July 31, 2004

At 5 p.m. yesterday, the Mets made a trade that should bolster their pitching rotation for the foreseeable future and could push them up the standings in the National League East. At 5:15, they made another, with no less impact.

US yields to pressure from developing countries and agrees to make 20 percent cut in some of $19 billion in subsidies it pays to American farmers each year, as members of World Trade Organization meet in Geneva to win approval for new deal governing world trade; US trade representative Robert B Zoellick reaches agreement to cut subsidies; also reaches accord with Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali in West Africa for eventual cutbacks in subsidies paid to American cotton growers; photo (M)

The pace of economic growth slowed abruptly in the second quarter of the year as consumers forced to pay higher energy bills curbed their spending on just about everything else, the government reported yesterday. The Commerce Department estimated that the nation's gross domestic product -- the broadest measure of economic activity -- expanded at an annual rate of 3 percent in the April-to-June quarter, sharply below the 4.5 percent growth achieved in the first quarter of the year and less than the expectations of Wall Street analysts.

A remarkable comeback for Mike Tyson was supposed to begin Friday night against a relative unknown from Britain named Danny Williams. Freedom Hall was to be Tyson's launching point for his return to contention and the dollar days of his past. Williams was to be his first foil, nothing more.

President Bush opened a new campaign offensive on Friday by saying that he had delivered results in education, health care, the economy and national security, and by attacking Senator John Kerry for what he characterized as a 19-year Senate record lacking significant accomplishment. After largely ceding the spotlight to Democrats for the week of their convention, Mr. Bush stumped through Missouri, Michigan and Ohio with a retooled speech emphasizing that his policies had helped the nation through a time of trial and that staying the course was the best way to assure continued improvement.