George Vecsey Sports of The Times column discusses various problems besetting professional sports, particulary pro basketball, hockey and boxing (M)

Sports of The Times; Bad Sport, Bad Owners, Bad Hoops

Herbert Muschamp article on museums as centerpiece of contemporary cultural life, and as major urban industry in post-industrial age; describes tour of new Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, in company of architect Frank Gehry; photo; observes that Spanish city has filled void left by end of shipbuilding with culture, pattern repeated from Paris to Helsinki, San Francisco and smaller communities such as North Adams, where sprawling Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is opening in old factory complex (M)

Culture's Power Houses; The Museum Becomes An Engine of Urban Redesign

Anthony Tommasini reviews concert by Slovenian pianist Dubravka Tomsic at Alice Tully Hall; she made last appearance in New York in 1954 at Carnegie Hall as 14-year-old prodigy; photo (M)

After 45 Years, the Forgotten Star Blazes Coolly at Tully Hall

Amanda Hesser's Test Kitchen column on mortar and pestle, simple kitchen tool which is not only efficient but also effective in ways that no machine can be; photos (M)

One Moving Part, No Batteries: Who'd Ever Buy It?

About New York column discusses work of Sirio Guerino in his effort to keep graffiti under control in Norwood section of Bronx; his view as graffiti as art expression discussed (M)

About New York; Changing View Of the Writing On the Wall

Centennial commemmoration of birth of Vladimir Nabokov continues in New York; New York Public Library is exhibiting his manuscripts alongside his black-rimmed glasses, butterfly net and worn down pencils; Glenn Horowitz Bookseller Inc is showing off and selling his library, including dedication copies inscribed to wife Vera; Stacy Schiff's biography, Vera, is coming out; Nabakov's memoir--Speak, Memory--is being issued yet again; photos (M)

Nabokov As Mounted Specimen; A Centennial Celebration Encases the Writer's Life

William Grimes article on cooking school in Bologna, Italy, operated by Margherita and Valeria Simili, twin sisters; recipes; photos (M)

In a Land of Plenty, Twins Teach Simplicity

Microsoft Corp reports third-quarter earnings that exceed Wall Street's expectations; reiterates warnings that growth could slow in coming quarters if companies defer technology purchases because of Year 2000 problems; for quarter ended March 31, reports earnings of $1.92 billion, up 43 percent from $1.34 billion in year-earlier period; revenue rose 15 percent, to $4.33 billion from $3.77 billion (M)

Microsoft Says Earnings Outdo Expectations

Telecom Italia and Deutsche Telekom tentatively agree on merger pact to form world's largest telecommunications provider, but they say final deal requires assurances that German Government abdicate its voting rights in combined company; decision by Italian and German companies pushes merger one step forward toward formal approval; it puts ball clearly in court of German Government, which would retain about 45 percent stake in new company; merged company would have market capitalization of almost $180 million (M)

Phone Giants Say Merger Hinges on Role Of Germany

Survivors describe attack by two youths on Littleton, Colo, high school; many were trapped in school for hours; photo (M)

In a Violent Instant, Routine Gives Way to Panic

Armed youths identified as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold storm into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo, killing up to 23 students and teachers and wounding at least 20 in five-hour siege before killing themselves; at least 13 bombs are found in school; one, set with timer, explodes in school at night; three autos are found rigged with bombs, including one that explodes; bodies of gunmen and some of victims are also apparently wired with explosives; gunmen apparently targeted minorities and athletes, as well as peers who poked fun of their group in past; two other students, thought to be gunmen's friends, are being questioned; chronology of other school shootings; diagram of school; maps; photos (M)

2 STUDENTS IN COLORADO SCHOOL SAID TO GUN DOWN AS MANY AS 23 AND KILL THEMSELVES IN A SIEGE

Article on New York City school-based health clinics increasingly becoming primary source of health care for children of families without health insurance; there are currently 158 centers in some of most impoverished neighborhoods throughout New York State, 110 of them in New York City; some of clinics are financed by state, others by city and some are set up by not-for-profit organizations; almost all are affiliated with large hospitals or comprehensive neighborhood health centers; photo (M)

Reading, Writing and Runny Noses; For Those Without Insurance, School Health Clinics Fill In

Article appraises speech by Joseph B Rose, Giuliani administration's Planning Commission chairman, on reform of city's zoning policy; Rose says that he wants to discourage ramakes of past mistakes by restricting height of buildings outside midtown and downtown business districts; at same time, he wants to encourage excellence by exempting some buildings from same limits on heights; photo (M)

New Zoning Leaves Room For Skyline Of the Future

Commerce Department reports trade deficit in goods and services in February surged to new monthly high of $19.4 billion, $2.6 billion more than January's deficit of $16.8 billion, which itself had been a record; economists had expected February's deficit to be around $16.7 billion; imports rose by $2.1 billion, to $96 billion; exports declined by $500 million, to $76.6 billion; deficit of trade in goods with Mexico increased to $1.8 billion from $1.4 billion; goods deficit with Japan increased to $5.3 billion for month from $4.7 billion in January; demand from Western Europe dropped sharply, sending monthly deficit to $2.2 billion from $1.4 billion; goods deficit with China declined to $4.6 billion in February from $4.9 billion in January; graphs; chart (M)

U.S. Trade Deficit Continues to Balloon, Hitting $19.4 Billion

 Prayers for a Scarred City  About 1,500 people gathered at the call of Cardinal O'Connor for a prayer service to help ease tensions in the wake of the Diallo case. Page B1.

INSIDE

New York Mets defeat Cincinnati Reds, 3-2; photo (M)

Bonilla Breaks Tie, and His Drought at the Plate

Escape from Kosovo is but single point in long exodus of terror and pain faced by ethnic Albanian refugees; Ymer Behrami's family, beset by hunger and cold, met with unexpected intimidation and humiliation from Albanians after crossing into Albania; Behramai, who survived threats and beatings of Serbian police, was rounded up by armed Kosovo rebels, who questioned and frightened him so much that he took his family and fled yet again; map; photos (M)

Kosovo Family's Journey From Torment to Torment

No longer mere repositories of art and artifacts, museums have become the engines of urban transformation, helping cities from Spain to California to reinvent themselves. With articles on art vs. architecture, the museum expansion boom, the gray eminence of exhibition design, the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame and what's hot in the museum merchandise. SECTION G.  

SPECIAL TODAY: Museums

Article discusses problems besetting New York Knickerbockers as they fight for last playoff berth (M)

Ewing Whistling in Dark As the Days Dwindle

Shipping business is going through some of biggest changes in its history; under partial deregulation, container shipping lines for first time will be able to sign individual, confidential contracts with importers and exporters; competition to sign up such customers is expected to greatly loosen grip of cartels that have legally set rates for ocean shipping for more than a century; but shipping industry's unusual immunity from Federal antitrust laws is not being eliminated; shipping lines are collectively raising rates on imports from Asia by 30 percent or more; many analysts expect deregulation to bring lower prices and better service over all, but also brutal period of mergers and bankruptcies among competitors; graphs; photo (M)

High Seas, Higher Costs; As Imports Swamp Exports, Shipping Lines Try to Cope

Theodore J Forstmann, who raised $170 million in scholarships to help low-income children leave failing public schools for private and religious schools, says over a million families responded to his offer, or nearly one out of every 50 schoolchildren in America; says surprising response adds fuel to debate over use of public funds to send children to private schools; says vast majority of applicants now attend public schools, indicating deep dissatisfaction among parents; 40,000 winners, chosen by computer lottery, will be announced on April 21; photo (M)

Private School Choice Plan Draws a Million Aid-Seekers

United States officials say new analysis by intelligence officials has found that China stole design data related to advanced W-88 nuclear warhead from Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1980's; analysis was conducted at urging of House committee chaired by Rep Christopher Cox, which embraced Energy Department view that China stole data and that theft was key to China's development of modern, miniaturized warheads; analysis finds that China also obtained sensitive nuclear data from nonsecret sources, including academic exchanges and inadvertent leaks of information by scientists (M)

China Stole Design Of Atom Warhead, A U.S. Report Finds

New York restaurateurs turn to landmark spaces as a way of standing out in blizzard of new restaurants with similar menus; trend began in 1997 with Le Cirque 2000, which occupies landmark rooms of Henry Villard Houses, and now Gray Kunz hopes to open a restaurant in Lever House; photos (M)

Preservation Chic: Tables With a View of the Past

Lannan Foundation will give its first $250,000 Prize for Cultural Freedom to the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano; will also donate $100,000 to three charities of his choosing; Galeano's Memory of Fire, triology consisting of poetic vignettes about history of Americas and indigenous peoples, won American Book Award in 1989; photo (M)

In Its Debut, A Big Prize For Freedom Helps Writer

 All Major Indexes Rebound A Day After a Big Selloff  Shares of technology companies rebounded in heavy trading after Monday's selloff, and investors were seen moving out of economically sensitive cyclical stocks, like industrial and oil companies, which have been rallying.    The Nasdaq composite index recovered 64.03 points of its 138-point loss on Monday and closed at 2,409.64, up 2.7 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average edged up 8.02 points, or one-tenth of a percent, to 10,448.55, while the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rose 16.69 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,306.17. [Page C14.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Choi Hyun-suk is a South Korean rapper, dancer under YG Entertainment. The band debuted on August 7, 2020, with the single album entitled The First Step: Chapter One. He is also known for his television appearance as a contestant on Mix Nine (2017–2018).

Choi Hyun-suk, South Korean rapper

Choi_Hyun-suk

Charles Edward "Buddy" Rogers was an American film actor and musician. During the peak of his popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was publicized as "America's Boyfriend".

April 21, 1999

Headlines from April 21, 1999

Sports of The Times; Bad Sport, Bad Owners, Bad Hoops

Culture's Power Houses; The Museum Becomes An Engine of Urban Redesign

After 45 Years, the Forgotten Star Blazes Coolly at Tully Hall

One Moving Part, No Batteries: Who'd Ever Buy It?

About New York; Changing View Of the Writing On the Wall

Billboard 200

I Am...

Fanmail

...Baby One More Time

Thug Mentality 1999

The Slim Shady LP

Notable Births

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for April 21, 1999