Former Bank of New York official Lucy Edwards and husband Peter Berlin, major suspects in federal investigation into illegal transfer of billions of dollars from Russia through bank, will reportedly plead guilty to money laundering charges; will enter plea on several criminal counts, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, visa fraud, wire fraud and bribery of bank official; will forfeit $8 million seized in personal accounts by federal authorities; charges are most serious to arise from investigation that began in fall of 1998 when officials in Britain and US discovered that billions of dollars were passing through handful of accounts at Bank of New York; reviewed; photo (M)

GUILTY PLEAS SEEN IN THE LAUNDERING OF RUSSIAN MONEY

Article profiles career of New Jersey Devils hockey player Claude Lemieux; photo (M)

HOCKEY: Taking Lemieux at Face Value; This Devil Has Smile of a Family Man and Scars of a Warrior

Nighttime tornadoes roar through southwest Georgia, killing at least 22 people, injuring more than 100 and transforming peaceful subdivisions into wastelands of debris; Gov Roy E Barnes declares state of emergency in four counties; Mitchell County is hardest hit, with 14 deaths; widespread devastation in town of Camilla described; maps; photos (M)

Tornadoes Tear Through Georgia In Middle of the Night, Killing 22

Connecticut defeats Seton Hall, 59-50, in college basketball; photo (M)

Huskies Find Old Form to Stop Surging Pirates

Campaign by writers and scholars to spare William Butler Yeats's final Dublin home from demolition appears headed for success after receiving support from Ireland's heritage minister; more than 230 art masterworks assembled by Stroganoff family of St Petersburg go on view Feb 19 at Portland Art Museum in Oregon; photo; show Ballads and Ballots, by Oscar Brand, to be presented at 92d St Y; Honore Daumier retrospective to go on view at Philips Collection in Washington; photo (M)

FOOTLIGHTS

Cancer researchers are designing studies specifically for older people, seeking mildest treatments for people whose life expectancy may be no more than 10 years; that means asking whether radiation after lumpectomy extends life for older women with breast cancer, whether chemotherapy is helpful for elderly patients with colon cancer, lung cancer or breast cancer, and whether a mild chemotherapy treatment is helpful for elderly lung-cancer patients; photos of Dr Rafat Ansari, cancer specialist (L)

New Emphasis in Cancer Drug Tests: The Elderly

Anthony Tommasini reviews concert by percussionists of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, conducted by James Levine, at Great Hall of Cooper Union; photo (M)

Thwacking and Squeaking As the Audience Crows

Austria's arts and cultural community is roiled by rise of Jorg Haider and his Freedom Party, and debates strategy to combat situation; one faction seeks complete art blockade of Austria to protest inclusion of Haider's right-wing party in coalition government; another faction plans to protest his ascendancy (M)

Austria Under Siege By Artists (and Artifice)

Ben Brantley reviews J T Rogers's play White People, presented by Philadelphia Theater Company at Plays and Players Theater; Gus Reyes directs; photo of Robert Sean Leonard (M)

Guilt So Deep That It Derails Words and Intentions

Peregrine falcons, which were near extinction 30 years ago owing to DDT, have rebounded and are now thriving, as at home on city skyscrapers and bridges as they are on mountainside cliffs; are celebrated denizens of New York City, where they have steady food supply of pigeons, starlings and sparrows and face no threat from predators like great horned owl; breeding effort organized by Dr Tom Cade, emeritus professor of ornithology at Cornell University and founder of Peregrine Fund, is responsible for bird's comeback; photos (L)

Once Near Death, A Comeback Bird Thrives in Cities

Article, noting case in which Dr Allan Zarkin carved in his initials in belly of patient, Dr Liana Gedz, after delivering baby by Caesarean section, contends that once again Beth Israel's obstetrics unit has spelled disaster for hospital that has busily promoted gains in medical technology; Zarkin's case has put obstetrics department under microscope of NYS Department of Health for second time in two years; hospital officials say that unlike case of Lisa Smart's death in 1997, where systematic failures were found, latest case does not reflect any institutional problems; Dr Daniel Saltzman, chairman of hospital's obstetrics department, comments; photo (M)

At Beth Israel, Lapses in Care Mar Gains in Technology

Merrill Lynch & Co has put its chief financial officer E Stanley O'Neal in charge of nation's biggest brokerage operation and on track to be next chairman of firm; O'Neal, one of the highest-ranking blacks on Wall Street, is first person to be named to oversee Merrill's 14,200 brokers without having been stockbroker himself; he succeeds John L Steffens, who has been president of brokerage unit for 15 years; Steffens is named chairman of unit; Merrill names Thomas Patrick, executive vice president who once was firm's chief financial officer, to replace O'Neal in that job; analysts and people inside Merrill interpret O'Neal's job switch as sign that he has early lead to succeed David H Komansky as chairman and chief executive in few years; firm's presidency, slot directly below Komansky's, has been vacant since Herbert M Allison abruply left firm in July (M)

Merrill's Chief Financial Officer Moves Into Line for Top Position

Price of crude oil rises to more than $30 a barrel for first time since 1991 Persian Gulf war, and sharp run-up in gasoline prices looks increasingly likely this summer; price of crude oil for March delivery on New York Mercantile Exchange jumps 81 cents, to $30.25 a barrel; OPEC production cuts that began last March, equal to 4.3 million barrels a day, may have already set stage for sharp rise in gasoline prices later this year and stronger political response from US and Europe; US Energy Department says retail gasoline prices rose to $1.356 a gallon this week, up 48 percent in last year and highest since late 1990; in futures market, price of unleaded gasoline for March delivery rises 2.3 cents, to 83.41 cents a gallon; home heating fuel rises to 75.70 cents a gallon, far below 95.20 cents a gallon price of Jan 31; Energy Sec Bill Richardson has no plans to dip into nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, although he is being pressed to do so by Northeastern politicians, including Sen Charles E Schumer of New York; graph; chart (Market Place column) (M)

THE MARKETS: Market Place; Oil Price Exceeds $30 a Barrel For the First Time Since 1991

Clyde Haberman NYC column discusses popularity of HBO television program The Sopranos about organized crime family in New Jersey; many Italian-Americans are upset over how they are portrayed (M)

In Better Eras, Sopranos Sang in Choirs

George Vecsey Sports of The Times column discusses influx of European players into National Hockey League (M)

Sports of The Times; Europeans' Success Has a Price

Strike by workers at Domino Sugar refinery in Brooklyn enters its eighth month; strikers, represented by International Longshoreman's Assn, have stuck together despite different ages and accents, with no one crossing picket line since strike began; Domino dispute has turned into classic labor standoff between blue-collar work force intent on defending protections and benefits it took decades to gain and company that insists it needs to cut costs to remain competitive; photo (M)

At Sugar Refinery, A Melting-Pot Strike; Workers of Many Nations Besiege Brooklyn Relic of Industrial Age

Hangers Cleaners is trying to sell dry-cleaning industry and its customers on radically different technology that does not use hazardous or toxic chemicals; Hangers uses biodegradable soap dissolved not in water but in liquefied carbon dioxide, substance so safe it is used to decaffeinate coffee and inject fizz into soft drinks; backers of Hangers see it as high-profile model of 'green chemistry,' unofficial name that government officials gave to various programs in 1991 aimed at weaning society from its reliance on noxious chemcials; Micell Technologies owns technology and Hangers name; Hangers has opened only handful of stores, rather than 500 outlets and $50 million in sales it expected by end of last year, providing strong evidence that environmental benefits matter only after customers are satisfied about cost, quality and convenience; cost of each machine is about $150,000, compared with $60,000 for top-of-the-line perc system handling similar-sized loads; graph; chart; photo (M)

Cleaning Up the Dry Cleaners; High Cost of Going Green Limits Promising Technology

Women are frequently targets of homicidal attacks by men with whom they have had romantic relationships; FBI statistics show that 32 percent of 3,419 women killed in United States in 1998, latest year for which data are available, died at hands of a husband, former husband, boyfriend or former boyfriend; many experts believe that figure is much higher; photo shows coffin of Kathleen A Roskot, apparently killed by ex-boyfriend; graph shows female murder victims, 1976-1998 (L)

When Women Find Love Is Fatal

New York City Police Officer Sean Carroll breaks year of public silence about fatal shooting of unarmed African immigrant Amadou Diallo at trial in New York State Supreme Court, Albany; tearfully describes fatal encounter in lobby of Bronx apartment building in February 1999, when Diallo was struck by 19 of 41 police bullets; says Diallo caught his attention because his actions looked supicious; says Diallo also fit description of serial rapist; Officer Edward McMellon also testifies; corroborates Carroll's account; both say they identified themselves repeatedly as police officers but that Diallo turned away, refused to heed requests to come forward and reached into pocket; say they thought had gun and that they feared for their lives; officers' lawyers recall Schrrie Elliott, defense witness who gave surprising and damaging testimony against police, after having her declared hostile witness; cross-examine her about contradictory statements regarding shooting; photos (M)

OFFICER RECOUNTS DIALLO'S SHOOTING IN DAY ON STAND

Healtheon/WebMD Corp, in strong bid to dominate health care on Internet, agrees to buy competitors, Medical Manager Corp and CareInsite Inc, both led by New Jersey financier Martin J Wygod, for $5.2 billion in Healtheon stock; deal increases potential of Healtheon, start-up that has yet to make profit; its goal is to connect doctors, patients and insurers online and to cut sharply enormous nonmedical costs of paperwork in nation's trillion-dollar health care system (M)

Healtheon Agrees to Buy 2 Competitors

New study finds that buses powered by compressed natural gas, long viewed as cleanest alternative to diesel buses, are no better for environment than buses powered by combination of diesel and electricity; findings could have broad implications for vehicles nationwide since municipal transportation agencies around nation have come under pressure to switch to natural gas buses as way to reduce pollution (M)

Study of Buses Using Natural Gas Could Diminish Demand for Them

 New Focus in Cancer Studies  Cancer researchers are designing studies for older people and looking for the mildest treatments for people who may not have decades of life ahead.   SCIENCE TIMES, PAGE F1    Crude Oil Price Surges  The price of crude oil has jumped to $30.25 a barrel as inventories tightened, and a sharp rise in gasoline prices looks increasingly likely this summer.   PAGE C1

INSIDE

New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine discusses preparations for spring training and outlook for season; is upset that he is in last year of contract and has not been offered contract extension (M)

On Baseball; Valentine Uncertain About Uncertainty

Bernard Holland comments on Teldec release of 153 compact disks of complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach; photo (M)

Takeout Order: Bucket o' Bach; 153 CD's? How Can You Face the Music?

Russian commanders order Grozny, devastated capital of breakaway province of Chechnya, emptied of surviving residents and sealed; say city has become too dangerous for inhabitants, but concede move is also precaution against rebel infiltration; city will be off limits for two weeks while troops comb it for weapons, unexploded bombs and booby traps; many residents say they have no intention of abandoning city; say they have no place to go, and little desire to end up in overcrowded refugee camps; photo; maps (M)

Russians Order Grozny Residents To Leave, Sealing Off Ruined City

Jakub Piotr Kiwior is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Arsenal and the Poland national team.

Jakub Kiwior, Polish footballer

Jakub_Kiwior

John Angus MacLean was a politician and farmer in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

February 15, 2000

Headlines from February 15, 2000

GUILTY PLEAS SEEN IN THE LAUNDERING OF RUSSIAN MONEY

HOCKEY: Taking Lemieux at Face Value; This Devil Has Smile of a Family Man and Scars of a Warrior

Tornadoes Tear Through Georgia In Middle of the Night, Killing 22

Huskies Find Old Form to Stop Surging Pirates

FOOTLIGHTS

Billboard 200

Voodoo

Supernatural

Dr. Dre -- 2001

All The Way...A Decade Of Song

We Are The Streets

Notable Births

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for February 15, 2000