February 27, 2004

Democratic candidates hold lively 90-minute debate as they head toward biggest day of primary voting in Democratic nomination battle; Sens John Kerry and John Edwards clash over who has greater ability to woo independent voters and defeat Pres Bush; under persistent questioning from CNN and Los Angeles Times panel, both express their opposition to gay marraige and to Pres Bush's call for constitutional amendment to bar it; Kerry is also challenged on his opposition to death penalty, position that Democrats have long feared could cause him problem; debate also includes Rep Dennis J Kucinich and Rev Al Sharpton; photo (M)

Delaware Vice Chancellor Leo E Strine Jr blocks Conrad M Black's deal to sell his controlling stake in newspaper company Hollinger International to Barclay brothers of Britain, ruling that independent directors should be allowed to try to sell company's assets; ruling criticizes Lord Black's deal with Barclays--conducted without knowledge of Hollinger's boasrd or its investment bankers--as 'cunning and calculated'; represents decisive victory for company's independent directors, who have been running its daily operations since November; Lord Black resigned in fal as chief executive, as questions mounted over millions of payments and management fees that he received from company in recent years; board ousted him as chairman in January; photo (M)

New York Rangers defeat New York Islanders, 6-3; photos (M)

The greatest mystery in this laborious, nonsensical thriller is why Philip Kaufman, whose credits include movies like "The Right Stuff" and "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," bothered to lend his talents to such mediocre studio hackwork. Ashley Judd, struggling mightily to convince the world that she has a dark, complicated side, plays Jessica Shepard, a San Francisco homicide investigator who also seems to be the prime suspect in her first big case. The victims of an apparent serial killer all turn out to be men she has slept with, and the fact that Jessica's father was both a cop and a murderer makes the possibility of her guilt all the more plausible. Is she the killer, or is one of her friends and protectors — her mentor (Samuel L. Jackson), her partner (Andy Garcia), her shrink (David Strathairn), her ex-boyfriend (Mark Pellegrino) — setting her up? It is hard even to be curious, much less to care. — A. O. Scott

Article on Keys Cruisers, also known as Conch Mobiles, jalopies, often rusted, dented and held together by wire and duct tape, that are part of culture in Florida Keys; poorer residents drive Keys Cruisers because they have to while wealthy ones do so to fit in; photos (M)