February 2, 2002

Justice Department directs White House to preserve records of contacts with Enron executives over last three years, suggesting criminal probe is expanding to include company's political dealings in Washington; Bush administration notes request goes back to Clinton administration, and promises full compliance, even as executive branch spurns GAO demand for records of Vice Pres Cheney's meetings with energy industry executives; Repr Henry A Waxman demands release of that information; Pres Bush, in earlier meeting with Republican lawmakers, reportedly strongly defends refusal to turn over Cheney records on principle; Democratic Reprs John D Dingell and Peter Deutsch, investigating Enron, attack credibility of Enron directors' report; photos (M)

Gov George Pataki calls on federal government to reassess guidelines for dealing with emergency at Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County, NY; state has asked Nuclear Regulatory Commission for 1.2 million tablets of potassium iodide to protect residents from radiation-induced thyroid cancer; underscores growing fear of residents of Westchester and neighboring counties since Sept 11 terror attacks; photo (M)

Fate of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, abducted in Pakistan, remains unknown after telephone demand for $2-million ransom is followed by e-mail message saying Pearl has been executed; message says body is in Karachi graveyard, prompting police search (M)

Teams of engineers have volunteered to examine steel debris from World Trade Center for clues about why and how buildings, designed to sustain jet impact, completely collapsed; clues are found in cross-sections of steel beams that have been recovered, which show weaknesses may have been caused by contaminants in fire; photos (M)

Article profiles St Louis Rams defensive end Grant Wistrom and his mother and father Kathy and Ron; photo (M)