October 9, 2004

Final employment report before Nov 2 election shows employment grew by less than 100,000 in September; unemployment rate remains unchanged at 5.4 percent because some 200,000 people stopped looking for work; White House hails figure as evidence of continued employment expansion, saying it validates Pres Bush's pursuit of tax cuts to support economic recovery; Sen John Kerry points to 1.6 million jobs lost under Bush; many economists argue that president can have only little influence on job creation, but economy remains pivotal issue in election; graph; charts (M)

Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Dr Wangari Maathai, Kenyan woman who started environmental movement that has planted 30 million trees in Africa; Maathai founded Green Belt Movement in 1977 to organize poor women to fight deforestation and to replenish fuel source; award stretches traditional bounds of prize to include environmental advocacy; Nobel committee calls her 'inspiration for everyone in Africa fighting for sustainable development, democracy and peace'; photo (M)

Dan Barry, in About New York column, notes that Board of Elections computer analyst John P O'Grady is responsible for keeping 7,291 voting machines in working order and delivering them to over 1,300 polling sites throughout New York City for general election on Nov 2 (M)d

Florida A&M University moves on with season after dreams of promotion from Division I-AA to I-A--and chance to become only historically black college to play highest level of football--die when funding cannot support move up; photos (M)

Federal authorites say three of five murder victims they are hoping to find in vacant lot on Brooklyn-Queens border were buried in 1980 and 1981 by group that included John Gotti's brother Gene, Angelo Ruggiero and John Carneglia; say bodies of Philip Giaccone, Dominick Trinchera and Alphonse Indelicato were disposed of by Gotti's crew as favor to Bonanno family; say Indelicato's body was unearthed weeks after killings; say John Favara, who was killed in 1980 because he accidently ran over John Gotti's 12-year-old son Frank, is believed to be buried in lot; photos (M)