August 23, 2004

Long-running gang rivalries at public housing projects in New York City's Rockaways flare again into violence as Jamil Rosario of Ocean Bay Houses is charged with murdering Kevin McPhaul of Beach 41st Street (Edgemere) Houses, one of city's most crime-ridden projects; photos (M)

Alan Riding reviews book The Living Unknown Soldier: A Story of Grief and the Great War by Jean-Yves Le Naour; photos (M)

Interview with Michael Weisman, leading sports television producer and executive producer of NBC Universal's new syndicated daytime talk show The Jane Pauley Show; NBC Universal president Jeff Zucker and others in field comment on switch; graph of daytime talk shows; photos (M)

First-degree murder case against Christopher Pittman, who was 12 years old when he killed his grandparents in their home in Chester, SC, is among first to arise amid national debate over safety of antidepressant use in children and teenagers (special report, A Drug on Trial); his defenders say killings occurred as reaction to antidepressant Zoloft, drug he had started taking for depression not long before slayings; most medical experts do not see link between antidepressants and acts of extreme violance, but case is attracting special attention because of current debate over their safety; Pfizer, maker of Zoloft, is helping county solicitor who is prosecuting boy; lawyers from around country who have brought numerous civil lawsuits against Pfizer and other antidepressant makers have signed onto defense team; forensic psychiatrist retained by Christopher's public defender has testified at hearing that she believes he committed murders while in psychotic state induced by Zoloft; forensic psychiatrist called by prosecutors concludes that he knew what he was doing when he took his grandparents' lives; local doctor who had prescribed Zoloft, and who saw him days before killings, described him as having 'lots of energy, no plans to harm self, not flying off the handle'; Christopher contends he 'didn't have any feelings' after taking Zoloft; photos; map (M)

Number of top Silicon Valley venture capitalists rue their failure to supply capital to Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they sought funds to expand their Google Internet portal; have watched as John Doerr and Michael Moritz turned $11 million to $12 million they each paid in June 1999 for 10 percent stakes in Google into $3 billion; some recall their concerns about working with founders (M)