On this day
Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
In 2002, the world population was approximately 6,337,730,342 people[†]
2002Rosetta LeNoire, American actress and producer (born 1911)[†]
Rosetta LeNoire was an American stage, film, and television actress. She was known to contemporary audiences for her work in television. She had regular roles on such series as Gimme a Break! and Amen ; she is particularly known for her role as Estelle "Mother" Winslow on Family Matters, which aired from 1989 to 1998. In 1999, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
2002Văn Tiến Dũng, Vietnamese general and politician, 6th Minister of Defence for Vietnam (born 1917)[†]
Văn Tiến Dũng was a Vietnamese general in the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), PAVN chief of staff (1954–1974); PAVN commander in chief (1975–1980); member of the Central Military–Party Committee (CMPC) (1984–1986) and Socialist Republic of Vietnam defense minister (1980–1987).
2002Sylvester "Pat" Weaver, American television broadcaster and producer (born 1908)[†]
Sylvester Laflin "Pat" Weaver Jr. was an American broadcasting executive who was president of NBC between 1953 and 1955. He has been credited with reshaping the format and philosophy of commercial broadcasting as radio gave way to television as America's dominant home entertainment medium. Actress Sigourney Weaver is his daughter.
Avalon Riverview, luxury rental tower in Long Island City overlooking East River, expects first tenants to start moving in on Apr 1; 36 of 372 apartments have been taken in five weeks since leasing office opened; photo (S)
Computer programmers, who were in great demand only three years ago, now face grim job market; recruiters suggest that market is starting to turn around, with slight increase in job postings and new hires over past couple of months; warn that employers are looking for technology workers with multiple skills and are weeding out candidates who do not meet all their criteria; photo (M)
Sexual abuse scandal engulfing Roman Catholic Church, far from being nearly over, has only begun; across country, in effort to restore credibility, many dioceses are volunteering to turn over their records to prosecutors; publicity is emboldening more people to step forward with accusations of sexual abuse, and news media daily exposes new cases of priests accused as pedophiles and new reports of cover-ups; scandal has traumatized church's faithful, demoralized clergy and threatened hard-won moral authority of its bishops; but real extent of impact of church's life, status and future is only now becoming clear; growing number of Catholics are questioning all-male, celibate priesthood; church is at risk of losing some legal protections that have shielded it from criminal prosecution in US; financially, church is scraping to pay multimillion-dollar settlements to victims of its priests; photos (L)
Comment on Prime Min Ariel Sharon as enigma in Israeli-Palestinian situation; photos; some in Israel believe he would sign far-reaching agreement, and has best credentials to make peace, if only Yasir Arafat would halt Palestinian violence; others insist he is executing some kind of dark master plan of provoking violence to occupy West Bank and Gaza, while some say he is making it up as he goes along, scrambling for political footing (M)
Article profiles opera designer and director Franco Zeffirelli, whose longstanding association with Metropolitan Opera is being renewed with season premiere production of Verdi's Falstaff; drawing; photo (M)
Bankruptcy filing offers Kmart Corp chance to rid itself of unprofitable stores, shrink payroll and reinvent self; company's repeated management missteps recalled; graphs; photos (M)
Terry Golway comment on 'revolution' among many of nation's 66 million Catholics as they confront sexual abuse by priests and long cover-ups by many of 300 bishops; church leaders have had virtually unchallenged authority since 1840's, when New York bishop dismantled lay trustees who hired and fired pastors (M)
Growing numbers of doctors are refusing to take new Medicare patients, saying government now pays them too little to cover costs of caring for elderly; Medicare cut payments to doctors by 5.4 percent this year, and government estimates that under current law fees paid for each medical service will be reduced in each of next three years, for total decrease of 17 percent from 2002 to 2005; health policy experts say cuts could make it more difficult for elderly people to find doctors just as need increases with aging of population; total Medicare spending rose 24 percent in last five years, to $238 billion in 2001; nearly $41 billion of total was for doctors' services; now Congress is considering expanding program to add prescription drug benefits; Bush administration says any increases in payments to some providers must be offset by cuts in payments to others; photo (L)
Article in occasional series on New York immigrant populations focuses on growing political awareness and strength of immigrants from former Soviet Union who have emigrated to Brooklyn's Brighton Beach neighborhood; Russian-speaking community has yet to send one of its own to major elected office but is showing signs of change; photos; graphs; charts (L)
Behind the Wheel column reviews Mercedes-Benz C320 and BMW 325i; photos; chart compares similar models (M)
Lisa Belkin column on childlessness among high-achieving, high-earning women, subject of forthcoming book by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Creating a Life: Professional Women and the Quest for Children; drawing (M)
Alex Witchel article profiles and interviews Robert Stephan Cohen, one of most powerful matrimonial lawyers in America; Cohen has written book with Elina Furman called Reconcilable Differences: Seven Essential Tips to Remaining Together From a Top Matrimonial Lawyer; photo (M)