March 27, 2003

West Indian Colonial furniture style's simple sturdy lines are reminiscent of German Biedermeier style, and give it eclecticism that fits easily with many other designs; Michael Connors has parlayed his familiarity with island culture into niche as nation's foremost dealer of antiques and helped design first line of West Indies reproductions for Baker Furniture; photos (L)

New York City Police Comr Raymond W Kelly plans to reassign more than half of department's undercover detectives because they have been performing dangerous work for more than three years, informal time limit, and many want new jobs; says he will transfer 192 detectives who were masquerading as drug and gun dealers or as drug users to more traditional investigative work; says transfers will not interfere with police operations (M)

Brazilian jet maker Embraer cu

New York State enacts tough antismoking law that will ban smoking in nearly every restaurant, bar and workplace; Legislature moves exceptionally quickly to pass measure, overcoming fierce opposition from some Republican members and heavy lobbying campaign by tobacco, liquor and restaurant industries, which derailed similar effort less than year ago; Gov George E Pataki signs bill into law, clearing way for smoking ban to take effect in 120 days (M)

America's tolerance for casualties in war against Iraq examined; casualties in first week, while modest by historical standards, prompt sharp shifts in public perceptions of how well campaign is going, although polls say overall support for war is unchanged; Bush administration faces unforeseen challenge of preparing public for conflict that could be costlier than originally predicted; after 1991 war, Pentagon acknowledged that it had anticipated at least 10,000 casualties, but Defense Sec Donald Rumsfeld says no such figures exist for current conflict; Pentagon planners have spoken of using advanced tactics to reduce American casualties to perhaps 10 percent per unit; Brookings Institution expert Michael O'Hanlon says public would accept numbers similar to first Persian Gulf war and, combined with removal of Saddam Hussein, war would be seen as victory, but if numbers go higher, administration will have to demonstrate success in other ways; photo (M))

Energy Regulators Find Evidence of Manipulation California electricity and natural gas prices were pushed higher because of widespread manipulation and misconduct by Enron and other energy companies during the 2000-2001 energy crisis that threatened the state's solvency, federal energy regulators said. Despite those findings, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission strongly signaled that it is likely to refuse to overturn any of the more than $40 billion in long-term power contracts that California and others signed at the height of the crisis. [Page A14.]

New York State Supreme Court Justice Charles E Ramos is challenging lawyers' fees in five-year-old settlement by tobacco companies with states, casting some doubt on settlement even as states make plans to use billions of dollars that they have been pledged; dispute may become intensely political in New York where legislative leaders are hoping to sell some bonds backed by state's share of settlement--$25.5 billion--to help narrow state's budget deficit; tobacco companies agreed to pay $625 million to lawyers representing New York, bill that has been tabulated as $13,000 per hour by member of arbitration panel that approved fee; Ramos questions whether some of $625 million should have gone to New York; chart (M)

Deciding on the Air War As the war enters its second week, planners face a decision: keep an emphasis on limited, precise airstrikes or turn to more indiscriminate heavy bombing in an effort to hasten victory. PAGE B7 The Uncertain Grow More So For Americans with ambivalent or shifting feelings about the war in Iraq, military setbacks, mounting deaths and the seeming slowness of the advance on Baghdad were increasingly worrisome. PAGE B1

Industrial production in Singapore fell 1.4 percent in February, surprising economists, who had forecast increase; consumer prices fell 0.4 percent (S)

Japan Airlines temporarily cuts number of flights to Hawaii and Europe, citing drop in demand because of war in Iraq (S)

More than 1,000 members of 173d Airborne Brigade land in Kurdish-held northern Iraq, in one of largest paratroop drops since World War II; goal is to secure airfield so cargo planes can deliver American tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, opening long-delayed northern front in war against Saddam Hussein; plans for northern front have been complicated by Turkey's refusal to accept allied ground troops on its soil, enabling Hussein to concentrate his forces in south, where irregular fedayeen groups are putting up stiff resistance; Iraqi Republican Guard makes maneuver south of Baghdad in preparation for confrontation with allied forces approaching city; guard is believed to be moving in light vehicles; earlier reports of column of 1,000 armored vehicles are described by Central Command in Qatar as error; bombing of Baghdad resumes, with several big explosions rocking center of city; Iraqi authorities say errant bomb or missile crashed into Baghdad market, killing 17 civilians and wounding many more; Pentagon officials acknowledge that allied bomb or missile could have gone astray; Maj Gen Stanley A McChrystal says cause might have been Iraqi missile that missed its target and fell back to earth; international criticism of war intensifies, but Pres Bush appears unconcerned by rising chorus of protest; leaders in Middle East and Europe call for cease-fire, and Sec Gen Kofi Annan denounces civilian losses in war zone and shortage of food and water in southern city of Basra; map (L)

Dave Anderson Sports of The Times column contends that NFL's expected decision to increase playoff teams from 12 to 14 is motivated by money and would reward mediocrity, not excellence; photo (M)