December 11, 2000

News analysis of decision by US Supreme Court to stop recount of Florida's presidential ballots as ordered by State Supreme Court; Federal Supreme Court has as much at stake as either Vice Pres Al Gore or Gov George W Bush since justices may not only play crucial role in validating winner of presidential election, but may also affect future makeup of court, since next president may have chance to select new nominees (M)

David Ackerman and several fellow actors perform 35-minute theater piece Sunday Brunch 4 aboard A train, under bemused gaze of New York subway riders; photos; actors set up covered table in corner of car and improvise dialogue as they dine on turkey and pie, all the while on the lookout for MTA officers who frown on such arty outings (M)

Ann Powers reviews Paul Simon concert at Beacon Theater; photo (M)

Metro Matters column wishes for day of candor in politics, so that Al Gore would say he wants Florida recount because he wants to move into White House and George W Bush would admit he opposes more vote-counting because he might lose; also suggests some truths that might be told by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and other New York notables (M)

World Wide Web's uses and limits are still being tested seven years after New York Times' first look at it; Business Day articles make observations on what has happened in intervening years (S)