December 11, 2001

Article contrasts divergent lives of Johnny Micheal Spann, 32-year-old CIA officer killed in Afghanistan and John Walker Lindh, American who fought for Taliban; Spann died during prison uprising by captured Taliban soldiers shortly after interrogating Taliban prisoners, including Lindh; biographical portraits; Spann is buried in Arlington National Cemetery; Walker remains 'battlefield detainee' in desert Marine base in southern Afghanistan, where he is providing useful information to American officials; photos (M)

Comment on biomimicry, engineering approach that has been6

Richard W Stevenson analysis special treatment from government sought by big steel companies; companies seek protection from low-priced imports, federal money to help pay health and pension benefits and assurance that mergers of steel companies into giant competitor will not run into antitrust problems, and they want US to pressure other nations to scale back their steel-making capacities; analysts say that companies are overreaching and that even if industry succeeds in getting what it wants, plan would do little more than put off day when it succumbs to subsidized foreign rival and nimble new breed of domestic competitors that oppose concessions sought by Big Steel; Bush administration is opening to some parts of plan, but is wary of embracing others; photo (M)

Speculation about possible trade by New York Yankees for Anaheim Angels outfielder Darin Erstad discussed (M)

New York Knickerbockers announce promotion of Don Chaney from assistant to coach, with contract running through end of season; brief profile; photo (M)

Lawrence K Altman comments on problem of surgical error, in light of Joint Commission on Accreditaion of Healthcare Orgnanizations' issuing its second alert in three years aimed at reducing number of surgical mistakes; at least 150 times since 1996, surgeons in hospitals in United States have operated on wrong arm, leg, eye, kidney or other body part, or even on wrong patient; figure does not include near misses--when surgeons started to operate on wrong site or patient; drawing (M)

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column discusses dedication bordering on obsession in basketball coaches; New York Knickerbockers new coach Don Chaney is said to have more relaxed attitude than his predecessor Jeff Van Gundy; photo (M)

John Siegal, chairman of Mark Green's unsuccessful mayoral campaign, testifies at hearing by city's Campaign Finance Board; says that city's respected campaign finance program 'failed completely' to level playing field between Green and Michael Bloomberg, who was elected mayor after spending $69 million on race (M)

America West Airlines amends its application for $400 million loan guarantee from Air Transportation Stabilization Board to give government option to buy 10 percent of airlines; rest of industry closely monitors application to board, which is sensitive to setting precedent on first of many airlines' loan requests (M)

Colt Telecom Group, British voice and data services provider, raises $708 million through offering of 649.4 million shares (S)

Domingo Cavallo, Argentina's economy minister, says he will annul more than $4 billion in tax cuts for businesses in effort to cut budget deficit in 2002 and persuade International Monetary Fund to release $1.3 billion in loans before end of month; is pressing fund to reverse decision not to release loans, probably necessary to prevent default on $132 million in public-sector debt before end of year; photo (M)

Pritzkers, one of nation's wealthiest families and heirs to Hyatt hotels fortune, agrees to pay record $460 million to federal government to avoid other punishment for failure of Superior Bank FSB, which regulators attribute to poor lending practices and sloppy bookkeeping; settlement represents minor victory for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Office of Thrift Supervision; regulators investigate audit by Ernst & Young that showed bank to be in good financial condition shortly before its collapse (M)