Martin Filler reviews book City in the Sky: The Rise and Fall of the World Trade Center by James Glanz and Eric Lipton; photos (M)

Dividing Reality and Myth In the Fate of the Towers

Gov James E McGreevey says he will not support increasing New Jersey's gasoline tax by 12.5 to 15 cents a gallon because it would smother state's economic recovery; increase was proposed by bipartisan commission he appointed to find ways to support state's Transportation Trust Fund, which is running out of money for road repair and construction; Legislature Democrats hoped to have issue resolved before new session in which they will have majority (M)

McGreevey Decides Time Isn't Right For Gas Levy

Article from Pumpuentsa, Ecuador, on fight by indigenous Indians to fend off international energy companies that are moving into Amazon basin to tap some of last untouched oil and natural gas reserves; tactics of Indians struggling to hold onto nearly primordial way of life range from protests and savvy cooperation with environmentalists to vandalism and kidnapping of industry workers; outcome will determine if Amazon resources become key part of Latin American development and US strategy to diversify energy sources; region already provides more oil to US than Middle East does and governments are trying to lure investors to natural riches along 1,000 miles of forests and Andean foothills, from Colombia to Bolivia and into Brazil's vast interior; photos; map; efforts by environmentalists to hold off exploration in one rain forest region of Ecuador described (L)

Seeking Balance: Growth vs. Culture in Amazon

Former Miami University coach Howard Schnellenberger has led Florida Atlantic University to 11-2 record this season and Division I-AA semifinals; his fine coaching record noted; photos (M)

Schnellenberger Has a Winner Again

Russian Oil Deal Seems to Be Heading for Divorce

Benetton Lays Out Plan To Recover From Slump

Free agent pitcher Andy Pettitte's father Tom expresses frustration with negotiations process, contending that New York Yankees have been sluggish and less than enthusiastic about trying to re-sign his son (M)

Yankees' Approach Upsets the Pettittes

World Business Briefing | Europe: Germany: Executive Named

Article on GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali, 75-pound, 792-page, 20-by-20 inch book chronicling life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali covered in silk and Louis Vuitton leather that is being published by Taschen Books; GOAT (for Greatest of All Time) will be sold in limited edition of 9,000 priced at $3,000 and 1,000, with sculpture by artist Jeff Koons, for $7,500; photos (M)

Knockout Of a Book For the Greatest; A Tribute to Ali Weighs 75 Pounds

 UAL Nears Deal for Money To Leave Bankruptcy  United Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection a year ago, is close to securing $2 billion in exit financing.     United also plans to resubmit its application for federal loan guarantees as soon as next week, even though it has not resolved financing issues involving its employee pension plans, the single biggest stumbling block to emerging from bankruptcy. [Page C9.]

BUSINESS DIGEST

Audubon Society incurs wrath of Friends of Animals by agreeing to deer hunt on 265 acres of bird sanctuary in Greenwich, Conn; hunters agree to donate venison taken at site to Fairfield County's homeless; homeless groups are caught in middle of debate and ask only that either side donate food if it is available; Audubon Society says deer have become so pleniful they are crowding out species of birds in habitat; photos (M)

The Homeless and the Meatless; A Deer Hunt to Aid the Hungry Brings a Vegan Response

World Business Briefing: Germany: Investor Con

World Business Briefing | Europe: Germany: Investor Confidence Rises

Singapore Airlines to Create Low-Cost Carrier Next Year

Fall & Winter Fashion/NFL Coaches Runway column discusses style of football coaches on sidelines over years and careful efforts to market certain images to public, media and fans; many coaches have become standard-bearers or iconoclasts for future coaches; photo (M)

Sideline Style In the Color Of Money

Abercrombie & Fitch will no longer publish its provocative quarterly magazine, which included photographs of nude and nearly nude young models; magazine has generated great deal of attention and controversy, including consumer boycotts, since it was introduced in fall 1997; photo (M)

Abercrombie & Fitch to End Its Racy Magazine

Federal government is paying Halliburton Co average of $2.64 a gallon to import gas and other fuel to Iraq from Kuwait, more than twice what others pay to truck in Kuwaiti fuel; company has exclusive government contract and subcontracts work to Kuwaiti firm but takes 26 cents per gallon for itself; criticism erupted in October over average price believed to be $1.60 per gallon for fuel available for 71 cents wholesale, but Army Corps of Engineers documents obtained from Repr Henry Waxman show even higher price; chart; company and Army Corps cite high costs for Kellogg Brown & Root unit; Halliburton got no-competition contract to repair oil industry and has already received more than $1.4 billion (M)

High Payments To Halliburton For Fuel in Iraq

Howard Dean won Al Gore's endorsement of his presidential bid with aggressive though off-the-radar effort over many months; complimented Gore on his speeches, sought his advice and even stopped over in Nashville to talk with Gores; quest became priority as centrist Democrats spread view that party establishment feared Dean could not defeat Pres Bush; Dean campaign got supporters to write to Gore requesting endorsement; rivals did not pay such attention, believing Gore would remain neutral through primaries or endorse former running-mate Joseph Lieberman; longtime Gore aide Roy Neel, responding to their anger now, says Gore wanted to make a difference in race (M)

Gore's Endorsement Was Won Over Time and Under the Radar

Pentagon bars French, German and Russian companies from competing for $18.6 billion in contracts for rebuilding Iraq, citing US security interests; Deputy Sec Paul D Wolfowitz's directive is most substantial retaliation to date against allies that did not support Bush adminstration's war; only companies from US, Iraq and 61 'coalition partners' will be eligible for 26 lucrative contracts; subcontractors are not affected; Sen Joseph Biden criticizes 'gratuitous slap' that does nothing to protect security but alienates allies whose help is needed; Rep Christopher Shays concurs (M)

PENTAGON BARS THREE NATIONS FROM IRAQ BIDS

Bush administration is participating in conferences and workshops that encourage American companies to put operations and jobs in China while it complains about China unfairly tilting trade dealings to its advantage; seeming contradiction reflects diffident American response to China's rise as economic power; Pres Bush presses China's visiting Prime Min Wen Jiabao to let value of Chinese yuan rise, step that would make American operations in China marginally more expensive and less appealing; administration has also threatened to impose tariffs on smattering of Chinese products, another marginal step unlikely to make much of dent in America's $100 billion per year trade deficit with China; Commerce Department often sends its representatives to trade shows, but dulls their pro-export message by delivering it at conferences dominated by Chinese delegations urging American companies to invest in China, not export; Wang Gongwei of Beijing Finance Street Holdings Co, which promoted and paid for Waldorf-Astoria Hotel trade conference, says great historical opportunity and tremendous business market are appearing in China; photos (M)

In This Case, a Two-China Policy for U.S.

Florence Fabricant reviews some cookbooks for holiday giving; photos (L)

Cooks' Gifts, With Shelf Life

Article noted on manslaughter indictments of three people in Rhode Island nightclub fire that killed 100 people

Fatal Nightclub Fire Brings 3 Indictments

Industrial production in Malaysia rose 11.3 percent in October compared with month year earlier, strongest increase since end of 2000; exports in October rose 7.2 percent, highest level since September 2000 (S)

World Business Briefing | Asia: Malaysia: Industrial Output Rises

World Business Briefing | Europe: Britain: Lender's Revenue Rises

R W Apple Jr news analysis says Al Gore's endorsement of Howard Dean for Democratic presidential nomination makes Dean insurgent front-runner, giving him legitimacy but also problems of self-definition as establishment candidates revamp their campaigns to be ready to pounce if he falters in New Hampshire or Iowa; how well Dean wears will depend on how he defines himself, whether as liberal, as passionate young supporters believe, or as centrist who supported both abortion rights and gun rights as governor of Vermont (M)

An Insurgent Gains Status

Profile of Tom Valenti, chef and owner of 'Cesca, Italian restaurant on Upper West Side and author of new cookbook called Tom Valenti's Soups, Stews and One-Pot Meals; photos; recipes (L)

AT LUNCH WITH: Tom Valenti; For Grandma, With Amore

Séan Joseph McClory was an Irish actor whose career spanned six decades and included well over 100 films and television series. He was sometimes billed as Shawn McGlory or Sean McGlory.

December 10, 2003

Headlines from December 10, 2003

Dividing Reality and Myth In the Fate of the Towers

McGreevey Decides Time Isn't Right For Gas Levy

Seeking Balance: Growth vs. Culture in Amazon

Schnellenberger Has a Winner Again

Russian Oil Deal Seems to Be Heading for Divorce

Billboard 200

The Black Album

The Singles 1992-2003

In The Zone

Metamorphosis

Now 14

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for December 10, 2003