September 15, 2003

New York City initiates new procedures to address accusations that it has pushed out thousands of struggling students in recent years and placed them in bureaucratic category where they will not be counted as droputs; will give each discharged student planning conference before they leave school and assign assistant principal to compile monthly record of each discharged student; critics say plan does not go far enough (M)

Anthony Tommasini reviews opening performances at Carnegie Hall's new underground Zankel Hall: press preview concert, first public concert of contemporary chamber work conducted by John Adams and family concert featuring Brooklyn Youth Chorus, directed by Dianne Berkun; discusses new hall's acoustics; photos (M)

Many Americans who supported invasion of Iraq and applauded Pres Bush's execution of war are growing concerned about what is taking place there, unhappy with mounting costs, disturbed by casualties and, most of all, wondering how it is all going to end; various polls show that nation appears increasingly anxious about war effort and worried that United States may be trapped in adventure from which there is no evident exit; support for Bush remains relatively strong, but there is gnawing unease about course of mission and realization that conflict will be deadlier, more expensive and longer-lasting than he signaled on May 1, when he landed on aircraft carrier to celebrate fall of Saddam Hussein; there is evidence that steps Bush took week ago to try to arrest any decline in support for war--delivering prime-time speech and requesting $87 billion to pay for its aftermath--might not have had desired effect; photos (M)

World trade talks intended to help developing nations collapse when delegates from many poorer nations walk out, accusing wealthy nations of failing to offer sufficient compromises on agriculture and other issues; World Trade Orgn will now almost certainly fail to make its self-imposed deadline of Jan 2005 for reaching new agreement that dismantles global trade barriers; failure also means faltering global economy will not receive jump-start by expansion of markets; wealthy nations had hoped agreement would help fend off new wave of protectionism, especially in United States, where manufacturing jobs have been disappearing by tens of thousands, and where questions about benefits of unfettered world trade have already infected presidential campaign; pivotal issue in breakdown of talks is agriculture, and developing nations' objection to $300 billion in subsidies paid to world's wealthiest farmers; proposals made by US and Europe to redress what developing nations regard as major injustice fall far short of their expectations; photo (M)

Article explores question of why Lower Manhattan Development Corp, which is overseeing rebuilding of World Trade Center site, is seeking to incorporate cultural institutions into complex and why established uptown entities are now willing to consider downtown location; describes movement in other major cities in recent years toward infusing culture into downtown areas; photos (M)