November 23, 2002

Louisiana Runoff Campaign Control of the Senate may already be determined, but a Democratic incumbent and a Republican challenger in Louisiana are locked in a fierce and expensive runoff campaign for the 100th seat. PAGE A13 Census Battle Ends The Bush administration will not appeal court rulings that order the Census Bureau to release estimates of how many people were missed in the 2000 Census, but its practical effect will be limited. PAGE A15

ONCE, it did not matter to me who played quarterback for the Washington Redskins. That was a long time ago, before every last person in the land had been given the job but me. So many quarterbacks since then, so many trotting between the man in the visor on the sideline and the dazed huddle of players on the field.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia welcomed President Bush to his hometown today, then raised pointed questions about the reliability of two important American allies in the campaign against terrorism, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In remarks made at Mr. Bush's side in the majestic setting of Catherine Palace outside St. Petersburg, Mr. Putin also suggested that the disappearance of Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, was a major piece of unfinished business as the Bush administration focused its attention on a possible war in Iraq.

Since becoming speaker of the City Council in January, Gifford Miller, now 33, has transformed himself from a boyish unknown into an emerging contender for higher office. He has spread his message of optimism in the face of fiscal adversity to precincts across the city, leaving influential New Yorkers with the sense that he is a player. Just this week, hundreds of lobbyists and city officials gathered at Studio 54 to sing him ''Happy Birthday'' and contribute to a war chest that has swelled to about $750,000, leading to whispers of a potential mayoral run in 2005.

E.P.A. Says It Will Ease Industrial Pollution Rules The Environmental Protection Agency announced the most sweeping move in a decade to loosen industrial air pollution rules. The Bush administration said the changes would encourage plant improvements that would clean the air. But critics denounced the change as a retreat from tougher rules now in place that would require factories to make costly investments in pollution control equipment when they modernize. The E.P.A. announcement was met with criticism from environmentalists and Democrats, and the attorneys general of all six New England states, New York, New Jersey and Maryland announced they would sue. [Page A1.] 7 Weeks of Gains for the Dow The Dow Jones industrial average posted its seventh week of gains, the longest streak in more than four years, even though Wall Street mostly retrenched yesterday. The Dow fell 40.31 points, or 0.5 percent, to 8,804.84, snapping a two-day gain of 370 points. The Nasdaq composite index inched up 1.19 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,468.74, after closing Thursday at a level not seen since July. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index declined 3.21 points, or 0.3 percent, to 930.55. [C4.]