November 11, 2002

Pres Bush, with Republican Party in control and his political standing solidified in wake of recent election, is free to confront weakened economy on his terms; will hold economic reins as never before since Democrats are in disarray on economic policy and Federal Reserve--which normally wields more economic clout than president--seems to have exhausted its power to smooth out economic bumps; he has put advisers to work on developing ambitious agenda for next two years; aides say he is eager to take advantage of Republican majority, and has long since absorbed lesson of 1992, when Bill Clinton defeated his father partly by casting him as out of touch with economy; political strategists and economic policymakers in both parties say he faces added pressure to get good economic results or pay steep price on re-election; graphs (M)

Manhattan Institute, small conservative think tank that helped shape future of New York City under former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, finds new audience among Latin American leaders seeking to duplicate some of city's successes; photo (L)

Patricia Cornwell is at the controls of a Bell 407 helicopter, ferrying a visitor to her estate in Greenwich, Conn., her smoothly cropped blond head just visible in the pilot's seat. Ms. Cornwell is the author of the best-selling Kay Scarpetta novels about an intrepid medical examiner who solves gruesome serial killings. Small and delicate as she looks, Ms. Cornwell is one tough lady. She is obsessed with injustice, with animal rights, with serial killers. And now she is obsessed with Jack the Ripper, who terrorized the East End of London from August to November 1888, murdering and disemboweling prostitutes. Estimates vary, but the prevailing theory is that he killed five.

Inquiries Raise Questions About Tenet's Strategy In Tenet Healthcare's annual report, the chief executive, Jeffrey C. Barbakow, said that last fiscal year was ''the best in our company's history -- so far.'' Strong profits and falling debt were signs that Mr. Barbakow had rescued the company from scandals and near collapse and had turned it into one of the best-performing hospital operators in the nation. But the man brought in to clean up Tenet is finding his integrity being questioned as the companies face a series of government inquiries all too reminiscent of its past. The inquiries are raising concerns about the propriety of the strategy Tenet pursued of aggressively raising prices and whether its quest for higher profits threatens the quality of its care. [Page C2.]

Members of Arab League meeting in Cairo, Egypt, voice collective support for new weapons inspections inside Iraq; want Arab experts on inspection teams; warn UN resolution should not be considered free pass for American military action; restate longstanding Arab position that Iraq must work with UN weapons inspectors; analysts say action suggests most governments in region back seeing Pres Saddam Hussein defanged, yet fear repercussions of another war in region; photos (M)

How successfully moviegoers are drawn to new James Bond and Harry Potter films will serve as test of whether combining Hollywood studios, television networks, magazines, cable systems and other disparate media businesses can create whole greater than sum of its parts; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, stand-alone studio, is counting on 007's astonishing allure to enlist other marketers in promoting its film and eventually to win broadcast and cable audiences as well, whereas Warner Brothers can count on other media divisions of AOL Time Warner to help launch and maximize profits on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Alex Yemenidjian, MGM chairman and chief executive, believes 'synergy' like AOL's is overrated; photos (M)

New York Giants defeat Minnesota Vikings, 27-20; photos (M)

Study of neighborhoods by New York-based Center for an Urban Future concludes that influx of artists can drive up neighborhood rents and force out long-term residential and commercial tenants in process called SoHo-ization; Kate D Levin, city's cultural affairs commissioner, questions findings (M)

Dean Barkley, independent appointed by Minnesota Gov Jesse Ventura to serve out remaining weeks of term of late Sen Paul Wellstone, is self-effacing about brief stint on national stage; his vote will determine which party controls Senate agenda in next two weeks; says he intends to put leverage to good use but may resign before end of year so elected successor, Norm Coleman, can take office early and gain seniority over other freshmen senators; photos (M)

Attack in Israel Kills 5 Palestinian gunmen attacked a kibbutz in northern Israel and killed five people, just hours after a suicide bombing was foiled nearby, police officials said. PAGE A6 Complication in Sniper Case Evidence suggesting that the younger of two men charged in the sniper shootings was usually the gunman could complicate the case against the other suspect. PAGE A10

As more people live longer and have greater expectations for their old age complexion of their worries has changed, with many saying what they fear more than death or dread diseases is losing their minds; dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease, has grown increasingly commonplace, leaving many aging people alarmed at own fates as they witness how it mercilessly transforms relatives and friends; more people now appear concerned about getting disorder than are ever likely to get it; photos (M)

Article on debate over water rights and responsibilities in Arkansas, where supplies are running low for rice farmers; controversy centers on plan by Army Corps of Engineers and state to spend more than $200 million in federal funds, or about $300,000 per farmer, on irrigation project to prevent state's largest aquifier from being drained dry; farmers argue it is time for government to do in other states what has long been done in West, namely, providing irrigation water to farmers who have no other recourse; critics worry government reward of farmers could set precedent for others elsewhere to do make similar demands; Taxpayers for Common Sense, interest group, describes project is boondoggle of first order; maps; photos (M)