September 8, 2000

Archaeologists uncover ruins of vast and splendid Mayan city in remote Guatemalan jungle; photo; map; diagram; eighth-century palace at Cancuen had 170 high-ceilinged rooms built around 11 courtyards; Dr Arthur A Demarest of Vanderbilt University says earlier expeditions underestimated grandeur of palace and city that was prosperous center of commerce and crafts on Pasion River; Dr David Freidel explains importance of site; expedition co-leader is Tomas Barrientos (M)

John Tierney The Big City column notes that former Labor Sec Robert B Reich, stalwart liberal Democrat, has written article proposing scheme for school vouchers; says Reich sees voucher plan as way to achieve classic liberal goals: to integrate schools, redistribute educational dollars and help poor escape from inner-city schools; says some New York Democrats may consider Reich a traitor to party, but recent polls find most voters in city and state support vouchers, with support especially strong among blacks and Hispanics (M)

Mike Freeman Sports of The Times column says Duce Staley exemplifies what happens when football scouts completely miss boat on prospect; notes many scouts dismissed Staley as too small and too slow in 1997, and eight running backs were picked ahead of him in draft that year; says Staley, practically invisible to National Football League in 1997, rushed for 201 yards on 26 carries in Phiadelphia Eagles' recent game against Dallas; photo (M)

UN Security Council meets with 14 heads of government, including Pres Clinton, and one foreign minister gathered around table; photo; topic of peacekeeping, especially in Africa, expands to discussion about causes of war in age when ethnic cleansing, rape and mutilation have become tactical hallmarks of pickup armies that terrorize populations weakened by poverty and disease; Prime Min Tony Blair calls for broader concept on dealing with such security issues; Clinton warns there will be no real peace until nations confront 'iron link' between deprivation, disease and war; other leaders concur, except for Pres Jiang Zemin of China, who argues stonily for restrictive definition of UN role, and Pres Vladimir Putin of Russia, who is more preoccupied with opposing use of force outside Council's control; Sec Gen Kofi Annan and other leaders comment (M)

White House, having made sustained effort to seal Middle East peace accord, has begun to sense that solution is slipping away, and will not come during Pres Clinton's term; Clinton has met with Prime Min Ehud Barak and Yasir Arafat during UN summit, but Arafat reportedly failed to give assurances that he will agree to solution on Jerusalem; private assessments are gloomy, although neither Barak nor Arafat have threatened to walk away; US official notes that Arafat denies basic respect to negotiating partner when he refuses even to recognize existence of Temple Mount that is most sacred of all places to Jews; Barak reiterates that Jerusalem and Temple Mount are cornerstone of Jewish identity; photo; reminds Arafat that when Jesus walked in Jerusalem he saw not churches or mosques but the Jewish Temple (M)

Robin Ventura, New York Mets third baseman, has had disappointing .226 batting average this year; he is hoping his contributions on defense will help make up for lackluster hitting this season (M)

New York City's 1.1 million public school children begin classes, from prekindergarten to high school; Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani and Chancellor Harold O Levy hail opening as smooth and untroubled in Queens school they visit; elsewhere across city, principals, parents and teachers cope with kinds of opening-day disruptions and disappointments that have become almost institutionalized in many public schools; Levy says he is ending hiring freeze that has prevented more successful schools from hiring certified teachers they want; says Board of Education has complied with court order requiring it to hire certified teachers for vacancies in worst elementary schools; photos (M)

Alternately hilarious, poignant and gory, this modern fairy tale that follows an aspiring nurse (Renee Zellweger), suffering from traumatic amnesia, to Los Angeles to win the love of her favorite soap-opera character is a contemporary ''Wizard of Oz.'' Hollywood is the Emerald City. Greg Kinnear is the self-centered actor who plays her heart's desire on television. Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock are a sadly introspective hit man and his hot-headed protege who follow her across the country with intention to do harm. This may be the deepest and funniest American comedy since David O. Russell's ''Flirting With Disaster.'' — Stephen Holden

On Tennis column on Martina Hingis's plan to defeat both Williams sisters at United States Open; photo (M)

Todd Martin eliminates Thomas Johansson to advance to semifinals at United States Open; photo (M)

Special report, An Avenger's Path, on how personal injury lawyer Edward D Fagan recreated himself four years ago as media-savvy figure behind huge lawsuits on behalf of Nazi victims; Fagan, who is likely to earn millions of dollars from settlements by Swiss banks and German industry, has now opened second front against Japanese companies who used forced laborers during World War II; he likens himself to 'posse' against evil, but investigation by The New York Times and ABC News program 20/20 finds that 47-year-old lawyer is facing his own reckoning, having abandoned earlier clients and prompting ethics and misconduct charges; his former paralegal, Jane Warshaw, has complained to court at Fagan's mistreatment of anxious Holocaust survivors; photos; Fagan has said he represents 82,000 survivors, and other lawyers in case say his ambitions outstripped his resourses (L)

Floyd Norris comment on benefits of buying corporate bonds; says corporate bonds are better buy than stock right now, and investors may be starting to do just that; graph (M)