December 17, 1999

Sen John McCain and former Sen Bill Bradley join forces across partisan and ideological divide to pledge support for revamping nation's campaign finance system and to take some sharp shots at each other's front-running opponents for president; they sign pledge stating that if both win their parties' nominations, they will not allow their parties to spend unlimited donations to political parties known as soft money on their election campaigns; photo of Bradley and McCain in Claremont, NH (M)

Wall Street is leery about genetic modification of foods, and now class-action lawyers have entered scene with double-barreled suit accusing Monsanto, leading company in field, of trying to monopolize business that lawyers say relies on foisting possibly dangerous foods on public; says backlash stems from success of industry's lobbyists to persuade Food and Drug Administration that genetic engineering was not very different from old way of breeding plants, and thatv the corn or soybeans were equally nutritious; graph (M)

Alan B Bond, Wall Street money manager, is indicted on federal charges that he took $6.9 million in kickbacks from commissions paid to brokers to whom he had steered his clients' investments; Bond runs his own investment company; government contends that Bond used three brokerage firms from 1993 to 1998 to execute Nasdaq stock trades on behalf of his clients, then took kickbacks of 57 perent to 80 percent from commissions at those firms; Robert I Spruill, broker who worked at all three brokerage firms, is charged with conspiracy and fraud charges for his role in suspected scheme; government contends he set up dummy corporation, Satchmo Inc, which was used to funnel commission kickbacks to Bond (M)

Internet companies and biggest earthbound retailers have buried hatchet and are rushing to do business together; Wal-Mart Stores, world's largest retailer, and Best Buy, nation's largest electronics merchant, announce far-reaching alliances with Internet companies; Wal-Mart signs with America Online; Best Buy agrees to market Microsoft Corp's newest wave of digital products and Internet access service in return for $200 million investment; retailers are looking for fast ways to help their online stores, and everyone is looking to tap two-thirds of Americans who are not yet online, but are expected to get there soon (M)

Jack Curry Sports of The Times column on Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr in view of his decision to veto potential trade to New York Mets; contends that Griffey is more insecure than superstar should be; photo (M)