April 29, 2001

Flock of new vehicles combining features of cars and sport utility vehicles is headed for market (M)

Felicia Lee Coping column on Greenwich Village resident Pamela Gordon, who has failed in effort to file suit for pain and suffering against veterinarian after her 19-year-old cat died; notes New York Assemblyman Patrick Manning has proposed bill that would afix liability of up to $5,000 in non-economic damages if person kills or injures pet through unlawful and intentional reckless or negligent act; drawing (M)

New Jersey Devils defeat Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-5, to tie playoff series, 1-1; photo (M)g

Pres Bush, who assumed office vowing to change tone of Washington and policies of his predecessors, has been forced to change in his first 100 days, by moderating his own tone and by accepting compromises on some of his top priorities; is discovering that presidents must pick fights with care; changes in his approach are subtle, and aides insist he is governing nation with same principles and approach used in governing Texas; detractors say he has proven far more conservative in White House than he appeared as candidate, but admit he is far more confident leader than when he took office; photos (M)

Tenants of apartments built under Mitchell-Lama program, the bulk of them in New York City and its immediate suburbs, are fighting to retain program's rent ceilings as developers seek to remove buildings from program, as state law currently allows after 20 years; fear rents two or three times higher than current level; want 20-year term extended or buyout provision rescinded entirely; others would extend rent stabilization to buildings withdrawn from program; developers say there would have been little incentive to building apartments in first place without buyout option; photos (M)