Hume Cronyn, one of foremost character actors of American stage and screen for more than 60 years, dies at age of 91; his stage performances received five Tony nominations, and he won in 1964 as Polonius in Hamlet; in 1994, he and Jessica Tandy, his wife and frequent acting partner, received first Tony for lifetime achievement; she died later that year; in his 70's, he won fresh recognition for his role in popular movie Cocoon and its sequel; career recalled (L)

Hume Cronyn, Compelling Actor Of Stage and Screen, Dies at 91

Bank of Japan reports assets held by Japanese individuals fell record 19 percent in fiscal year ended in Mar, third consecutive drop (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: Japan: Decline In Savings

New Jersey Nets reflect on Game 6 unraveling and eventual loss to San Antonio Spurs in NBA finals, with some blaming themselves, each other or coach Byron Scott, who made questionable substitutions throughout game; photos (M)

There's Lots of Blame To Share on the Nets

William C Rhoden Sports of The Times column discusses decision facing New Jersey Nets player Jason Kidd, who will become unrestricted free agent during off season; Kidd has said he would like to play with San Antonio Spurs player Tim Duncan and that he also wants to be on team capable of winning championship; photo (M)

Sports of The Times; Spurs Show Kidd What's Missing In New Jersey

City to Miss State Deadline On Teachers

NEC Electronics Corp, semiconductor maker, plans to list its shares on Tokyo Stock Exchange (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: Japan: Chip Maker To List Shares

Federal prosecutors say the organizer behind the nation's deadliest smuggling case was a 25-year-old Honduran immigrant who told a judge she spoke no English and until recently worked at Levi's. ''She's the general,'' a prosecutor said of the woman, Karla Chavez, who along with 13 others was named in a federal indictment stemming from the deaths of 19 illegal immigrants.  

Charges Are Brought In Smuggling Deaths

Guidant Corp to stop selling device that helps treat weakened abdominal aorta after admitting it concealed thousands of problems linked to product; says 18,000 patients who already have device are safe because problems center on system used to insert it, not device itself; says it will continue to support those patients over years; group chairman Jay Graf says potential liability from dozen suits filed on behalf of patients who died or were injured by device is 'manageable' because product liability insurance will help pay costs (M)

Medical Concern Will Halt Sales Of Artery Device Linked to Deaths

The Guidant Corporation, which admitted last week that it had concealed thousands of problems linked to one of its medical devices, including 12 deaths, said that it would stop selling the product, which helps treat a weakened blood vessel in the abdomen. But it said the 18,000 patients who have the device are safe because the problems centered on the system used to insert it, not the device itself.    Business Day, Page C1.

Maker to Halt Sales Of a Medical Device

Ben Ratliff Critic's Notebook column on Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tenn, which included performances by Grateful Dead, country singer Lucinda Williams, saxophonist Joshua Redman and turntablist Kid Koala; photos (M)

A Festival To Make Deadheads Grateful

Costa Rican biologist Dr Eduardo Carrillo, working for Wildlife Conservation Society, gives background on elusive jaguar and its behavior, specifically in Corcovado (Costa Rica); using radio collars and heat-sensitive cameras strategically placed to observe jaguar movement, Dr Carrillo estimates jungle region is home to 50 to 100 jaguars; jaguars hunt by remaining invisible until last possible moment and killing prey with single blow; are solitary and rarely attack other jaguars or humans; mother jaguars have been observed and filmed, but cubs remain entirely out of sight; photos; map; chart (L)

At Last, Ready for Its Close-Up

United States faces its most severe shortage of natural gas in quarter-century; industries that use gas to produce their goods are already laying off workers; experts warn that warming trend, in economy or weather, could send prices spiking for electricity that cools homes and runs every sort of business; most analysts agree that basic law of supply and demand is at work; nearly all electric plants built since 1998 are designed to be fired mainly by gas, which has been promoted as cleaner-burning fuel than oil or coal; drilling has increased about 25 percent in last year, but supplies have not kept up with demand because much of drilling has been confined to old, overworked basins that are not as productive as they once were; analysts say failure to guage supply needs and weather patterns accurately in up-and-down economy has added to squeeze on supplies; prices for natural gas have risen sharply in last year as stored supplies fall to lowest level since federal government began keeping records in 1976; latest surge in prices has led to renewed calls from gas industry for loosening of environmental restrictions on drilling and pipeline construction in US; Energy Sec Spencer Abraham and National Petroleum Council are convening meeting later this month to discuss shortage and propose solutions; photo; graphs (L)

Short Supply of Natural Gas Is Raising Economic Worries

New York Yankees designated hitter Ruben Sierra is making up for lost time, impressing team and manager Joe Torre after rebellious attitude and declining numbers drove him to minors for years; is with Yankees for second time; since his return he is 8 for 18 with two home runs; photo (M)

Sierra Still Has Big Bat, but Not a Big Head

Prime Min Ariel Sharon, addressing Israel's Parliament, warns that Middle East diplomacy will stall if 'terror runs rampant,' and pledges to 'hound the terrorists' until Palestinian security forces crack down on them; speech comes only hours after visiting Egyptian delegation fails to win cease-fire pledge from Hamas and other militant Palestinian factions during two days of talks in Gaza Strip; Palestinian Prime Min Mahmoud Abbas arrives in Gaza City for new talks with Hamas, which has rebuffed his previous appeals for truce; Palestinian officials say they are caught between widely divergent demands of Israel and Hamas; each side wants other to agree to truce first; nevertheless, Israeli and Palestinian officials renew security talks; further talks are considered likely on proposal for withdrawing Israeli troops from Palestinian areas in northern Gaza, with Palestinian security forces replacing them; violence remains constant threat, with Hamas refusing to suspend its bombing campaign and with Israeli troops still operating in and around Palestinian cities; Sharon' s speech focuses on security and is directed at his core of right-wing supporters who are deeply skeptical of peacemaking efforts after 32 months of almost daily fighting; he is being criticized by both left and right; photo (M)

Sharon Vows to 'Hound' Hamas, Which Rejects a Cease-Fire Bid

Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa say mainland China and Hong Kong are set to sign free trade accord that will end tariffs on many goods and give Hong Kong companies greater access to mainland markets for many services, news conference; foreign business executives note that unless pact excludes Hong Kong subsidiaries of multinational corporations, China would effectively be opening huge back door to its markets (M)

Hong Kong And China To Sign Pact Easing Trade

Dr Michael T Osterholm, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy director and University of Minnesota public health professor, contends popular trade in exotic pets has created hotbed for worldwide infectious disease; transmission of germs between animals from different regions who would not have contact in wild, fosters situation in which they can spread germs to each other and to owners who purchase them; such transmission occurred when monkeypox, delivered from Gambian rat, moved on to prairie dog and then to human; researchers tracking viruses are particularly concerned about increase in animal to human infections; photo; chart (M)

Beyond Cute: Exotic Pets Come Bearing Exotic Germs

BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto Group agree to $400 million expansion of Escondida project in Chile; project, three miles from existing mine, will provide higher-grade ores from open pit (S)

World Business Briefing | Americas: Chile: Mine Project

PeopleSoft, seeking to avert hostile takeover by Oracle, revises its all-stock offer for J D Edwards to include about $863 million in cash, move that means it will not have to seek shareholder approval for purchase; Oracle reportedly plans suit to block restructured deal; says it will continue to push its bid for PeopleSoft (M)

Market Place; PeopleSoft Revises Offer For Rival as It Battles Oracle

Old Rivals in Court, With Nary a Cross Word

Department stores across nation use aggressive policing system in effort to stop shoplifting and recoup some of billions of dollars lost to theft every year; at Macy's Manhattan store, suspected shoplifters are led to chain-link holding cell where interrogation occurs, and verdict is made as to whether or not they tried to steal; their Social Security numbers are punched into national database, and they are turned over to police or they are freed; company says over 95 percent of those detained confess to shoplifting and quite a few pay in-store penalty before leaving; store has 100 security officers, four German shepherds, hundreds of cameras and closed-circuit television center; operation is legally authorized and, retailers say, necessary; say private police fill void left by public police too burdened to chase small-time thieves; say retailers are able to save legal costs by settling shoplifting cases directly with perpetrators; civil libertarians voice concern, noting that accused shoplifters are often deprived of right to legal representation before questioning; aggressive policing at stores has provoked litigation; Macy's is being sued, and juries have awarded million-dollar settlements to shoppers in Dillard's in Kansas and Eddie Bauer in Maryland for race discrimination and false imprisonment; Macy's system described in detail; photos (L)

In Stores, Private Handcuffs for Sticky Fingers

Clyde Haberman NYC column on Bloomsday, July 16,1904, day Leopold Bloom made his odyssey through Dublin in James Joyuce's novel Ulysses, real-life horror of burning of General Slocum, excursion steamer that caught fire as it entered waters of Hell Gate killing 1,021 as noted in Ulysses's Wandering Rocks episode and reopening of Coliseum Books on West 42d Street opposite Bryant Park (M)

Of Books, A Disaster And Renewal

Banca Nazionale del Lavoro promotes Mario Girotti to general manager after Davide Croff resigns as chief exeutive; Croff's post will not be filled (S)

World Business Briefing | Europe: Italy: Bank Executive Named

SCO Group, which owns license rights and source code to Unix operating system, escalates its legal battle with IBM, revoking IBM's license for AIX version of Unix; asks federal court to bar IBM from using or distributing products with AIX; holds IBM copied Unix code into Linux, free software improved and debugged by far-flung network of programmers guided by Linus Torvalds; suit has potential to affect many corporations now using GNU Linux operating system, close relative of Unix; IBM rejects SCO's legal claims; photo (M)

Company Escalates Fight With I.B.M. By Revoking License to Key Software

Federal jury finds bankrupt First Alliance Corp defrauded over 7,500 homeowners who got high-cost home equity loans from it and that Lehman Brothers knowingly assisted in fraud by providing financial backing to company despite warnings about its questionable business practices; awards plaintiffs $50.9 million in damages; holds Lehman responsible for 10 percent of amount, company, its founder, Brian Chisick, and other company executives and directors liable for 85 percent of damages and MBIA Inc, which insured some of mortgage-backed securities, liable for 5 percent (M)

Lehman Aided in Loan Fraud, Jury Says

Article on sequel to Mein Kampf, dictated by Adolph Hitler in mid-1928 to Nazi party's publishing director Max Amann; book, published in German after Hitler died, has been translated into English by Krista Smith and University of North Carolina emeritus professor Gerhard Weinberg and is being published by Enigma Books as Hitler's Second Book: The Unpublished Sequel to 'Mein Kampf'; book offers new details on Hitler's policy on South Tyrol and his need to go to war with US; photos ( M)

June 17, 2003

Headlines from June 17, 2003

Hume Cronyn, Compelling Actor Of Stage and Screen, Dies at 91

World Business Briefing | Asia: Japan: Decline In Savings

There's Lots of Blame To Share on the Nets

Sports of The Times; Spurs Show Kidd What's Missing In New Jersey

City to Miss State Deadline On Teachers

Billboard 200

How The West Was Won

Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

Fallen

Thankful

Come Away With Me

Historical Context for June 17, 2003