July 8, 2002

Cendant Corp chief executive Henry R Silverman is running into problems building profitable online travel portal through his acquisitions last year of Galileo reservation booking engine for travel agents, Galileo's Trip.com Web site and Cheap Tickests Inc; Galileo has been losing market share and two travel sites have lowest purchase rates among competitors; graphs; photo (M)

Juli Inkster wins US Women's Open at age 42; photo (M)

Republican and Democratic parties open critical week of jousting over how to respond to corporate wrongdoing, with Democrats seeking to exploit Pres Bush's perceived vulnerability on issue and business executives pressing for action to restore confidence in financial markets; Pres Bush will address issue in upcoming speech in New York City on July 9; is on defensive from questions about his role in stock sale dozen years ago and criticism of administration for failing to act aggressively enough against fraud and mismanagement; is weighing variety of options, including stepping up enforcement actions by Securities and Exchange Commission and Justice Department and making it easier to jail executives for corporate fraud; moves would bring administration's position more in line with Democrats as Senate turns attention to legislation that would tighten oversight of auditors; bill has gained bipartisan support in recent weeks and Democrats are seeking to press advantage by adding amendment that would make it easier for prosecutors to pursue corporate fraud cases; corporate wrongdoing has increasingly preoccupied White House; not only has crisis in investor confidence had bearing on economy's ability to lift itself from doldrums, but Bush has come under intensified scrutiny for his response to scandals as well as for his own business ethics (M) while director of Texas oil company in late 1980's and early 1990's; Democrats are again emphasizing corporate backgrounds of top administration officials and their links to companies like Enron Corp (M)

Grand jury is investigating financial irregularities of Roman Catholic priest in Diocese of Brooklyn, and diocese is trying to recover $1.8 million improperly spent by another; diocesan officials acknowledge that as many as one out of five parishes lack basic lay oversight of finances required by church law; say finance committees of small groups of parishioners seldom meet, even in many parishes that have them, or serve as rubber stamp for pastors who appoint them (M)

Lleyton Hewitt defeats David Nalbandian to bring first Wimbledon win to Australian since 1987; photos (M)

New York Yankees third baseman Robin Ventura is selected to All-Star team one decade after his last All-Star appearance; photos (M)

Interview with new Wall Street Journal publisher Karen Elliott House on tough business challenges she faces; her past successes and reputation for instilling fear noted; House, who is married to Peter R Kann, chief executive of parent Dow Jones & Co, holds questions about nepotism and her brusqueness reflect implicit sexism that has dogged her for years; photo (M)

Study by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds vast majority of gay and bisexual men in US found to have AIDS virus were unaware of infection; finds rates of unawareness among minority gay men ages 15 to 29 were staggeringly high, with 90 percent of blacks, 70 percent of Hispanics and 60 percent of whites saying they did not know they were infected; most infected men perceived themselves to be at low risk of infection, despite engaging high-risk sex, like unprotected anal intercourse; study involved 5,719 men in Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and Seattle; tested men for exposure, finding 573 had HIV and that 77 percent were unaware of it; findings detailed; map; photo (M)(

As a grand jury investigates the financial irregularities of one Catholic priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn and church officials try to recover $1.8 million that was improperly spent by another, diocesan leaders acknowledge that as many as one of five parishes lack the lay oversight of finances required by church law. Even in some parishes that have the oversight panels, the small groups of parishioners rarely meet, church officials say.

Roberta Smith Critic's Notebook on Minimalist painter Donald Judd's pre-1960 work, on exhibit at Kunsthalle Bielefeld in Germany; photo (M)

This Week column on opening of Santa Fe Music Festival, American Folk Art Museum exhibition, Third Annual Midtown International Theater Festival opens, Fritz Lang movie Metropolis at Film Forum; photo (S)

Bush adminstration's stated goal of toppling regime of Iraq Pres Saddam Hussein runs into strong reservations from Iraqi Kurdish leaders, who would be crucial allies in any military campaign; leaders flatly say they will be reluctant to join American military operations that put Kurds at risk of onslaught by Iraqi troops of kind they suffered after Persian Gulf War in 1991; even though American-led military campaign to topple Hussein would probably make Kurds freedom more secure, Kurdish leaders say Washington would be asking them to put all they have gained from decade of autonomy at risk of fresh Iraqi offensive; map (M)