July 26, 2004

Roles of television anchors Peter Jennings, ABC News, Tom Brokaw, NBC News, and Dan Rather, CBS News, seem oddly diminished in time when there is little breaking news at political conventions; all appear resigned that they are no longer giants as they fight for prominence in media world crowded with newcomers, political world where conventions are scripted and corporate culture that is unwilling to give them more than one hour each night for coverage; graph shows television ratings of conventions from 1960-2000; photos (M)

The Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven, looking to expand, came to this town in 1990, when a local utility offered to sell a 53-acre patch of green, teeming with pheasants. As gratified as the center's backers were to find a vast piece of undeveloped property close to New Haven for only $1.5 million, there was one obvious catch: the string of 115-kilovolt overhead power lines that slice through the property. At the time, officials from the center believed that any risk from the overhead wires was minimal, according to Scott Cohen, its assistant director. So they accepted a deal that gave the utility the right to maintain the lines and install new ones as needed, and moved in.

Banco Santander Central Hispano reportedly agrees to buy Abbey National of Britain, in a mostly stock deal worth more than 8.5 billion pounds ($15.6 billion); deal, largest cross-border banking merger in Europe since introduction of euro into general use in January 2002, would create world's eighth-largest bank, with market capitalization of about $62 billion and major presence in Latin America, Spain, Britain and Northern Ireland; opinion is split on whether deal will usher in long-awaited wave of financial mergers in Europe of if it is result of unique environment in Britain, where only way banks may grow is through deals with non-British banks (M)

Kevin Millar was at it again in the fifth inning on Sunday, clubbing a home run off the giant Coke bottles above the Green Monster and causing more misery for José Contreras at Fenway Park. After crossing home plate, Millar slapped hands with the fans in the front-row seats. The man who got the last high five was in town on business, seated directly beside the Boston Red Sox's dugout: Senator John Kerry.

R W Apple Jr column examines impact of Democratic Convention being held in Sen John Kerry's home town of Boston; says most of nation sees Boston as home of liberalism, notion Kerry is trying to disabuse, but notes ties to Sen Edward Kennedy may make that difficult; wonders why Massachusetts was even selected to host convention, when there are dominant cities in important swing states; notes that candidates nominated from conventions in their home states have all gone on to lose; photo (M)