August 12, 2001

South Elgin, Illinois, which gets as much rain as Seattle each year, is one of communities in six-county region bordering Lake Michigan that is stunned by new study warning of serious water shortages within twenty years; photos; report surprises people who live near lake system containing one-fifth of world's surface water, but not few companies betting that water will soon be commodity more precious than oil; factors in accelerated water shortages include general warming trend, sprawl covering sponge of land that replenishes nation's vast underground reservoirs, and growing demands of agriculture and cities; problem that has long concerned arid West now extends to unlikely places like Florida, where saltwater creeps into aquifers, and Pacific Northwest, where too little water has been promised to too many competing interests; several Southwestern cities could go dry in 10-10 years, but number of towns in New England and well-watered half of Midwest could also run out in generation (M)

Tax cut Pres Bush recently signed into law now threatens to complicate rest of his agenda and expose him to political peril; may leave him without funds for other programs and vulnerable to charges from Democrats that cut will lead to budget deficits of sort, forcing him to raid Social Security surplus; buffer left in surplus after cut seems to be eroding rapidly; photo (M)

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue visits five team training camps, meeting with coaches and players; he discusses death of Minnesota Vikings Korey Stringer from heatstroke and reminds players about importance of staying amply hydrated; includes hour-by-hour breakdown of trip and meetings; photos (M)

Netherlands, where prostitution has long been legal, has now legalized brothels and is trying to devise regulatory system; new law is intended to help police control industry and grant labor rights and protections to more than 30,000 working prostitutes, but many are now complaining about stupid bureaucratic rules and regulations that may force operations to close down or go underground; prostitutes trying to set themselves up as self-employed businesswomen are being turned down by accountants, banks and health insurance companies; photos; map (M)

Articles on fight over stem cell research noted