said at a nuclear power industry conference that his department was redoing research and preparing design for Yucca, which was supposed to start accepting civilian power-plant waste in 1998. But it is a first-of-a-kind project, making cost estimates difficult, he said, and the best that the department may be able to do is publish an estimate with a very wide range of error. He spoke on Monday to hundreds of nuclear industry executives at a conference organized by Platts, an energy information division of McGraw-Hill.

Summary: The secretary, Samuel W. Bodman, said at a nuclear power industry conference that his department was redoing research and design for Yucca, which was supposed to start accepting civilian power-plant waste in 1998. Mr. Bodman spoke to hundreds of nuclear industry executives at a conference organized by Platts. Mr. Bodman had come to talk mostly about the Bush administration's new Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, a plan that includes reprocessing nuclear wastes to reduce their volume and toxicity.


Summary: Mr. Samuel W. Bodman had come to talk mostly about the Bush administration's new plan named Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, a plan that includes reprocessing nuclear wastes to reduce their volume and toxicity.

Summary: Mr. Bodman had come to talk mostly about the Bush administration's new Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, a plan that includes reprocessing nuclear wastes to reduce their volume and toxicity.


Summary: The Energy Department no longer has an estimate of when it can open the nuclear waste repository that it wants to build at Yucca Mountain, and it may never have an accurate prediction of the cost, the energy secretary said it in the conference. Samuel W. Bodman, the secretary, said at a nuclear power industry conference that his department was redoing research and design for Yucca, which was supposed to start accepting civilian power-plant waste in 1998. Some in the industry said, though, that the partnership introduced a new complication for Yucca.

Summary: The energy secretary said on Monday that the Energy Department no longer has an estimate of when it can open the nuclear waste repository that it wants to build at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, and it may never have an accurate prediction of the cost. The secretary, Samuel W. Bodman, said at a nuclear power industry conference that his department was redoing research and design for Yucca, which was supposed to start accepting civilian power-plant waste in 1998.


Summary: The Energy Department no longer has an estimate of when it can open the nuclear waste repository that it wants to build at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, and it may never have an accurate prediction of the cost, the energy secretary. The deputy energy secretary, Clay Sell, hinted for the first time that the money that the Energy Department had been collecting from the nuclear utilities since the 1980s might not be enough to pay for the project, the last published cost estimate was $60 billion, in 2001. The department is facing lawsuits from utilities that want to recover extra costs created by the delay. Another complication is that the department recently told utilities that they should ship fuel to Yucca in containers that could go directly into the mountain for burial.

Summary: The energy secretary said on Monday that the Energy Department no longer has an estimate of when it can open the nuclear waste repository that it wants to build at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, and it may never have an accurate prediction of the cost. Last week the deputy energy secretary, Clay Sell, hinted for the first time that the money that the Energy Department had been collecting from the nuclear utilities since the 1980's might not be enough to pay for the project; the last published cost estimate was $60 billion, in 2001.


Summary: Ross W. Brickley, a pharmacist in Kinston, N.C., said he had requested prior authorizations for hundreds of drugs taken by Medicare patients in more than 20 plans, each with its own policies, forms, and procedures.

Summary: Ross W. Brickley, a pharmacist in Kinston, N.C., said that he had requested prior authorizations for hundreds of drugs taken by Medicare patients in more than 20 plans, each with its own policies, forms and procedures.


Summary: David W. Bernauer, chairman of Walgreen,  one of the biggest drugstore chains, echoed the concern that it is impossible for pharmacists to keep track of all these formularies and prior authorizations.

Summary: David W. Bernauer, chairman of Walgreen, one of the biggest drugstore chains, echoed that concern saying that it is impossible for pharmacists to keep track of all these formularies and prior authorizations.


Summary: Dr. Steven A. Levenson of Towson, Md., the president-elect of the American Medical Directors Association, which represents doctors who care for nursing home residents, said, they had seen signs that Medicare drug plans are using management controls to deter access to medically appropriate drugs, including drugs on their own formularies.

Summary: Dr. Steven A. Levenson of Towson, Md., president-elect of the American Medical Directors Association, which represents doctors who care for nursing home residents, said that they have seen signs that Medicare drug plans are using management controls to deter access to medically appropriate drugs, including drugs on their own formularies.


Summary: President Bush said the government should use its leverage to promote greater standardization of policies and procedures. In his radio address, President Bush described the drug benefit as ''a good deal for seniors.'' Those who enroll will end up spending about half of what they used to spend on prescription drugs each year.

Summary: In his radio address on Saturday, President Bush described the drug benefit as "a good deal for seniors." He said that those who enroll will end up spending about half of what they used to spend on prescription drugs each year and that some people had trouble the first time they went to the pharmacy after enrolling.


Summary: Francis S. Soistman Jr., executive vice president of Coventry Health Care, said when asked about the forms on his company's Web site said that  at the top of each form is a logo that says, ''AdvantraRx: Medicare prescription drug plans made easy.'' After checking with Coventry pharmacists, Mr. Soistman said the forms were justified. He said the forms serve as a checklist of the necessary information needed for their review. Mr. Soistman said prior authorization limits the use of drugs with a potential for abuse like OxyContin and drugs with safety problems like Accutane, an acne treatment that can cause birth defects. In addition, he said, prior authorization is a way to prevent the overuse of high-cost medications and to ensure that they are equally effective, less expensive agents are used first.

Summary: At the top of each form is a logo that says, "AdvantraRx: Medicare prescription drug plans made easy." After checking with Coventry pharmacists, Francis S. Soistman Jr., executive vice president of Coventry Health Care, said the forms were justified because each drug requiring prior authorization has unique clinical criteria that must be met. The forms serve as a checklist of necessary information needed for their review. More generally, Mr. Soistman said, prior authorization limits the use of drugs with a potential for abuse like OxyContin and drugs with safety problems like Accutane, an acne treatment that can cause birth defects.


Summary: Dr. Daniel C. Lyons, senior vice president of Independence Blue Cross, said his company used only one standard prior authorization form for its Medicare drug plans, sold in 13 states under the name AmeriHealth. He later confirmed that the company also had 17 forms for high-cost injectable drugs to treat complex conditions like cancer, hemophilia, H.I.V. infection, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Summary: Dr. Daniel C. Lyons, who is the senior vice president of Independence Blue Cross, said that his company used ''one standard prior authorization form'' for its Medicare drug plans, sold in 13 states under the name AmeriHealth. Later he confirmed that the company also had 17 forms for high-cost injectable drugs to treat complex conditions like cancer, hemophilia, H.I.V. infection and rheumatoid arthritis. In an interview, he said it would be desirable to simplify and standardize the prior authorization process.


Summary: Many analysts predicted that the collapse of the discount carrier Independence Air last month would lead to higher airfares at Dulles International Airport near Washington. The airport had some of the highest average fares in the nation before Independence Air began operating there in 2004, forcing competitors to lower ticket prices. When Independence Air folded, he found, the round-trip fare for same-day flights between Dulles and Buffalo on United Airlines was $158. Dulles to Pittsburgh went to $900, from $78, on United and to $900, from $228, on US Airways.

Summary: Many analysts predicted that the collapse of the discount carrier Independence Air last month would lead to higher airfares at Dulles International Airport near Washington. The airport had some of the highest average fares in the nation before Independence Air began operating there in 2004, forcing competitors to lower ticket prices. Dulles to Pittsburgh went to $900, from $78, on United and to $900, from $228, on US Airways.


Summary: Many analysts predicted that the collapse of the discount carrier Independence Air last month would lead to higher airfares at Dulles International Airport near Washington. The airport had some of the highest average fares in the nation before they began operating there in 2004, forcing competitors to lower ticket prices. Over all, fares have not gone up much since Independence Air closed, industry analysts say.

Summary: Many analysts predicted that the collapse of the discount carrier Independence Air last month would lead to higher airfares at Dulles International Airport near Washington. The airport had some of the highest average fares in the nation before Independence Air began operating there in 2004, forcing competitors to lower ticket prices. Industry analysts say that over all, fares have not gone up much since Independence Air closed on Jan. 5.


Summary: US Airways said that it had agreed with Embraer to change an existing order for 57 Embraer jets. They now says it will place 25 firm orders for the E-170's and take 32 additional options for E-190 jets, which seat about 100. Dulles to Pittsburgh went to $900, from $78, on United and to $900, from $228, on US Airways.

Summary: US Airways said it had agreed with Embraer to change an existing order for 57 Embraer jets. US Airways now says it will place 25 firm orders for the E-170's and take 32 additional options for E-190 jets, which seat about 100.


Summary: Ryoji Nagata was the strong suspect of Ms. Namai's daughter murder case, as Takao Kimei, the policeman who handled the investigation, said that a blood stain and fingerprints suggested so according to this reports. Mr. Nagata, who attended the same high school as the victim, lived a couple of blocks away from the Namai home.

Summary: Takao Kimei, the policeman who handled the investigation, said that a blood stain and fingerprints suggested strongly that the murderer of Ms. Namai's daughter was a certain Ryoji Nagata. Mr. Nagata, who attended the same high school as the victim, lived a couple of blocks away from the Namai home.


Summary: In the next morning, short newspaper articles reported dutifully that the 15-year statute of limitations had expired on the murder of Ms. Namai's 24-year-old daughter, whose name is Michie. The man who had buried the body of Michie, in the snow after stabbing her repeatedly in the neck in 1990 was now beyond the law's reach.

Summary: Namai's 24-year-old daughter, Michie. The man who had buried her body in the snow after stabbing her repeatedly in the neck in 1990 was now beyond the law's reach. The murderer of Namai's daughter was a certain Ryoji Nagata. Mr. Nagata, who attended the same high school as the victim, lived a couple of blocks away from the Namai home.


Summary: Ken Ishikawa, who is 54, in Otaru, a city an hour's drive west of Sapporo. Ken Ishikawa sitting in his living room in Otaru, surrounded by framed photos of his sister wearing the clothes and hairstyle of the 1970's, he said that the family believed she had been kidnapped, perhaps even taken to North Korea. It was only 26 years later, in 2004, that the family caem to learn the truth.

Summary: Ken Ishikawa, 54, whose older sister, Chikako, who had left Otaru to teach music at an elementary school in Tokyo, vanished in 1978. Sitting in his living room in Otaru, surrounded by framed photos of his sister wearing the clothes and hairstyle of the 1970's, Mr. Ishikawa said the family believed she had been kidnapped, perhaps even taken to North Korea. However the truth is that a school security guard, with a grudge against the teachers, choked his sister to death one afternoon and buried her nude body in a hole under his living room.


Summary: As the clock ticked toward the 15th anniversary of her daughter's murder last year, Sumiko Namai offered a $20,000 reward to find the killer. She appeared on television with a clairvoyant, the police posted the suspect's photo on a popular Web sites; and newspapers carried articles on the countdown. The next morning, short newspaper articles reported dutifully that the 15-year statute of limitations had expired on the murder of Ms. Namai's 24-year-old daughter, Michie.

Summary: Sumiko Namai offered a $20,000 reward to find the killer, in her daughter's murder of 15th anniversary. She appeared on television with a clairvoyant; the police posted the suspect's photo on a popular Web sites; and newspapers carried articles on the countdown. The next morning, short newspaper articles reported dutifully that the 15-year statute of limitations had expired on the murder of Ms. Namai's 24-year-old daughter, Michie.


Summary: Convinced that it could not become a modern nation without Western laws, Japan first adopted France's legal system, then switched to the German model because France was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War. In the words of Morikazu Taguchi, a professor at Waseda University's law school in Tokyo, if it was said that advanced countries had it, it became an absolute must. In the decades after World War II, Germany and France eliminated the statute of limitations on crimes against humanity.

Summary: Convinced that it could not become a modern nation without Western laws, Japan first adopted France's legal system, then switched to the German model because France was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War, said Morikazu Taguchi, a professor at Waseda University's law school in Tokyo. Mr. Taguchi said if it was said that advanced countries had it became an absolute must. In the decades after World War II, Germany and France eliminated the statute of limitations on crimes against humanity.


Summary: All this is a far cry from the Islamic humanism of Ibn al-Arabi, the Andalusian philosopher and mystic, or of Rumi, the Persian Sufi poet.


Summary: They draw on memories of colonization and of the Crusades, when Western invaders ridiculed the Prophet Muhammad as an imposter. The Wahhabis who dominate Saudi Arabia do not believe in honoring Islam's holy men and women or the Prophet Muhammad (they've proscribed the celebration of his birthday).

Summary: When Western invaders ridiculed the religious leader Prophet Muhammad, as an imposter, they draw on memories of colonization and of the Crusades. The Wahhabis who dominate Saudi Arabia do not believe in honoring Islam's holy men and women or the Prophet Muhammad. The Saudi authorities have razed and dug up virtually every site in Mecca and Medina linked to Muhammad, members of his family and his companions.


Summary: John Boehner of Ohio, a polished veteran of the big-money nexus who even pays his D.C. rent to a lobbyist-landlord. Mr. Boehner has been shockingly blasé about the need for Housecleaning. He's been signaling anxious colleagues that the whole issue should be directed toward the ultimate dead-letter office: the House ethics committee.

Summary: John Boehner is the new House majority leader, and from Ohio, the public has a right to expect reform but they experienced the only sign of change that Mr. John who is a, polished veteran of the big-money nexus who even pays his D.C. rent to a lobbyist-landlord. He has been shockingly uncaring about the need for Housecleaning. He's been signaling anxious colleagues that the whole issue should be directed toward the ultimate dead-letter office which is the House ethics committee.


Summary: The key members of the Senate have now caved, agreeing to renew these provisions in exchange for only minimal improvements. At a time when the public is growing increasingly concerned about the lawlessness of the Bush administration's domestic spying, the Senate should insist that any re-authorization agreement does more to protect Americans against improper secret searches.

Summary: Key members of Senate have now caved, agreeing to renew the provisions in exchange for only minimal improvements. When the public is growing increasingly concerned about the lawlessness of the Bush administration's domestic spying, the Senate should insist that any reauthorization agreement do more to protect Americans against improper secret searches.


Summary: Congress has shown backbone lately on the Patriot Act. Congress made some of its most far-reaching provisions temporary so it would be able to reconsider them later on, when the Patriot Act was passed after Sept. 11, 2001. Those provisions were set to expire last December, but Congress agreed to a very short extension so greater civil liberties protections could be added.

Summary: The Patriot Act has been one of the few issues on which Congress has shown backbone lately. When the Patriot Act was passed after Sept. 11, 2001, Congress made some of its most far-reaching provisions temporary so it would be able to reconsider them later on. Those provisions were set to expire last December, but Congress agreed to a very short extension so greater civil liberties protections could be added.


Summary: Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, said officials planned to continue their efforts at securing the United States-Mexico border. Mr. Chertoff said the department planned to focus on illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico, who have typically been released after apprehension because of shortages of beds. Mr. Chertoff said that those were very sophisticated, hardened criminals who would use violence to protect their criminal businesses.

Summary: The homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, who led the news conference, said officials planned to continue their efforts at securing the United States-Mexico border. Mr. Chertoff said the department planned to focus on illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico, who have typically been released after apprehension because of shortages of beds.


Summary: In recent months, scores of Border Patrol agents have been fired upon or pelted with large stones as well as with cloth-covered stones that have been doused with flammable liquid and set ablaze. The Border Patrol will receive an extra $459 million to hire 1,500 new agents, bringing the total force to about 14,000. An additional $410 million would be allocated to add 6,700 beds for detainees so fewer illegal immigrants would have to be released before being deported.

Summary: Mexican criminal syndicates are stepping up their attacks on American agents patrolling the border as officials of the Homeland Security Department intensify efforts to stem the flow of immigrants and drugs into the United States. In recent months, scores of Border Patrol agents have been fired upon or pelted with large stones as well as with cloth-covered stones that have been doused with flammable liquid and set ablaze. David V. Aguilar, the Border Patrol chief, played a videotape at a news conference on Thursday that featured a patrol car riddled with bullets and agents scrambling for cover as stones rained down on them.


Summary: American officials said that Mexican criminal syndicates are stepping up their attacks on American agents patrolling the border as officials of the Homeland Security Department intensify efforts to stem the flow of immigrants and drugs into the United States. Officials of the Homeland Security Department said they were making headway in detaining and deporting these illegal immigrants.

Summary: Mexican criminal syndicates are stepping up their attacks on American agents patrolling the border as officials of the Homeland Security Department intensify efforts to stem the flow of immigrants and drugs into the United States, American officials said this week. Homeland Security Department officials said that in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, there were 778 attacks on agents, up from 374 in the previous fiscal year. Officials of the Homeland Security Department said they were making headway in detaining and deporting these illegal immigrants.


Summary: Based on an F.B.I. sting, prosecutors were accusing Tarik Shah of agreeing with an undercover F.B.I. informer to train Qaeda fighters in hand-to-hand combat. But the government did not claim that Mr. Shah had met or had contact with any terrorist operative. Victor L. Hou said that the confidential source, whom the defense has identified as Mr. Alanssi, first identified Mr. Farhane to the F.B.I. in the weeks after 9/11 as having radical views of Islam.

Summary: Based on an F.B.I. sting, prosecutors were accusing Mr. Shah of agreeing with an undercover F.B.I. informer to train Qaeda fighters in 'hand-to-hand combat'. But the government did not claim that Mr. Shah had met or had contacted with any terrorist operative. Mr. Hou wrote that Mr. Farhane, after he was arrested Oct. 26, told investigators that he had introduced Mr. Shah to the informer to help him send money to jihadists overseas. The prosecutors also cast new light yesterday on the role of the government informer, a Yemeni named Mohamed Alanssi, who set himself on fire in front of the White House in November 2004, apparently to protest his handling by F.B.I. agents.


Summary: The evidence that prosecutors presented at Mr. Farhane's bail hearing added significant substance to the government's case against him and three other defendants, including Tarik Shah, a New York jazz musician and martial arts instructor who also is Muslim. Mr. Shah, 43, was arrested and charged with conspiring to teach martial arts to members of Al Qaeda. Based on an F.B.I. sting, prosecutors were accusing Mr. Shah of agreeing with an undercover F.B.I. informer to train Qaeda fighters in hand-to-hand combat. But the government did not claim that Mr. Shah had met or had contact with any terrorist operative. In a letter on Thursday to Judge Preska, Mr. Hou wrote that Mr. Farhane, after he was arrested Oct. 26, told investigators that he had introduced Mr. Shah to the informer to help him send money to jihadists overseas.

Summary: Tarik Shah, 43, a New York jazz musician and martial arts instructor who also is Muslim, was arrested on the charge of conspiring to teach martial arts to members of Al Qaeda. Based on an F.B.I. sting, prosecutors were accusing Mr. Shah of agreeing with an undercover F.B.I. informer to train Qaeda fighters in hand-to-hand combat. But the government did not claim that Mr. Shah had met or had contact with any terrorist operative. In a letter to Judge Preska, Mr. Hou wrote that Mr. Farhane, after he was arrested, told investigators that he had introduced Mr. Shah to the informer to help him send money to jihadists overseas.


Summary: The judge, Loretta A. Preska, referred to transcripts of secretly recorded conversations between a government informer and the bookseller, Abdulrahman Farhane. Judge Preska said Mr. Farhane understood that he was talking about transferring funds to the Middle East to purchase arms and equipment, to be used for jihad against the United States. The evidence that prosecutors presented at Mr. Farhane's bail hearing, in United States District Court in Manhattan, added significant substance to the government's case against him and three other defendants, including Tarik Shah, a New York jazz musician and martial arts instructor who also is Muslim. Judge Preska said recordings from the fall of 2001 make it clear that Mr. Farhane was talking about sending money for wireless communications and advanced weapons for Islamic fighters.

Summary: According to Judge Loretta A. Preska, the prosecutors have audio recordings that capture him discussing specific ways to raise money and transfer it to Islamic fighters battling the United States forces in Afghanistan in the fall of 2001, after the Sept. 11 attacks. Judge Preska said recordings from the fall of 2001 make it clear that Mr. Farhane was talking about sending money for wireless communications and advanced weapons for Islamic fighters. Judge Preska said Mr. Farhane understood that he was talking about transferring funds to the Middle East to purchase arms and equipment, which he knew would be used for jihad against the United States and other Western powers.


Summary: Victor L. Hou, an assistant United States attorney, said yesterday that Mr. Farhane had introduced Mr. Shah to the government informer at his bookstore. In a letter to Judge Preska, Mr. Hou wrote that Mr. Farhane, after he was arrested, told investigators that he had introduced Mr. Shah to the informer to help him. The prosecutors also cast new light yesterday on the role of the government informer, a Yemeni named Mohamed Alanssi. Mr. Hou said that the confidential source was Mr. Alanssi who identified Mr. Farhane to the F.B.I. in the weeks after 9/11. Mr. Farhane made in court on Wednesday when he pleaded not guilty and said that he loved this country. Mr. Hou said wiretap recordings in March 2004 register Mr. Farhane saying that the United States is not a country where they should stay.

Summary: In a letter to Judge Preska, Victor L. Hou, an assistant United States attorney, wrote that Mr. Farhane, after he was arrested told investigators that he had introduced Mr. Shah to the informer to help him send money to jihadists overseas. The prosecutors also cast new light on the role of the government informer, a Yemeni named Mohamed Alanssi. Mr. Hou said that Mr. Alanssi, first identified Mr. Farhane to the F.B.I. in the weeks after 9/11 as having radical views of Islam. Mr. Alanssi secretly recorded a series of conversations with Mr. Farhane, many of them at his Brooklyn bookstore. Mr. Hou grew impassioned when he sought to rebut a statement Mr. Farhane made in court, when he pleaded not guilty saying that he loves this country although wiretap recordings register Mr. Farhane as saying that this is not a country where they should stay.


Summary: The judge, Loretta A. Preska, referred to transcripts of secretly recorded conversations between a government informer and the bookseller, Abdulrahman Farhane. Mr. Farhane, a Moroccan-American who is 52, has emerged as the central figure in the case. Judge Preska said Mr. Farhane understood that he was talking about transferring funds to the Middle East to purchase arms and equipment, to be used for jihad against the United States. The evidence that prosecutors presented at Mr. Farhane's bail hearing added significant substance to the government's case against him. Mr. Hou wrote that Mr. Farhane, after he was arrested, told investigators that he had introduced Mr. Shah to the informer to help him send money to jihadists overseas. Judge Preska said recordings from the fall of 2001 make it clear that Mr. Farhane was talking about sending money for wireless communications and advanced weapons for Islamic fighters.

Summary: Abdulrahman Farhane, a Moroccan-American, 52, has emerged as the central figure in the case. Referring to the transcripts of secretly recorded conversations between a government informer and Mr. Farhane, the bookseller, Judge Preska said Mr. Farhane understood that he was talking about transferring funds to the Middle East to purchase arms and equipment, which he knew would be used for jihad against the United States and other Western powers. The evidence that prosecutors presented at Mr. Farhane's bail hearing, in United States District Court in Manhattan, added significant substance to the government's case against him and three other defendants, including Tarik Shah, a New York jazz musician and martial arts instructor who also is Muslim.


Summary: The prosecutors also cast new light on the role of the government informer, a Yemeni named Mohamed Alanssi, who set himself on fire in front of the White House in November 2004, apparently to protest his handling by F.B.I. agents. Mr. Alanssi was a witness in the case in Brooklyn that convicted a Yemeni sheik, Mohammed Ali Hassan al-Moayad, of financing terrorism. Mr. Hou said that the confidential source the defense has identified as Mr. Alanssi was the one who first identified Mr. Farhane to the F.B.I. in the weeks after 9/11. Starting in December 2001, Mr. Alanssi secretly recorded a series of conversations with Mr. Farhane, many of them at his Brooklyn bookstore.

Summary: The prosecutors cast new light yesterday on the role of the government informer, a Yemeni named Mohamed Alanssi, who set himself on fire in front of the White House in November 2004, apparently to protest his handling by F.B.I. agents. Mr. Alanssi was a witness in the case in Brooklyn last year that convicted a Yemeni sheik, Mohammed Ali Hassan al-Moayad, of financing terrorism. Mr. Hou said that "the confidential source", whom the defense has identified as Mr. Alanssi, first identified Mr. Farhane to the F.B.I. in the weeks after 9/11 as having radical views of Islam. Starting in December 2001, Mr. Alanssi secretly recorded a series of conversations with Mr. Farhane, many of them at his Brooklyn bookstore.


Summary: Some nations are also seeking some loosening of Russia's natural gas monopoly, Gazprom.

Summary: Some nations are also seeking some loosening of Gazprom, Russia's natural gas monopoly.


Summary: Finance ministers from the Group of 8 industrialized nations arrived Friday for a weekend meeting that is sure to revive doubts on Russia's membership in the club. For the first time, Russia, which holds the chairmanship this year, will be the host of the meeting of the G-8, whose other members are Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, Canada, and Japan. It is proposing that G-8 governments transfer those payments to the International Monetary Fund or World Bank, which would use that cash to cancel third world debt. Yevgeny G. Yasin, who was economy minister when Russia joined the Group of 8 in 1998, said membership was seen then as an incentive for the country to make greater economic and political reforms.

Summary: Finance ministers from the Group of 8 industrialized nations arrived Friday for a weekend meeting to revive doubts on Russia's membership in the club. For the first time, Russia, which holds the chairmanship this year, will be the host of the meeting of the G-8, whose other members are Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, Canada and Japan. This position renews a debate on whether the country under President Vladimir V. Putin should even be in the G-8, much less lead a club of capitalist democracies, a description some say only loosely applies to Russia.


Summary: There are speculations whether Russia under President Vladimir V. Putin should even be in the G-8, much less lead a club of capitalist democracies, a description some say only loosely applies to Russia. Mr. Putin countered that, saying Russia's presence would keep the G-8 from becoming an assembly of fat cats because his country still sees economic problems from the perspective of a developing nation. Mr. Putin has put emphasis on oil and gas exports as a rationale for Russia's membership.

Summary: The chairmanship of Russia renews a debate on whether the country under President Vladimir V. Putin should even be in the Group of 8, much less lead a club of capitalist democracies, a description some say only loosely applies to Russia. Mr. Putin countered that last week by saying that Russia's presence would keep the G-8 from becoming an assembly of the affluent as his country still sees economic problems from the perspective of a developing nation.


Summary: Finance ministers from the Group of 8 industrialized nations arrived Friday for a meeting that is sure to revive doubts on Russia's membership in the club. For the first time, Russia, which holds the chairmanship this year, will be the host of the meeting of the G-8, whose other members are Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, Canada and Japan. It is proposing that G-8 governments transfer those payments to the International Monetary Fund or World Bank, which would use that cash to cancel third world debt. Yevgeny G. Yasin, who was economy minister when Russia joined the Group of 8 in 1998, said membership was seen then as an incentive for the country to make greater economic and political reforms.

Summary: Finance ministers from the Group of 8 industrialized nations arrived on Friday for a weekend meeting to revive doubts on Russia's membership in the club. For the first time, Russia, which holds the chairmanship this year, will be the host of the meeting of the G-8, whose other members are Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, Canada and Japan. The position renews a debate on whether the country under President Vladimir V. Putin should even be in the G-8, much less lead a club of capitalist democracies, a description that only loosely applies to Russia. Mr. Putin countered that last week by saying that Russia's presence would keep the G-8 from becoming an assembly of the affluent since his country still sees economic problems from the perspective of a developing nation.


Summary: The World Bank's director, Paul D. Wolfowitz, was scheduled to attend the talks in Moscow on Saturday, Russia's minister of economy, Aleksei L. Kudrin, said this week. Russia is also sponsoring a discussion on creating a uniform system of accounting for oil reserves. Mr. Kudrin said that would improve the accuracy of oil price projections by reducing uncertainty on supply. Mr. Kudrin also said Russia was fighting money laundering in Central Asia, where drug money from Afghanistan's heroin trade is cycled through the banking system.

Summary: Russia is sponsoring a discussion on creating a uniform system of accounting for oil reserves which according to Russia's minister of economy, Aleksei L. Kudrin, would improve the accuracy of oil price projections by reducing uncertainty on supply. Russia will also discuss encouraging investment to increase oil production amid extremely tight world supplies. He also said Russia was fighting money laundering in Central Asia, where drug money from Afghanistan's heroin trade is cycled through the banking system.


Summary: Hugh Barnes, director of the Russia program at the Foreign Policy Center, a British research center, said in a telephone interview that Russia doesn't measure up. Mr. Barnes cited the values expressed by the founding members of the club, then the Group of 6, in 1975 in Rambouillet, France. Besides economic principles, like low inflation and free trade, the group stressed democratic governance, he said.

Summary: Hugh Barnes, director of the Russia program at the Foreign Policy Center, a British research center cited the values expressed by the founding members of the club, then the Group of 6. He also added that besides economic principles, like low inflation and free trade, the group stressed democratic governance.


Summary: Reverse mortgages were once considered loans of last resort, but that perception has changed in recent years, said Bronwyn Belling, a reverse mortgage specialist with AARP.  She said that a lot of people thought they were secure then lo and behold, the pension plans go under, the market takes a downturn, and they're forced to look at their house as a more liquid asset. Ms. Belling suggested that it can cost over $15,000 to take out one of these loans.

Summary: Bronwyn Belling, a reverse mortgage specialist with AARP, said that reverse mortgages were once considered loans of last resort, but that perception has changed in recent years. He further said that they can cost over $15,000 to take out one of these loans.


Summary: Demand is still growing, according to Darryl Hicks, associate director for the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association, a trade group in Washington. Mr. Hicks said they were up 56 percent in the first quarter of 2006. As property values have risen, Mr. Hicks added, a number of retirees who took out these loans years ago are returning for second and even third reverse mortgages to harvest the additional equity that has built up in their homes.

Summary: According to Darryl Hicks, associate director for the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association said demand is still growing, a trade group in Washington. He said that in the first quarter of 2006, they were up 56 percent. As property values have risen, Mr. Hicks added, a number of retirees who took out these loans years ago, and they are returning for second and even third reverse mortgages to harvest the additional equity that has built up in their homes.


Summary: But his choice for defense minister is Gordon O'Connor, a retired brigadier general from Ontario, who from 1996 to early 2004 was a lobbyist for companies including Airbus, which hopes to sell tactical airlift aircraft to the Defense Ministry. Conservatives note that the Accountability Act would not prohibit a former lobbyist from serving in government, and Mr. O'Connor said that he saw no conflict of interest.

Summary: Mr. Harper's  choice for defense minister is Gordon O'Connor, a retired brigadier general from Ontario, who from 1996 to early 2004 was a lobbyist for companies including Airbus, which hopes to sell tactical airlift aircraft to the Defense Ministry. Conservatives note that the Accountability Act would not prohibit a former lobbyist from serving in government, and Mr. O'Connor said that he saw no conflict of interest.


Summary: Mr. Harper, a Conservative, won a narrow victory and tenuous control of the House of Commons by promising that he would make Ottawa more accountable and that he would clean up after several Liberal Party scandals. He also said he wanted to include officials from Montreal and Vancouver, cities where the Conservatives won no seats in the House of Commons and that would have otherwise gone unrepresented. The opposition parties are complaining that they will not be able to question Mr. Fortier on the floor of the House of Commons, as is customary with cabinet ministers because he is not a member.

Summary: Mr. Harper, is a Conservative, who won a narrow victory and tenuous control of the House of Commons last month by promising that he would make Ottawa more accountable and that he would clean up after several Liberal Party scandals. He also said he wanted to include officials from Montreal and Vancouver, cities where the Conservatives won no seats in the House of Commons and that would have otherwise gone unrepresented. The most controversial of the appointments was of David L. Emerson of Vancouver, who was industry minister under Prime Minister Martin and was elected to the Commons last month on the Liberal Party ticket.


Summary: Michael Fortier, a Conservative organizer in Montreal, did not run for the Commons in the last election. But Mr. Harper appointed him to the Senate so he could serve as public works minister.

Summary: Michael Fortier, a Conservative organizer in Montreal, did not run for the Commons in the last election. But he appointed him to the Senate so he could serve as public works minister. The opposition parties are complaining that they will not be able to question Mr. Fortier on the floor of the House of Commons, as is customary with cabinet ministers, because he is not a member.


Summary: Mr. Harper promised to halt the revolving door between the cabinet and lobbying firms, and work to transform the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, from an appointed body to an elected one. But Mr. Harper appointed him to the Senate so he could serve as public works minister. Countering criticism that he was backtracking from his promise to reform the Senate, Mr. Harper said that the appointment was only temporary.

Summary: During the campaign, Mr. Stephen Harper promised to halt the revolving door between the cabinet and lobbying firms and work to transform the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, from an appointed body to an elected one. Mr. Harper appointed an international trade minister who was elected only two weeks before as a Liberal, a defense minister who was once a lobbyist for military contractors, and an unelected public works minister who must be appointed to the Senate to serve. Countering criticism that he was backtracking from his promise to reform the Senate, Mr. Harper said that the appointment was only temporary and that Mr. Fortier would run for a Commons seat in the next general election.


Summary: Mr. Harper won a narrow victory and tenuous control of the House of Commons last month by promising that he would make Ottawa more accountable and that he would clean up after several Liberal Party scandals. But this week Mr. Harper appointed an international trade minister who was elected only two weeks before as a Liberal, a defense minister who was once a lobbyist for military contractors. The local Liberal Party association demanded that he returns nearly $100,000 it spent on his campaign, resigns and runs as a Conservative in a special election.

Summary: Mr. Harper, a Conservative, won a narrow victory and tenuous control of the House of Commons last month by promising that he would make Ottawa more accountable and that he would clean up after several Liberal Party scandals. The most controversial of the appointments were of David L. Emerson of Vancouver, who was industry minister under Prime Minister Martin and was elected to the Commons last month on the Liberal Party ticket. The local Liberal Party association has demanded that he return nearly $100,000 it spent on his campaign, resign and run as a Conservative in a special election.


Summary: Prime Minister Stephen Harper got off to a shaky start in his first week in office, facing a rash of criticism for three cabinet appointments that appeared to compromise his past positions on making government more democratic and ethical. Mr. Harper won a narrow victory and tenuous control of the House of Commons last month by promising that he would make Ottawa more accountable. During the campaign Mr. Harper promised to halt the revolving door between the cabinet and lobbying firms, and work to transform the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, from an appointed body to an elected one.

Summary: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has gotten off to a shaky start in his first week in office, facing a rash of criticism for three cabinet appointments that appeared to compromise his past positions on making government more democratic and ethical. He is a Conservative, who won a narrow victory and tenuous control of the House of Commons last month by promising that he would make Ottawa more accountable and that he would clean up after several Liberal Party scandals. During the campaign he promised to halt the revolving door between the cabinet and lobbying firms, and work to transform the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, from an appointed body to an elected one.


Summary: The most controversial of the appointments was of David L. Emerson of Vancouver, who was industry minister under Prime Minister Martin and was elected to the Commons last month on the Liberal Party ticket. Mr. Emerson said he would not resign or return the money, arguing Wednesday in a conference call with reporters that he could best serve his constituents by giving them a voice in the cabinet as international trade minister. He said that his two children were being taunted in school over the issue.

Summary: The most controversial of the appointments were of David L. Emerson of Vancouver, who was industry minister under Prime Minister Martin and was elected to the Commons last month on the Liberal Party ticket. Mr. Emerson said he would not resign or return the money, arguing that he could best serve his constituents by giving them a voice in the cabinet as international trade minister. He said that he might run in the next election as a Conservative, but he also suggested that he was shaken by the sharp reaction to his party switch.


Summary: Congress recently gave approval on changes that should moderate some of the law's most destructive effects. Congress should reinforce the Freedom of Information Act -- which was meant to prevent this kind of thing in the first place.

Summary: Congress recently approved changes that should moderate some of the law's most destructive effects. Members of Congress could end the battle by requesting the information on the group's behalf. Beyond that, Congress should reinforce the Freedom of Information Act, which was meant to prevent this kind of thing in the first place.


Summary: It is hoped that Congress will realize that extending the tax cuts would be an act of political cowardice, not courage. Congress needs to vote to raise the debt ceiling or the government will default. But Congressional leaders are looking for ways to downplay the vote, precisely because it's a disgrace.


Summary: Lauren Rich Fine, an analyst with Merrill Lynch, raised an eyebrow at the price increase.

Summary: Lauren Rich Fine, she is an analyst with Merrill Lynch, raised her disapproval towards the price increase.


The New York Times Style Magazine
The New York Times
The New York Times Company
The New York Times Media Group

Summary: The New York Times Company declared that its fourth-quarter profit fell 41 percent, largely because of expenses due to job cuts. Net income of this company fell to $64.8 million, or 45 cents a share, compared with $110.2 million, or 75 cents a share, in the quarter a year earlier. Total revenue in the period rose 3 percent, to $931 million.

Summary: In the conference call, Executives said that they expected minimal fall-off because the price increase was modest and the paper was offering more coverage than it did in 2002, including Thursday Styles, the Escapes section on Fridays and T: The New York Times Style Magazine, as well as enhanced coverage of the arts, travel, business and real estate.


Summary: The increase in the price of home delivery of The Times is expected to generate $7 million to $8 million in additional revenue in 2006. Lauren Rich Fine said that while The Times had been able to raise its price in the past without much decline in circulation, the paper is getting relatively expensive, especially outside New York.

Summary: The increase in the price of home delivery of The Times is expected to generate $7 million to $8 million in additional revenue in 2006. Lauren Rich Fine, an analyst with Merrill Lynch, said that while The Times had been able to raise its price in the past without much decline in circulation, the paper is getting relatively expensive, especially outside New York.


Summary: In a conference call with investors, the chief executive, Janet L. Robinson, attributed the gains to an increase in color printing capacity and to strength in the transportation, telecommunications and financial services sectors.

Summary: Janet L. Robinson, the chief executive, attributed the gains to an increase in color printing capacity and to strength in the transportation, telecommunications and financial services sectors, in a conference call with investors.


Summary: George E. Pataki's proposed budget for cigarette tax was criticized as deeply flawed and unfair to New York City by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as in contrast to Mr. Bloomberg's proposal to raise the city's share of the tax, the Pataki budget would reduce it.

Summary: George E. Pataki's proposed budget as deeply flawed and unfair to New York City. Mr. Bloomberg's cigarette proposal came as he criticized Mr. Pataki's complicated proposal rejiggering cigarette taxes statewide. Quinn also both complained that one of Governor Pataki's main budget proposals -- giving $400 property tax rebate checks to homeowners in school districts that limit their spending -- left New York City out in the cold.


Summary: Mr. Bloomberg said that since the state is not sharply increasing education aid to comply with a court order, the city will be forced to cut $1.8 billion from its school building plan, causing the cancellation or delay of several projects, including the beloved project of the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver which is having a new elementary and middle school for Lower Manhattan.

Summary: Mr. Bloomberg said that since the state is not sharply increasing education aid to comply with a court order, the city will be forced to cut $1.8 billion from its school building plan, causing the cancellation or delay of several projects, including a new elementary and middle school for Lower Manhattan, a beloved project of the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver.


Summary: Just like the new City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg also called upon the state to follow the city and eliminate its portion of the ''job-killing tax'' on clothing items costing $110 or less. Also, both of them complained that one of Governor Pataki's main budget proposals, giving $400 property tax rebate checks to homeowners in school districts that limit their spending, has shut New York City out.

Summary: Christine C. Quinn was the new City Council speaker, and she follow Mr. Bloomberg's critiques. She said during testimony that they have been shortchanged for too long, and they'll use every resource at our disposal to correct this outrageous injustice. The administration and the Council are united and determined on that issue.


Summary: On Monday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg called for a further rise in the city's portion of the cigarette tax during testimony in which he scoffed at parts of the governor's proposed budget as deeply flawed and unfair to New York City. In comments to reporters after his testimony at the Legislative Office Building here on Monday afternoon, Mr. Bloomberg indicated that he believed a rise of 50 cents a pack was possible as there's a correlation that if cigarette taxes are raised, fewer children would go and smoke. Mr. Bloomberg said the extra revenues would go toward new public health initiatives to reduce smoking.

Summary: Michael R. Bloomberg was the mayor, and he was called called for a further rise in the city's portion of the cigarette tax during testimony in which he skewered parts of Gov. George E. Pataki's proposed budget. Mr. Bloomberg said he would lay out his ideas for a higher cigarette tax in his State of the City and make a more detailed proposal when he unveils his own budget plans a few weeks later. Mr. Bloomberg indicated that he believed a rise of 50 cents a pack was possible after checking his testimony at the Legislative Office Building he commented to reporters.


Summary: Mr. Pataki's critique was followed by similar testimony from the new City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn. She also said that The administration and the Council are united and determined on this cigarette tax issue.

Summary: Christine C. Quinn, is the new City Council speaker, followed the critique of  Mr. Bloomberg. Quinn said that the administration and the Council are united and determined on this issue.


Summary: Jerome A. Jackson, an ivory bill specialist at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, has now increased the intensity of the discussion in a 15-page article in the current issue of The Auk. In the article, Dr. Jackson writes of a ''rush to publication'' of the article in Science, published online in April 2005, that reported the 2004 sighting. He also criticizes publicity about the sighting by conservation organizations and the Interior Department as the ''selling'' of the ivory bill and says the bird's existence has not been confirmed.

Summary: Jerome A. Jackson, an ivorybill specialist at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, has now increased the intensity of the discussion in an article referring to the current issue of The Auk, which was published by the American Ornithologists' Union. Dr. Jackson writes of a rush to the publication of the article in Science, published online in April 2005. He also criticizes publicity about the sighting by conservation organizations and the Interior Department as the selling of the ivorybill and says the bird's existence has not been confirmed.


Summary: John W. Fitzpatrick, head of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, N.Y., coordinator of the search and announcer of the discovery of the ivory bill, said in an interview after he had read Dr. Jackson's article that he stood by the paper in Science. Dr. Fitzpatrick said Dr. Jackson's accusation that the Cornell Lab and other groups had been ''selling'' the ivory bill to promote conservation and that this effort had taken over the science hurt his sentiments.

Summary: John W. Fitzpatrick, head of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, coordinator of the search and announcer of the discovery of the ivory bill, said in an interview after he had read Dr. Jackson's article that he stood by the paper in Science.


Summary: John W. Fitzpatrick, head of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, N.Y., coordinator of the search and announcer of the discovery of the ivorybill, said in an interview that he had not yet seen any detailed scrutiny of the video that disproves the case. He said that it is hurting that Dr. Jackson's accusation that the Cornell Lab and other groups had been ''selling'' the ivorybill to promote conservation and that this effort had taken over the science. Dr. Fitzpatrick said the goal of the search, run by his lab, was to find a roost hole or evidence of a breeding pair.

Summary: Dr. Fitzpatrick said that he had not yet seen any detailed scrutiny of the video that disproves their case. He also added that what hurts him the most is Dr. Jackson's accusation that the Cornell Lab and other groups had been selling' the ivory bill to promote conservation and that this effort had taken over the science.  Dr. Fitzpatrick also said that they had tried very hard not to oversell what they know


Summary: Joshua B. Freeman, a labor historian at the City University of New York Graduate Center said that transit riders are going to have to take some tums.

Summary: Joshua B. Freeman, a labor historian at the City University of New York Graduate Center, said that all it means that transit riders are going to have to take some Tums.


Summary: With the announcement on Friday of the results of the union's ratification vote, the union's stunned leaders and the equally stunned Metropolitan Transportation Authority are not sure where to go from here, not sure how to put the contract back together again. But some union members and labor experts say the contract was lost because he was slow to campaign for it, although his aides say he was hamstrung by an agreement with the transportation authority not to gloat over the deal, which called for raises totaling 10.5 percent over 37 months.

Summary: With the announcement of the union's ratification vote results, the union's stunned leaders, as well as Metropolitan Transportation Authority, who are not sure where to go from here or how to put the contract back together again.


Summary: The workers' rejection of the settlement shows that they are angry enough to take part in an illegal three-day strike and face fines, and angry enough to embarrass their union's president, Roger Toussaint, by shooting down a settlement he had signed. Mr. Toussaint blamed others for the outcome. But some union members and labor experts say the contract was lost because he was slow to campaign for it, although his aides say he was hamstrung by an agreement with the transportation authority not to gloat over the deal, which called for raises totaling 10.5 percent over 37 months. The authority certainly does not want a renegotiated settlement to cost more than the rejected one, while Mr. Toussaint might not want a more generous settlement because it might make him look weak as if he had negotiated too stingy a deal the first time around.

Summary: The workers' rejection of the settlement shows that they were angry enough to take part in an illegal three-day strike and face fines. They were angry enough to embarrass their union's president, Roger Toussaint, by shooting down a settlement he had signed. Mr. Toussaint though blamed others for the outcome and said that this result is a byproduct of a number of negative and inappropriate interferences. The authority certainly does not want a renegotiated settlement to cost more than the rejected one, while Mr. Toussaint might not want a more generous settlement because it might make him look weak.


Summary: David L. Gregory, a labor law professor at St. John's University, speculated on one possibility that the militant members of the union will continue to work, but they may be prone to a wildcat job action or slowdown, which could be almost as chaotic as a systemwide shutdown. Judges might view such actions as illegal work stoppages and impose further penalties. Professor Gregory said this really gives the rhetorical opportunity to the governor to resume his shots at the union, and that could be very inflammatory.

Summary: David L. Gregory, a labor law professor at St. John's University, speculated on one possibility that The militant members of the union will continue to work, but they may be prone to a wildcat job action or slowdown, which could be almost as chaotic as a systemwide shutdown and also added that controlling  6 of the 14 votes on the authority's board could give the governor the rhetorical opportunity to resume his shots at the union, and that could be very inflammatory.


Summary: Union members are angry at the transportation authority, for demanding concessions when it had a $1 billion surplus, and they are angry at Gov. George E. Pataki, for warning that he might block a contract provision that many workers loved. Union members could turn even angrier if Mr. Pataki insists that the authority drop the pension refund, which he has repeatedly condemned, saying it wrongly rewarded participants in an illegal strike.

Summary: Union Members were angry at the transportation authority, for demanding concessions when it had a $1 billion surplus, and they are also angry at Gov. George E. Pataki, for warning that he might block a contract provision that many workers loved. They could turn even angrier if Mr. Pataki insists that the authority drop the pension refund.


Summary: Joan Root, a noted conservationist, lived for decades on a prime piece of Naivasha's lakefront before gunmen stole her life. She dedicated her life to the conservation of wildlife said Barry Gamer, a neighbor, and fellow conservationist who is president of the Nakuru Wildlife Conservancy. Ms. Root, the daughter of a British settler in colonial Kenya, was a quiet but determined woman who became known for the innovative nature films she produced in the 1970s with her husband then, Alan. Root's property became the unofficial headquarters of the conservation effort until unknown assailants crept up to her bungalow on Jan. 13 and shot her dead.

Summary: Joan Root, a noted conservationist, lived for decades on a prime piece of Naivasha's lakefront before gunmen stole her life. Root's property became the unofficial headquarters of the conservation effort until unknown assailants crept up to her bungalow and shot her dead. The police said the men who sneaked onto her property appeared to be looking not to rob Ms. Root but to kill her.


Summary: The mine is operated by Aracoma Coal, a subsidiary of the Massey Energy Company, based in Richmond, Va. Local residents expressed frustration that no representatives from Massey Energy had been present at news briefings.

Summary: J. Davitt McAteer, a former assistant secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration who is Mr. Manchin's adviser on mine safety and the Sago Mine accident investigation, said that in 2001 he wrote a report which raised a lot of questions about Massey's use of contract workers and also whether the safety records it was keeping were accurate. The report which Mr. McAteer wrote was on behalf of the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training assessing Massey Energy's safety record.


Summary: Officials identified the two miners as Don I. Bragg, 33, of Accoville, and Ellery Hatfield, 47, who was known as Elvis, of Simon. Both men had more than 10 years of experience in mining and had worked at Alma for five years. Mr. Manchin said Mr. Bragg had two young children and Mr. Hatfield had four.

Summary: Among the two miners whose bodies were were trapped by a fire that began on a conveyor belt 900 feet underground was Don I. Bragg, 33, of Accoville. He had more than 10 years of experience in mining and had worked at Alma for five years.


Summary: Representative Nick J. Rahall II, a Democrat whose district includes the Alma mine, told reporters that they have known tragedy before, but the heartbreak of the last few weeks has had an enormous impact on the lives of all West Virginians. The status quo is unacceptable and it's unfortunate that every coal mine health and safety law on the books today is written with the blood of coal miners. Representative Rahall said he had grown increasingly dismayed by the budget cutbacks and layoffs of federal mine inspectors as it's an absolute outrage to sacrifice the health and safety of coal miners on the altar of budget-cutting.

Summary: Representative Nick J. Rahall II, a Democrat whose district includes the Alma mine, told reporters that The status quo is unacceptable and also added that It was unfortunate that every coal mine health and safety law on the books today is written with the blood of coal miners. According to him, this is an absolute outrage to sacrifice the health and safety of coal miners on the altar of budget-cutting.


Summary: Doug Conaway, director of the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training said that it took a tragedy, unfortunately, to toughen these laws and to pass them in the first place. The two missing miners were among a team of 12 who put on breathing gear and tried to escape to the surface, but only 10 made it out. Mr. Conaway also added that nine others in another part of the mine also escaped.

Summary: The director of the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training, Doug Conaway, said that the two missing miners were among a team of 12 who put on breathing gear and tried to escape to the surface, but only 10 made it out and nine others in another part of the mine also escaped.


Summary: Among the two miners, identified by the officials, whose body was trapped by a fire that began on a conveyor belt 900 feet underground, was Ellery Hatfield, 47, who was known as Elvis, of Simon. He had more than 10 years of experience in mining and had worked at Alma for five years.


Summary: Rocky Adkins, county administrator for Logan County said, the teams kept up their spirits even up to the very last moment. Mr. Adkins was in charge of keeping up morale and supplies for the 16 rescue teams. The news that the miners' bodies had been found came from inside the mine to the command center, Mr. Adkins said. The command center was put on lockdown to prevent any information from leaving the site and to allow the governor and mine officials time to go to the church to inform the families personally, Mr. Adkins said.

Summary: The county administrator for Logan County, Rocky Adkins, who was in charge of keeping up morale and supplies for the 16 rescue teams said that the teams kept up their spirits even up to the very last moment. He also said that the command center was put on lockdown to prevent any information from leaving the site and to allow the governor and mine officials time to go to the church to inform the families personally ever since the news that the miners' bodies had been found came from inside the mine to the command center on Saturday.


Summary: On Saturday, Gov. Joe Manchin III, whose state is still reeling from the deaths of 12 miners in Sago after a Jan. 2 explosion, expressed anguish and pledged to introduce legislation to speed up emergency response to mine disasters, employ technology to track miners electronically and mandate reserve oxygen supplies inside mines on Monday to improve mine safety. Mr. Manchin also said he would go to Washington to press the federal government for changes and vowed to make sure that every brave miner, every brave worker in this state knows they're in the safest conditions humanly possible.

Summary: Joe Manchin III, whose state is still reeling from the deaths of 12 miners in Sago after a Jan. 2 explosion, expressed anguish Saturday and pledged to introduce legislation on Monday to improve mine safety. Mr. Manchin said at a news conference that he couldn't tell them the pain that they had. The governor said he would introduce legislation to speed up emergency response to mine disasters, employ technology to track miners electronically and mandate reserve oxygen supplies inside mines. Mr. Manchin also said he would go to Washington to press the federal government for changes and vowed to make sure that every brave miner, every brave worker in this state knows they're in the safest conditions humanly possible.


Summary: Rodolfo Jiménez, whose age is 22, loves baseball, but his barrio on the outskirts of Caracas does not offer much in the way of playing fields. He said that the highway is like a sports arena now, sitting on a median strip that now doubles as a dugout.

Summary: Rodolfo Jiménez, 22, loves baseball, but his barrio on the outskirts of Caracas does not offer much in the way of playing fields. This month he and his friends found an unlikely place for pickup games the two northbound lanes of the carefully engineered highway connecting the mountainous capital to the airport and the port city of La Guaira. Mr. Jiménez, a vegetable seller, sitting on a median strip that now doubles as a dugout says the highway is like a sports arena now.


Summary: Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez has been spending billions of dollars in annual oil profits to provide education, health, and social services to millions of poor Venezuelans. Mr. Chávez insists that previous governments are equally responsible for the declining state of the country's roads and that opposition leaders exaggerate the extent of the problem. Mr. Chávez has approved a $24 million tax exemption for coastal businesses, offered subsidies of up to $68 a day to public transit vehicles, and has promised that an alternate route around the bridge will be completed by February.

Summary: President Hugo Chávez has been spending the billions of dollars in annual oil profits to provide education, health and social services to millions of poor Venezuelans. Mr. Chávez insists that previous governments are equally responsible for the declining state of the country's roads and that opposition leaders exaggerate the extent of the problem. Mr. Chávez approved a $24 million tax exemption for coastal businesses, offered subsidies of up to $68 a day to public transit vehicles and promised that an alternate route around the bridge will be completed by February.


Jessica
Laurie
Harold Gray
Harold
Jessica Gray
Gray
Laurie Gray
Sgt. Gray

Summary: Jessica Gray, the former wife of Harold Gray and the mother of his three girls, describes him with affection: a handsome devil who had a way with women, but a dedicated father and a good sport as a former-husband whose last, an impulsive gift to her was a hunting license that she used to bag a six-point buck. Jessica said knowing Harold as well as she did she knew that he wouldn't want to live like that, he always said he wouldn't want to live not knowing anything.

Summary: His former wife, Jessica Gray, the mother of his three girls, describes him with affection, as a handsome devil who had a way with women, but a dedicated father and a good sport as a former-husband whose last, impulsive gift to her was a hunting license that she used to bag a six-point buck. Ms. Gray has decorated his room with photos of him when he was well.


Summary: To Laurie, who married him two years ago, Harold Gray is still the guy. Mercedes, his 6-year-old daughter, likes to think of him racing around the yard, chased by an angry pet goose as she watched and laughed with her two sisters, Isabelle and Natalie.

Summary: To Laurie, who married him two years ago, Harold Gray is still the guy I felt like I waited for my whole life. Mercedes, his 6-year-old daughter, likes to think of him racing around the yard, chased by an angry pet goose as she watched and laughed with her two sisters, Isabelle and Natalie.


Summary: The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, is seeking to co-opt the militants who have been fighting Israel, and the election is sure to bring at least a few of them into Parliament. Mr. Abbas has repeatedly called on Al Aksa to lay down its weapons, but the various Al Aksa factions have largely ignored his call and have been responsible for much of the internal Palestinian chaos, like taking over government offices and election centers to demand jobs. At Mr. Abbas's urging, a large number of militants have been incorporated into the Palestinian security forces in the past year, and the Islamic faction Hamas is taking part in national elections for the first time. Mr. Abbas hopes that these steps will persuade the militants to join his effort to restore order in the Palestinian areas and revive peace talks with Israel.

Summary: Mahmoud Abbas was the Palestinian leader, who is seeking to co-opt the militants who have been fighting Israel, and the election is sure to bring at least a few of them into Parliament. He has repeatedly called on Al Aksa to lay down its weapons, but numerous Al Aksa factions have largely ignored his call and have been responsible for much of the internal Palestinian chaos, like taking over government offices and election centers to demand jobs.


Niall Noigiallach
Niall
Niall of the Nine Hostages

Summary: The survey not only bolsters the bragging rights of some Irishmen claiming a proud heritage but also provides evidence of the existence of Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish high king of the fifth century A.D. regarded by some historians. The survey shows that 20 percent of men in northwestern Ireland carry a distinctive genetic signature on their Y chromosomes, possibly inherited from Niall, who was said to have had numerous sons, or some other leader in a position to have had many descendants. Niall of the Nine Hostages was so named because in his early reign he consolidated his power by taking hostages from opposing royal families.

Summary: The survey not only bolsters the bragging rights of some Irishmen claiming a proud heritage but also provides evidence of the existence of Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish high king of the fifth century A.D. Niall of the Nine Hostages was so named because in his early reign he consolidated his power by taking hostages from opposing royal families. He was a slave trader and a pirate. Dr. Bradley said the link between the Niall Y chromosome and social power, enabled the king to leave many descendants. Niall is said to have obtained hostages from each of the five provinces that then constituted Ireland, as well as from Scotland, the Saxons, the Britons, and the Franks.


Summary: About one in 50 New Yorkers of European origin, including men with names like O'Connor, Flynn, Egan, Hynes, O'Reilly and Quinn, carry the genetic signature linked with Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish high king of the fifth century A.D. and northwestern Ireland, writes Daniel Bradley, the geneticist who conducted the survey with colleagues at Trinity College in Dublin. The novelist Peter Quinn said by phone from the Peter McManus café in Chelsea that he hopes this means that he inherits a castle in Ireland.

Summary: Peter Quinn was a novelist said from the Peter McManus cafe in Chelsea that hopefully it means that he inherit a castle in Ireland. He said that his father used to tell him that all the Quinn men were bald from wearing a crown. Again he added that , they spent 150 years in the Bronx, and he think they wiped out all the royal genes in the process.


Summary: The formal charges against the parents, Cesar Rodriguez and Nixzaliz Santiago, both 27, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, were filed as the mayor defended his child welfare chief and as the second wave of mourners shuffled through a wake that drew more than 1,000 people in two days. The biological children of Mr. Rodriguez, aged 6 and 18 months, were spared abuse, but as far back as last summer, Nixzmary and three siblings, 5, 6, and 9 years old, were tied to the chair, gagged with duct tape, and beaten with rulers, blocks of wood and fists by both parents, prosecutors said. The top charge against both parents is second-degree murder, which has a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Summary: The formal charges against the parents, Cesar Rodriguez and Nixzaliz Santiago, were filed as the mayor defended his child welfare chief and as a second wave of mourners shuffled through a wake that drew more than 1,000 people in two days. Prosecutors accused Mr. Rodriguez and Ms. Santiago of maintaining an improvised torture chamber of fetid mattresses, a soiled litter box and a wooden chair tied to a broken radiator. He screamed at the children to know if Nixzmary was responsible. After he beat her, dunked her head under water and threw her on the floor in the so-called dirty room, Nixzmary moaned in pain.


Summary: Charles S. Ensley, president of Social Services Employees Union Local 371, said that those workers went home every night worried that something could happen on a case they had. He also added that the job of preventing child deaths was impossible to perform to perfection.

Summary: Charles S. Ensley, president of Social Services Employees Union Local 371 said that workers are worried for their safety. He added that the job of preventing child deaths was impossible to perform to perfection.


Summary: Rosa Roldan, 58, a collection agency worker said that it was to let these people know that people care, that this was not right.

Summary: The 58 year old collection agency worker, Rosa Roldan, referring to the line that was stretched around the block on the second day of the wake, at the R. G. Ortiz Funeral Home in the East Village said that it is to let these people know that people care.


Summary: Charles S. Ensley, president of Social Services Employees Union Local 371, said that those workers went home every night worried that something could happen on a case they had.

Summary: Charles S. Ensley, president of Social Services Employees Union Local 371, said that the workers go home every night worried that something could happen on a case they have.