 Soft Money Still Flowing  Vice President Al Gore called for an end to soft money, but his party's convention, like the Republicans', has still been heavily underwritten by corporations.   PAGE A19

THE DEMOCRATS

News analysis: Vice Pres Al Gore faced daunting challenge of pursuing conflicting objectives as he tried to rally his decidedly jittery party in speech to Democratic National Convention; Gore presented himself as his own man, trying to distance himself from Pres Clinton's problems while also trying to take credit for helping to bring about successes of Clinton era; he tried to excite liberals who are essential to his victory without alienating moderates and independents; speech reflects difficulties Gore will face in fall campaign as he continues to try to please disparate constituencies; photo (M)

A Man of Many Tasks

Article notes array of products targeting automobile owners who frequently travel with thier dogs; photos (M)

It's the Dog Days. Why Walk When You Can Go for a Ride?

Abbie Hoffman, yippie, leftist and fugitive. Likable but muddled bio.

That Was a Heady Time on the Left, Right?

Sports of The Times; 'Gosh, He Hits the Ball A Long Way'

7,500-pound spool of electrical spool being lowered into Manhattan subway station breaks loose and barrels down stairs; photo; Andresa Kippins, 73, is critically injured; Blanca Valentin is also injured (S)

Spool of Cable Breaks Loose, Badly Hurting 2

Federal Judge Lewis A Kaplan rules that Web operator Eric Corley and his company, 2600 Enterprises, cannot distribute computer program used to crack codes that prevent piracy of movies; ruling, victory for motion picture industry, applies only to Corley and his company; experts on both sides of issue agree that decision could have far greater reach as courts hammer out legal guidelines that will govern rules of commerce and free speech in digital world; at issue is distribution of code-breaking computer program that can be used to copy movies from digital versatile discs, or DVD's; photo (M)

Judge Halts Program to Crack DVD Film Codes

 Skakel Faces Trial  A judge found ''reasonable cause'' to believe that Michael Skakel, a nephew of Ethel Kennedy, killed a neighbor in 1975. Whether he will be tried as an adult is undecided.   PAGE B1

INSIDE

FBI agent Robert A Messemer admits in federal court that he provided inaccurate testimony last December on a critical point that made Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Dr Wen Ho Lee, who is accused of mishandling nuclear weapons secrets, appear deceptive when he had not been; issue is crucial because government has successfully argued that Lee be held without bail in part because his pattern of deceptions, along with fact that computer tapes containing vast amount of nuclear secrets remain unaccounted for, suggested that he was major threat to national security (M)

F.B.I. AGENT GAVE FAULTY TESTIMONY IN WEAPONS CASE

Article on New York International Fringe Festival and other off-beat summer theater festivals in New York City; photos (M)

Dog Days Sizzle for Theater's Off-Offbeat Pups

Floyd Norris comment on whether Federal Reserve will be able to maintain current interest rates now that economic slowdown appears to be ending; says signs that growth is again on rise are still limited, but it increasingly appears that Fed's efforts to apply breaks gently have only slowed down the economy a bit, and that momentum is again accelerating; Bob Prince, research director of Bridgewater Associates, believes if Fed wants to fight inflation in 2001, it will have to raise interest rates much higher by next summer; graph (M)

With the Slowdown Ending, Can the Fed Stay Friendly?

Popularity of motorized two-wheel vehicles in booming in Europe, and BMW has created new niche with large C1 scooter featuring curved roof, rollover bar, safety belts and a top speed of about 70 mph; photo (M)

Scooter Fever in Europe

New Covenant charter school in Albany, proclaimed model of educational change by New York Gov George Pataki last September, is in chaos; state regulators have threatened to revoke its charter, and it is uncertain when, or even if, school will open again; how such a spectacular failure could occur practically in Pataki's backyard, at a school in which he took close interest, speaks of difficulties--in oversight, administration and academic achievement--in starting a charter school; some critics contend that New Covenant's failures are direct result of unnecessary rush last year by Pataki administration to open schools quickly after pushing charter bill through state legislature; photos (M)

Charter School's Problems Yield Cautionary Tale

Filmmaker Joe McCarthy's recreates Battle of Brooklyn, which took place in August 1776, as British troops surged across Narrows and marched along dirt track of Gowanus Road, pelting badly outnumbered Americans with cannon fire and grapeshot from yard of Old Stone House on Fourth Avenue; McCarthy, 53, is making first independent feature on shoestring, dispensing with frills like sets, props and actors, and trying to evoke one of least-known episodes of Revolution with cast of one, Graeme Malcolm, and red-shirted bicyclists and red Tauruses driving in formation as Redcoats; photos; maps tracing battle routes through what are now city streets; McCarthy's film is based on John J Gallagher book The Battle of Brooklyn: 1776; actual battle gave George Washington time to evacuate his main force to Manhattan (M)

Red Cars, Not Coats, And a Cast Of One; Battle of Brooklyn, Evoked on a Budget

 Verizon's Unions Agree To Draw Up Unified Plan  With a midnight deadline looming in which representatives for nearly two-thirds of 86,000 striking workers planned to end formal talks with Verizon Communications, negotiators sought to resolve issues including job security and mandatory overtime.    The unions' three main bargaining units, which were divided on Wednesday, agreed to draw up a unified proposal last night, a person close to the talks said. [Page C5.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Rick Lazio draws unwanted guest at campaign appearances in New York Senate race, Democratic lackey in Uncle Sam costume who taunts Lazio for not keeping promise to release income tax returns; photo of Ribby Goodfellow in costume (S)

Political Memo; Stunt Keeps a Focus on Lazio's Tax Returns

Jury acquits Robert W Lee Sr, founder of International Boxing Federation, of major bribery and racketeering charges, but convicts him on counts of money laundering, tax evasion and interstate travel to aid in racketeering, Newark, NJ; Robert W Lee Jr is acquitted of all nine counts that he faced; two men comment; photo (M)

Lee Sr. Cleared of Bribery; Convicted on Other Charges

Vice Pres Al Gore makes his debut as Democratic presidential nominee with vow to work for all Americans; speaking to Democratic National Convention and the nation beyond, Gore distances himself from Pres Clinton, saying 'I stand here tonight as my own man'; lays groundwork for a fall campaign in which he will identify himself as friend of the little guy and Gov George Bush as candidate of the rich, powerful and influential; Gore lays out his position on range of issues in speech with few rhetorical flourishes or unexpected policy departures; promises to enact tax reforms targeting working families, preserve abortion rights, oppose school vouchers and support affirmative action; says comprehensive campaign spending reform bill will be his first order of business if elected; photo (M)

GORE, IN DEBUT AS A PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE, SAYS 'I STAND HERE TONIGHT AS MY OWN MAN'

John Tierney The Big City column on inaccuratge, misleading and sometimes sensational reporting about supposed dangers of pesticides in produce consumed by Americans; notes that John Stossell has apologized for erroneous report on ABC, and contrasts refusal of CBS and Ed Bradley to correct erroneous 1989 report on Alar-treated apples, which cost apple growers more than $100 million(M)

The Big City; The Apple And the Sins Of Journalists

Sunnyvale, Calif-based Align Technology has developed clear-plastic alternative to braces aimed at appearance-conscious adults; Align co-founders Zia Chishti and Kelsey Wirth have drawn attention of many orthodontists with their claim that computers can be used to design and make customized series of plastic retainers for each patient that would gradually move their teeth as prescribed by the orthodonist; unlike braces advertised as invisible but held in place by wire, Align's product is transparent; patients can switch to next retainer in the series every two weeks instead of visiting orthontist; Align system, marketed under Invisalign brand, is already inspiring competitors; GAC International, leading supplier of braces and other orthodontic supplies, recently began offering all-plastic device designed by Dr Keith Hilliard, Florida orthodontist; photos (M)

Orthodontics Via Silicon Valley; A Start-Up Uses Computer Modeling And Venture Capital to Reach Patients

Russian officials say that 'irrefutable data' point to collision as cause of catastrophic damage to hull of Russian submarine Kursk but ship or object involved in collision has not been identified; Russian teams make several more unsuccessful rescue efforts even though there have been no signs of life for two days from the 118 crewmembers who went down with submarine; diagram of submarine (M)

Russians Point To a Collision In Sub Sinking

Connecticut juvenile court judge, Maureen Dennis, rules that Michael Skakel, now 39, should stand trial in murder of Martha Moxley in 1975, when they were teen-age neighbors in Greenwich; judge must now make crucial decisionof whether Skakel should be trial as an adult, and face life sentece, or as 'juvenile,' which would call for little or no jail time under law in effect in 1975; his photo (M)

Trial Ordered For Skakel In '75 Killing

Recent bankruptcies of furniture sellers Heilig-Meyers Co and Living.com Inc show furniture business is joining retail clothing business in much more competitive arena where poor execution can lead to financial disaster; despite two bankruptcies, sales in furniture industry have been growing at more than 5 percent a year since 1992 and stand at $61 billion; with consumer spending starting to ease, growth in furniture sales is expected to slow to 2 percent to 3 percent this year, but analysts contend bankruptcies speak more to heightened competition than to overall weakness in industry (M)

Bankruptices Defy Growth In Furniture

Tiger Woods and Scott Dunlap are tied with six-under-par 66 in first round of PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Ky; chart; photos (M)B

Woods, With No Sign of Weakness, Shares Lead

The independent counsel investigating President Clinton has impaneled a new grand jury to hear evidence about Mr. Clinton's relationship with a White House intern, two and a half years after it was first disclosed.    The independent counsel, Robert W. Ray, convened the panel last month to consider whether Mr. Clinton should be charged with perjury or obstruction of justice after he leaves office in January, the officials said.  

August 18, 2000

Headlines from August 18, 2000

THE DEMOCRATS

A Man of Many Tasks

It's the Dog Days. Why Walk When You Can Go for a Ride?

That Was a Heady Time on the Left, Right?

Sports of The Times; 'Gosh, He Hits the Ball A Long Way'

Billboard 200

Now 4

Oops!...I Did It Again

Country Grammar

The Marshall Mathers LP

No Strings Attached

Historical Context for August 18, 2000