March 3, 2002

Article describes scene at 2-bedroom row house in Washington, DC, which Sen Charles Schumer of New York shares with Sen Richard J Durbin of Illinois and Reprs George Miller of California and William Delahunt of Massachusetts; photos (L)

Nine of the 19 men who hijacked four airplanes on Sept. 11 were singled out for special scrutiny at airports that morning under aviation-security guidelines. But because their baggage contained no explosives and their document irregularities were not glaring, the hijackers were allowed to board the planes, which crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. Government officials said things might be different if hijackers tried a similar plan today. Article, Page 20.

Felicia Lee Coping column describes scene at poet and creative writing student Rodney Leonard's first annual Harlem salon celebrating singer Nina Simone's February 21 birthday; party was also bid to rekindle Harlem's salon tradition; drawing (M)

New York State law that requires sellers of many one- to four-family residents in state to provide buyers with detailed information about property went into effect March 1; law requires sellers to provide disclosure statement to prospective buyer before contracts are signed (M)

Article on revelation by popular talk show host Rosie O'Donnell that she is gay, which has caused barely a ripple among her fans; O'Donnell, couching her sexual identity in pro-family context, will discuss subject in taped interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's Primetime Live; O'Donnell, who has three adopted children and one foster child, is trying to help reverse 1977 Florida law banning gays from adopting children; photos (L)

Troubled past of J Wayne Harris, Eckerd drugstore chain's relatively new chief executive, discussed in light of questions being raised about chain's billing practices; J C Penney chief executive Allen Questrom, who hired Harris to head unit, defends him; Harris has transformed Eckerd, which generated operating profit of $208 million for year ended Jan 26, compared with year-earlier $76 million loss; table of alleged drug overcharges; photos (M)

Article on Dale Earnhardt Signature Edition of Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, tribute to late auto racing legend; photos (M)

Alliance Capital star money manager Alfred Harrison faces questions about why he bought more and more Enron shares for Florida state pension fund as stock plunged; fund lost $328 million, among most lost by any Enron shareholder; some people question whether Gov Jeb Bush or Frank Savage, Enron board member and Alliance executive and board member, played role; Gov Bush is among those calling for probe of Alliance; graph of fund's Enron purchases; photos (M)

Federal authorities want to create DNA databank of terrorism suspects by analyzing blood samples from thousands of captured fighters of Al Qaeda and Taliban being held in Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; FBI authorities say they are frustrated by their inability to identify vast majority of detainees, and worried that many of them will be released before government is certain who they are; say information from proposed DNA database could also play role in some current investigations, including case of Richard Reid, accused of trying to blow up trans-Atlantic flight with explosives hidden in his shoes; say DNA might help them trace source of hairs found in Reid's shoes and possibly identify accomplice; DNA database proposal is being reviewed by Justice Dept; Congressional approval would be required; civil liberties groups are likely to fight such attempts to expand use of DNA profiling (M)

Caryn James reviews HBO's America Undercover documentary series segment, Monica in Black and White, in which Monica Lewinsky answers questions from audience of students; photos (M)

Article on beautiful, young models who flock to Milan, Italy, twice a year, during casting calls for fall and spring read-to-wear shows, in hope of becoming modeling's Girl of the Year; focuses on Anne Vialitsina, 15-year-old Russian, who already has garnered spots in several prestigious shows; photos (M)

At least 16 Israelis are killed in two separate attacks by Palestinian militants; first attack is on Israeli soldiers at military chockpoint in West Bank; second is by Palestinian suicide bomber in ultra-orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem; among nine victims is baby girl; Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, militant group connected to Yasir Arafat's Fatah faction, claims reponsibility for Jerusalem attack, though Palestinian leadership has condemned it; militant group says bombing is reprisal for Israeli raids, still in progress, on two refugee camps in West Bank; about 30 Palestinians and two soldiers have died in raids; photos (M)