June 15, 2002

Tiger Woods maintains second-round lead at US Open, with Padraig Harrington in second; photos (M)

Federal Judge Melinda F Harmon rules that jurors could find Arthur Andersen accounting firm guilty of criminal obstruction of justice even if they do not agree on which of firm's employees had intent to commit crime; denies defense attorneys' motion for mistrial; photo (M)

United States World Cup soccer team suffers humiliating 3-1 defeat to Polish team but still advances to second round after Portugal loses to South Korea; US will face Mexico, team it has defeated four of its last five meetings; photo (M)

Nation's Roman Catholic bishops, after anguished debate, decide to bar any priest who has ever sexually abused minor from ministerial duties; decision is centerpiece of binding national policy intended to deal with devastating sexual abuse crisis in church; it means that any priest known to have ever abused child, no matter how long ago, may no longer serve as pastor or chaplain in parish, school, hospital or nursing home, nor will he be allowed to dress in clerical garb or say Mass except in private; bishops retreat from previous stance that would have asked pope to reduce to layman's status every egregious and multiple offender; compromise will leave bishops free to decide about invoking defrocking measure case by case; bishops also commit themselves to alerting civil authorities to all accusations of sexual abuse of minor by member of clergy, including even situations that do not involve force or direct physical contact, but are still coercive; despite overwhelming vote to adopt new policy, number of prelates take to microphones to argue passionately against zero-tolerance approach, against broader definition of sexual abuse and against forwarding all accusations to civil authorities; whether Vatican supports bishops' new measures remains to be seen; photos (M)

Oystermen of Apalachicola Bay, Fla, worry that water demands from swelling populations will suck up so much of rivers that feed bay that nature of water will change, and so will oyster, making it less marketable; in Franklin County, with 11,000 people, 1 person in 10 holds oyster permit; oysters are plump and distinctive as long as fresh water from rivers upstream flush brackish bay, and beds will replenish themselves; oystermen are looking with alarm at developers who want to crowd banks with condominiums and houses that will spoil quality of water with leaching lawn fertilizer and oil-laced storm water from parking lots; photos (L)

Mayor Michael R Bloomberg's odd relationship with families of Sept 11 terrorism victims demonstrates chasm between what he does behind scenes and how he faces down issues in public; he played crucial role in developing silent memorial service to mark end of recovery work at ground zero, and one of his first acts as mayor was to create more comfortable family center for victims' relatives; he goes to many funerals and calls families of dead firefighters and police officers; yet he has been repeatedly assailed by families as being insensitive to them; they cite recent speech in which he suggested that creating huge memorial at ground zero would drive businesses and renters away from downtown; also point to his refusal to change date of ceremony closing site to weekend day, and his decision not to attend service held by families; family members are intensely sensitive to comments he makes about ground that many believe is sacred; aides say he cares deeply about those who died, and point to many things he does when no reporters are there to take note of them (M)

Full-service US airlines frantically seek ways to return to profitability as they still stagger from effects of Sept 11 terrorist attacks; reducing passenger amenities, adjusting fares and making deep cuts in labor costs are seen as ways for them to stave off bankruptcy and extinction; photos; graph (M)

Huge car bomb explodes outside American Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, killing at least 11 people and wounding at least 26 in most vivid demonstration yet of expanding terror campaign aimed at foreigners and government of Pres Pervez Musharraf; none of those killed are believed to be Americans, but five of those wounded worked inside heavily fortified building; police suspect bomb was set off by remote control and that occupants of car were themselves killed; this is second car-bomb attack in Karachi in less than month; level of destruction and sophistication in bombings may point to links between local militant groups and rogue members of Al Qaeda who have infiltrated Pakistan after being routed from Afghanistan; previously unknown group, Al Qanoon, claims responsibility for bombing, but investigators suspect same militants who went underground after government crackdown have regrouped and taken new name; Pres Bush calls attack work of 'radical killers' and pledges to 'hunt them down, and seek justice'; privately, Bush's aides voice concern that bombings are sign that Musharraf's power is eroding; photos; map (M)

White House advisers who have aggressively promoted proposed department of homeland security as initiative that transcends partisanship now say they are counting on proposal to help them in November; say their election-year strategy will be to portray Pres Bush and Republicans as moving aggressively to protect Americans from terrorist attack; cabinet members will be dispatched around country this summer to sell message to voters and to pressure Congress to rally behind plan; hope of Republicans is that Democratic candidates will have difficulty capturing attention this fall on domestic policies that have traditionally been their strength; Mark McKinnon, White House adviser, says domestic agenda now is entirely focused on security (M)

New York Yankees defeat New York Mets, 4-2, in extra innings; photos (M)

The federal judge in the criminal trial of Arthur Andersen ruled that jurors could find the firm guilty of obstruction of justice even if they could not agree on which of the firm's employees had the intent to commit the crime. The jury did not reach a verdict and will resume deliberating this morning. Business Day, Page C1.

Chicago, where Mayor Richard M Daley won control of public schools in 1995, may offer guidance to Mayor Michael R Bloomberg as he takes reins of New York City system, especially since there is general consensus that Daley has made real progress; Arne Duncan, Chicago Public Schools' chief executive, says mayoral control -- and accountability that comes with it -- provides best route to tackling stagnation, bureaucracy, financial troubles and low achievement levels (M)