New York Giants defeat Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-5, in preseason game; photo (M)

One Week Later, Inspired Giants Are Much Sharper

Schenectady, NY, police department is target of federal investigation stemming from repeated revelations of officers' arrogant, abusive and even criminal behavior; Officers Richard Barnett and Michael Siler, already convicted on other charges, are now accused of picking up young black man, David Sampson, and without any proof of wrongdoing, beating and abandoning him 11 miles out of town; Chief Gregory T Kaczmarek acknowledges that department's procedures are inadequate and that some officers have arrogant sense of entitlement; yet Kaczmarek has his own image problems after admittedly lying to City Council about Sampson case and engaging in off-color banter on morning shock-jock radio program; Mayor Albert P Jurcynski denies that he has ignored complaints from black leaders about police misconduct; photos (M)

The Electric City Sees Its Police In a Harsh Light; Officers' Pranks and Crimes Hit Home in Schenectady

Jaguar, Volkswagen and Volvo begin advertising in gay publications, joining three other automakers, Saab, Saturn and Subaru, in specific marketing to gays; photo (M)

A Welcome Mat for Gay Customers

 Albanian Vows to Disarm  An ethnic Albanian guerrilla leader is the most hated man in Macedonia for taking up arms against Slavs. But he vows that his soldiers will hand over all their weapons when the NATO troops arrive.   PAGE A3    Debate on Growth Estimate  A White House estimate that economic growth would rebound next year drew immediate criticism from Democrats as overly optimistic and politically self-serving.   PAGE A17

INSIDE

The movie's Greek island setting may be gorgeous, but the screen adaptation of a much-loved novel by Louis de Bernieres is wooden and mechanical. If you imagined that an epic story set in World War II and involving battles, an earthquake and heroic self-sacrifice couldn't be dull, think again. Nicolas Cage is a happy opera-loving Italian army captain, Christian Bale a fisherman  who becomes a fierce Greek partisan and Penélope Cruz the doctor's daughter they both love. Hear the actors struggle with adopted foreign accents and feel their lack of romantic  chemistry. &#151; Stephen Holden

A Mandolin Is a Weapon in a Laid-Back War

Federal health officials must negotiate with foundation at University of Wisconsin, which holds lone patent on method of isolating stem cells and on cells themselves; patent gives Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) control over who may work in United States with stem cells, and for what purpose; foundation has granted important rights to biotechnology company, Geron Corp, giving Geron considerable say over who ultimately profits from stem cell therapies; complex tangle of intellectual-property rights and contracts is pressing concern at National Institutes of Health, which is charged with putting Pres Bush's plan for government financing of embryonic stem cell studies into effect; many scientists fear that restrictions imposed by foundation might hinder research on cells that hold promise for treating and curing some devastating diseases; Wisconsin patent could help push stem cell science overseas (M)

Patent on Human Stem Cell Puts U.S. Officials in Bind

Jury swiftly reaches verdict to convict Christopher Slavin on charges that he and friend lured Mexican day laborers Israel Perez Arvizu and Magdaleno Estrada Escamilla to abandoned building in Shirley, NY, by offering them work, then brutally assaulted them; second defendant, Ryan D Wagner, is scheduled to go on trial in September; photo (M)

Defendant Found Guilty In L.I. Beatings

Brazil's Uniao de Bancos Brasileiros says net income rose 51 percent to $89 million in second quarter of 2001, compared with same period in 2000 (S)

World Business Briefing | Americas: Brazil: Bank Profits

CBS has decided not to broadcast a handful of rerun episodes of ''Family Law'' after a big advertiser, Procter & Gamble, said it would withdraw its commercials because it deemed the content too controversial.    While advertisers often choose not to sponsor certain programs, industry executives said it was unusual for a network to shelve several episodes of a prime-time series in deference to a single advertiser. They also said CBS's action was a potentially worrisome example of the tastes of a large advertiser influencing a network's programming decisions.  

CBS Reruns Dropped As Advertiser Balks

CBS decides not to broadcast several reruns of Family Law after Procter & Gamble threatens to withdraw its commericals because it deems of series content too controversial; several industry executives say it is is unusual for network to shelve several episodes of prime-time series in deference to single advertiser; also say CBS's action is potentially worrisome example of how tastes of large advertiser can influence programming decisions; photo (M)

CBS Pulls Show Over Concern From P.& G.

Prosecutors say recruiters in Florida's poorest neighborhoods have delivered thousands of children to dentists, often without parent's knowledge or consent, for unnecessary and sometimes improper care in multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud Medicaid; say children are picked up from street corners, school-bus stops and day care camps and taken to dozens of South Florida dental facilities for procedures that include cleanings, X-rays and even extractions; say recruiters lure children with toys and trips to McDonald's, and receive $25 for every child they place in dental chair; say some youngsters are shuttled to different dentists every day for up to month, until their benefits run out; say many received X-rays from untrained dental employees; prosecutors say that scheme is continuing, despite arrests of men responsible for scheme, as well as more than dozen dentists and nearly 90 recruiters and dental workers; photo (L)

Children Are Prey in a Medicaid Dental Scheme

Growing number of retail stores are charging their suppliers for all kinds of supposed infractions on receiving end; they range from late-arriving trucks to wrongly placed bar-code labels to incorrectly dangling tags on clothing and boxes that are unloaded out of order; retailers charge back as much as 10 to 15 percent of certain types of purchases, which can make huge difference in bottom line of suppliers affected by practice; manufacturers are reluctant to discuss specific charges because they usually are still doing business with retailers in question; manufacturers are being squeezed even harder with most businesses suffering from slowing economy; Kmart has been sued by Sega of America Dreamcast over alleged shipping errors; photos (M)

Big Stakes In Small Errors; Manufacturers Fight Retailer 'Discounts' In Shipping Disputes

Large block of shares in Russia's Severstal steel company has been frozen by state prosecutor, apparently in connection with dispute over alimony between company's president, Alexei Mordashov, and his ex-wife, Elena Mordashova; Alexander Andreev, analyst at Brunswick UBS Warburg says that case is not really about alimony and that it is either hostile takeover attempt or attempt to put down Mordashov's image and his influence; Mordashov has hinted that one of his business rivals--Iskander Makhmudov, president of Urals Mining-Metallurgical Co--might have instigated action against him (M)

In Russia, a Volatile Mix Of Alimony and Steel

John Tierney The Big City column on accompanying Nicholas Boothman around city in challenge to Boothman's claim that he can instantly charm anybody, even notoriously hardbitten New Yorkers; Boothman is author of book How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or less; Boothman proves successful in every encounter, and concludes that New Yorkers are like Christmas presents, 'open them up and they're full of pleasant surprises' (M)

The Big City; This Image Will Self-Destruct

ABN Amro will concentrate on traditional retail banking and rein in its corporate and investment banking; is expected to look for merger or alliance to increase its retail business; reports 21 percent decline in second-quarter profit, to 671 million euros, or $614 million, from 851 million euros year earlier; will eliminate 3 of its 10 management board members by end of year and reduce capital invested in wholesale banking by 20 percent (M)

ABN Amro Shifts Focus Back to Traditional Banking

Article discusses success of Seattle Mariners, team that is leading majors by wide margin; manager Lou Piniella comments; photos (M)

Seattle Is Playing Like the '98 Yankees

Bundesbank says German economy slowed to standstill in second quarter; says country is not sliding into recession (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Germany: Economic Standstill

 Consumer Prices Decrease As Housing Shows Strength  The prices consumers paid for goods and services fell a surprising 0.3 percent in July, the steepest rate of decline in 15 years as gasoline prices plummeted, the government said.    A separate report, from the Commerce Department, showed that the housing market remained strong as new construction surged 2.8 percent in July. [Page C3.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Japanese government revises its quarterly economic data for January-March period, saying economy actually expanded 0.1 percent rather than contracting 0.2 percent as reported earlier (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: Japan: Growth Revision

South Korea's unemployment rose slightly in July, to 760,000, or 3.7 percent of work force; Korean Air Lines says it will eliminate 3 percent of its 17,300 workers (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: South Korea: Jobless Rate Climbs

Ford Motor Co executives approve early-retirement program for up to 10 percent of its white-collar employees in US, or 4,600 workers; begin reviewing possible delay of some planned vehicle models, which would lower company's design and engineering costs; have even started considering whether to shut down assembly plant (M)

Ford Weighs Plans to Cut White-Collar Work Force

George Vecsey Sports of The Times column praises new ballpark on Staten Island, which New York Yankees have been using as rehab for players returning from injuries, most recently, pitcher Orlando Hernandez; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; Another Sea Voyage For El Duque

Barry Fried of Police Dept's Internal Affairs Bureau describes for first time extraordinary steps taken to protect Officer Eric Turetzky after he came forward to describe seeing Officer Justin A Volpe wave stick near police station bathroom in which Abner Louima had been brutalized; revelation that even police supervisors feared for their personal safety inside New York station house throws stark new shadow on case that has already exposed reluctance of many officers to cooperate with investigations of brutality; details emerge at hearing into request by former Officer Charles Schwarz that Judge Eugene H Nickerson overturn his convictions in case, which rest heavily on testimony by Turetzky; Turetzky, now a sergeant, appears and holds to his original account, again naming Schwarz as man who led half-naked Louima toward toilets (M)

Concern for Police Witness in Louima Case

WPP Group approaches Tempus Group about buying it in effort to trump earlier bid by Havas Advertising of France (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: Advertising Takeover Duel

Five major movie studios announce joint venture that would allow computer users to download rental copies of feature films over Internet; service is attempt to get ahead of piracy problems that have plagued music industry; venture is also seen as first step toward true video-on-demand; studios involved are MGM, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures; noticeably absent are Disney, which reportedly is planning its own video-on-demand service, and 20th Century Fox; chief executive will be named for new venture, and each member will have equal number of representatives on its board; selection of films, and how much it will cost to download them, will be left to individual studios (M)

August 17, 2001

Headlines from August 17, 2001

One Week Later, Inspired Giants Are Much Sharper

The Electric City Sees Its Police In a Harsh Light; Officers' Pranks and Crimes Hit Home in Schenectady

A Welcome Mat for Gay Customers

INSIDE

A Mandolin Is a Weapon in a Laid-Back War

Billboard 200

Now 7

Celebrity

Songs In A Minor

Duces 'N Trayz--The Old Fashioned Way

Break The Cycle

Historical Context for August 17, 2001