May 26, 2004

Researchers led by Dr Mary Beth Terry report women who take aspirin seven or more times a week have 26 percent lower risk of developing common type of breast cancer than those who do not; aspirin seems able to prevent breast tumors stimulated by hormone estrogen; such tumors account for 60 to 70 percent of all cases; scientists say it is too soon to recommend aspirin just to prevent breast cancer (M)

Ben Brantley reviews revival of Donald Margulies play Sight Unseen, directed by Daniel Sullivan; Ben Shenkman, Laura Linney, Byron Jennings and Ana Reeder star; photos (M)

Child welfare officials in New Jersey fight to keep open Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center in Farmingdale, only state-run psychiatric hospital for adolescents; Kevin Ryan, state's child advocate, has reported abuse and neglect there, as well as seriously deficient treatment and staff problems; facility is last resort for troubled adolescents age 11 to 18; state has been ordered by courts to come up with plan to reform its failing child welfare system by early June (M)

Atlantic Center Mall in Brooklyn is undergoing transformation that its developers, Forest City Ratner, and surrounding community hope will make it easier for customers to get from store to store; was built with long, confusing corridors and without central mall during 1990's in effort to deter crime and foil lingering teenagers; lower crime rate and new development in neighborhood have caused developer to rethink layout; photo (M)

Defense Sec Donald H Rumsfeld postpones until November decision on $20 billion contract to lease aerial refueling tankers from Boeing Co, move that delays action until after presidential election; decision puts controversial project outside election-year politics and gives Pentagon more time to come up with alternatives to proposed deal, which critics say is overpriced and unnecessary; Rumsfeld orders analysis of alternatives to arrangement in which Air Force would lease up to 100 Boeing 767 jet for use as refueling tankers; tankers were to be used as replacements for Air Force airborne refueling fleet that dates to Eisenhower administration (M)