September 19, 2003

Taubman Centers Wins Big Round in Takeover Fight The Michigan Senate passed legislation that would change the state's takeover laws and would allow the Taubman family to block a hostile takeover of its shopping mall empire, voiding a federal court decision that prevented it from taking such action. The legislation, backed by an intense lobbying campaign by the Taubman family and passed by a vote of 24 to 14, would make moot the $1.74 billion bid for Taubman Centers from the mall owners Simon Property Group and Westfield America Trust. [Page C4.]

Article on Tzero, electric sports car made by AC Propulsion of San Dimas, Calif, which is powered by array of lithium-ion laptop computer batteries that can reach 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds; photos (M)

United Automobile Workers union reaches labor deals with General Motors Corp and Delphi, world's largest auto parts company, which GM spun off in 1999, concluding talks with Big Three automakers; deals, which will result in thousands of job cuts as about dozen plants are closed or sold, reflect broad competitive struggles of domestic manufacturers, and union's effort to balance desires of its members with shrinking market share and profits of automakers; UAW president Ron Gettelfinger and GM chairman-chief executive Rick Wagoner comment; photo (M)

Woody Allen, blessedly declining to cast himself as the romantic lead, appears to have shaken off the tone-deafness and compulsiveness that have marred his last three pictures. While far from his best work, this slight, tart anti-romantic comedy has a loose, easy rhythm and an impressive number of funny lines and gags. Jason Biggs, who is perhaps a little too amiable for the job, plays the Woody Allen surrogate, a comedy writer named Jerry Falk who is saddled with a difficult manager (Danny DeVito) and an impossible girlfriend, a would-be actress named Amanda (Christina Ricci). Amanda, a sexual dynamo and a manipulative head case, might have been an exercise in sour misogyny, but Ms. Ricci has a feral intelligence that turns her into a finely drawn comic monster. Mr. Allen himself appears as an older comedy writer who appoints himself Jerry's mentor. The character — paranoid, vengeful, bluntly anti-intellectual — is both the continuation of other Woody Allen characters and a rebuke to their needy, self-conscious, analytical approaches to life. — A.O. Scott

Bush Admits Mideast Plan Is Stalled and Blames Arafat For the first time, President Bush noted that the Mideast peace talks had stalled, and he laid the blame solely on the Palestinian leader, Yasir Arafat, and his dismissal of his first prime minister. PAGE A8 Concessions From U.A.W. The United Automobile Workers concluded negotiations with the Big Three and two suppliers after granting its most significant concessions in decades. Thousands of jobs will be lost as a result. PAGE C1