February 16, 2002

Small rural communities stretched across America's southern tier are teetering in first post-globalization recession, and may never recover; freer trade benefits American consumers and industries that can now buy cheaper imported commoties, but foreign competition has been rough for towns that have formed base of national supply chain; for many rural communities, industries that have been declining for years may be dying out; photos; map (M)

Clyde Haberman NYC column on how city government has for years been weirdly incapable of installing public toilets, amenities that grace streets of major cities across globe (M)

Correspondence between Enron executives to George W Bush when he was governor of Texas includes more than two dozen letters in which Kenneth L Lay, former chairman, repeatedly lobbied for his company's pet issue, electric deregulation, sought Bush's presence at Enron-related functions and sent magazine articles and personal notes; Lay was involved in variety of pressing state issues, including education, civil justice reform and electric deregulation and asked Bush to lobby state's Congressional delegation on federal matters important to Enron, including tax relief; photo (M)

Morgan Stanley pays Philip J Purcell, its chief executive, $12.8 million in cash and stock in 2001, down from $21.9 million in 2000; analysts say cut of more than 40 percent is probably in line with cuts given to top executives of other major Wall Streets, which have been struggling through slide that has lasted almost two years (M)

Report on changes for the better in Soundview neighborhood in the Bronx in three years since Amadou Diallo was shot to death by police; photos (M)