July 10, 2002

Moody'

S.& P. 500 Is Dropping Seven Foreign Companies The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index is going all-American, and in the process it is producing a little bit of buying power for the struggling market. The S.& P. will drop the seven companies in the index not based in the United States, a move that involved replacing two companies that have been in the index for more than six decades. The companies being added are not as large as the ones being removed, and in a world where indexing is a huge investment strategy, that could provide significant buying power for stocks remaining in the index. Floyd Norris: Market Place. [Page C11.]

New York Court of Appeals in 6-1 ruling overturns state's death penalty law in case of Darrel K Harris, first man condemned to die under 1995 statute; court holds law at time of conviction unfairly threatened him with capital punishment for exercising his right to trial, but avoids issue of whether death penalty violates state Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment; decision written by Judge Richard C Wesley does not satisfy either supporters or opponents of death penalty, who claim it is too narrowly focused to be meaningful; court says Harris, who admitted killing three people at Brooklyn social club in 1997, must be resentenced; dissenting opinion by Judge George Bundy Smith says Harris should be given new trial because of errors by trial judge; photos (M)

Anna Kisselgoff reviews Kirov Ballet's performance of La Bayadere; photos (M)

Matthew Purdy Our Towns column comments on widely publicized dispute in Hartford, Conn, between Wilbur Troutman and Mister Softee ice cream truck that Troutman claims incessantly plays loud jingle that disturbs him; Troutman says driver Luis Amaro assaulted him as he was making videotape of truck; contends he is protecting public's right to quiet (M)