March 21, 2000

Article on financially-plagued Restoration Hardware, home furnishings chain that is known for selling quality goods; company, which went public almost two years ago, has been struggling to make profit ever since; sales in stores open a year were flat over last year; for fourth quarter of 1999, which included important Christmas season, sales fell 5.8 percent; company's share price has plummeted from high of $37 in July 1998, to $5 on March 20; chief executive Stephen Gordon comments; graphs; photos (M)

St Louis Cardinals infielder Mark McGwire, with New York Mets and Chicago Cubs set to depart later this week for Japan and their season-opening two-game series there, says he thinks teams and Major League Baseball are making a huge mistake; contends trip is all about getting money for major league baseball; photo (M)

Hillary Rodham Clinton accuses Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani of intentionally polarizing New York City by leading 'a rush to judgment' over disputed circumstances of last week's fatal police shooting of unarmed black man Patrick Dorismond; specifically criticizes Giulinai for his depiction of Dorismond as violent, hot-tempered criminal while extolling Anthony Vasquez, detective who shot Dorismond, as dedicated and courageous undercover narcotics officer; Giuliani spokesman accuses Clinton of doing her best to exploit situation for political purposes; photo (M)

John Tierney The Big City column, noting that another unarmed man has been killed by New York City police, says that policy must be adopted whereby police officers should be made to treat people they stop as customers; urges department adopt policy under which officers would give receipt to any person they stop and interrogate (M)

Article discusses regional semifinal matchups in National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament; photo (M)