Marching Toward N.C.A.A. Tournament

George Vecsey Sports of The Times column contends that Big East men's basketball conference is losing its identity with schools seceding elsewhere and new teams poised to move in; photos (M)

Say Goodbye to the Big East We Used to Know

Kelefa Sanneh Critic's Notebook column on new rhythm and blues songs produced by Rich Harrison that are being sung by such performers as Jennifer Lopez and Usher; photos (M)

New R&B Sounds, Emanating From One Source

Fernando Ferrer campaigns against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on theme of taking back City Hall as first step for Democrats to take to win back statehouse and White House; photos; his campaign brings in Leo J Hindery Jr, media executive with strong ties to Democratic national committee, to lead cross-country fund-raising; Quinnipiac poll puts Ferrer well ahead of Democratic rivals as he tries to compete with Bloomberg's self-financed campaign (M)

Ferrer Promoting Mayoralty as a National Democratic Goal

Article on elaborate, large-scale topiary creations on Pearl Fryar's property in Bishopville, SC; photos (M)

Towering Ambition Gets Loose in the Yard

Article on archive of sound recordings and photographs made by American photojournalist W Eugene Smith for his jazz-loft project, dating from 1957 to about 1965, in which he obsessively documented a Manhattan loft full of jazz musicians on Sixth Avenue near 28th Street; archive is housed at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies; photos (M)

Tape Machine as a Fly on the Wall of Jazz

Scott McConnell, substitute teacher in Syracuse, is ousted from graduate education program at Le Moyne College over paper supporting corporal punishment; photos; college supervisor Cathy Leogrande cites 'mismatch' between his personal beliefs and program's goals; McConnell says he is evangelical Christian from Oklahoma who is being abused by political correctness in liberal New York; appeals to First Amendment groups; he also says he dislikes 'anti-American multiculturalism'; Asst Comr Joseph P Frey notes private colleges have wide latitude on accepting students (M)

College Expels Student Who Advocated Corporal Punishment

Metro Matters column on City Council's effort to get some control over payments in lieu of taxes, or Pilots, money that developers contribute to New York City's treasury in exchange for building on city-owned land; payments, controlled by mayor, are usually generous deals negotiated to keep businesses in town and Council has not complained much since most of money is plowed back into city treasury, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg now wants to use $21 million of annual Pilots to pay debt service on bonds; Speaker Gifford Miller, calling Pilots 'slush fund,' offers bill to require Council approval of such appropriations (M)

Pilots That Fly Under Radar of the Council

Profile of federal Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow, target of assassination plot by white supremacist Matthew Hale, who has been living under federal protection since Chicago murder of her husband and mother nine days ago; she comments, interview; photos (M)

Judge Tries to Regain Balancein a Family Shaken by Killings

New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera moved his family to US from Panama permanently in 2000 to alleviate fear that kidnappers would want piece of Rivera's big baseball contract; photo (M)

Fear Drives Rivera to Bring Family Here

China reports textile and apparel exports to United States jumped about 75 percent in Jan, first month after end of all quotas on textiles and apparel around world, to over $1.2 billion, up from some $701 million in Jan 2004; US imports of major apparel products from China jumped 546 percent; surge is early evidence that China could be ready to dominate global textile trade, adding to trade tensions around world; figures do not include large part of its goods that China ships through Hong Kong; Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show 12,200 jobs were lost in US apparel and textile industries in Jan; photos (M)

Free of Quota, China Textiles Flood the U.S.

Congressional committee issues subpoenas to 11 current or former players and baseball executives to testify at hearing on steroid use (M)

Congress and Baseball Begin Battle Over Steroids

New York Giants report deal to build privately-financed $700-million Meadowlands stadium has collapsed because of New Jersey's last-minute conditions; talks fall apart as state refuses to guarantee not to impose special taxes on stadium revenue in future and insists on separate agreement clearing way for Xanadu entertainment complex near site; team officials John Mara and Steve Tisch say there were 17 drafts and team agreed to all economic demands, including $6.3 million in annual rent; Acting Gov Richard Codey plays down Giants' anger and says deal is close (M)

Stadium Deal Falls Apart for New Jersey and the Giants

Samung Electronics Co is now what Sony Corp was decade ago, with twice market capitalization of Sony; Samsung has become what Sony could once claim--competitor with both breadth of products and appeal of premium brand; Samsung has kept lean corporate structure, with authority increasingly delegated to front-line managers around world, and almost quarter of far-flung staff of 88,000 dedicated to research and development; graphs (M)

Samsung Is Now What Sony Once Was

Fairleigh Dickinson University defeats Wagner College, 58-52, to win Northeast Conference championship; photo (M)

Fairleigh Dickinson Advances to the Final 65

Rapper 50 Cent and former protege the Game call truce in feud during charity event in Harlem; both make donations to Boys Choir of Harlem; photo (S)

After Shooting, 2 Rappers Make Donations, and Peace

Some investors are starting to become restive about lagging stock price and strategic decisions made by Morgan Stanley's chief executive Philip J Purcell; Purcell will preside at company's annual meeting next week and defend his stewardship of firm last year; while Morgan Stanley's earnings grew by 18 percent, its stock price declined by 6.5 percent, compared with 17 percent increase in stock price of its peers; results at Morgan Stanley were weighed down by its slower-growing Discover credit card and brokerage units; photo (M)

Countdown at Morgan Stanley

Playstation Portable will let users cut cord to television set and play favorite games anywhere; device's imminent arrival is hot topic at annual Game Developers Conference, San Francisco; Sony is promising 24 games will be ready when device goes on sale on March 24, all reworked to take advantage of new controls and sharp screen; photos (M)

Changing the Game, PlayStation Goes Mobile

Senate Republican leaders offer $2.6 trillion 2006 budget proposal that calls for extending $70.2 billion in expiring tax cuts over next five years, not $100 billion in extensions Pres Bush seeks; Sen Judd Gregg, Budget Committee chairman, says he seeks to extend cuts in capital gains and dividend taxes, which are set to expire in 2008; some moderate Senate Republicans express concern about extending cuts at time when deficit is at record high and domestic programs face steep cuts; Senate budget, like Bush and House versions, promises to cut deficit in half in five years; Democrats dismiss claim, holding extending tax cuts would increase deficit; fight over taxes and spending will be key test of Bush's strength on Capitol Hill (M)

G.O.P. Senators Balk at Tax Cuts in Bush's Budget

Frank J Furino, former New York Stock Exchange floor clerk for Lawrence Helfant, which was acquired by Jefferies Group investment bank in late 2001, is arrested and accused of passing on confidential information about trades to unnamed day trader who made more than $300,000 on illegally obtained information; is indicted on nine counts of securities fraud and commercial bribes; pleads not guilty and is released on $300,000 bond; Securities and Exchange Commission, which also files complaint against Furino, is investigating how confidential customer trade information in protected among many participants who partake in a trade, including Wall Street firms, custodians, specialists, floor brokers and floor clerks; photo (M)

Arrest Highlights Risks to Secrecy in Stock Trading

Vice Adm Albert T Church, after exhaustive review of interrogation techniques used by United States forces in detention centers in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Iraq, finds early warning signs of serious abuses did not get enough high-level attention as abuses unfolded, and that unit commanders did not get clear instructions that might have halted abuses; discloses new prodecures approved by Gen George W Casey Jr, top American military commander in Iraq, on Jan 27 that narrow set of authorized techniques and add new safeguards to prevent prisoner abuse; senior defense officials say new procedures clarifiy ban against use of muzzled dogs, give specific guidance to field units as to how long they can hold prisoners before releasing them or sending them to higher headquarters and make clear command responsibilities for detainee operations; Casey comments; photo (M)

New Interrogation Rules Set for Detainees in Iraq

Dr Zvi F Fuks, chairman of department of radiation oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and Sabina Ben-Yehuda, who worked at Scientia, investment company set up by Dr Samuel D Waksal, are charged with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud for selling shares in ImClone Systems after receiving tip from Waksal; complaint contends they sold their shares in ImClone in December 2001 after Waksal told them that government was about to deny approval of drug Erbitux; Securities and Exchange Commission also files civil charges against two, contending insider trading; Ben-Yehuda allegedly sold all 1,178 ImClone shares in her UBS PaineWebber account for more than $74,000 one day after learning from Waksal that it was 'highly likely' drug would not be approved by regulators, while Fuks sold 89,173 shares from his Bear Stearns account for more than $5 million; ImClone announced FDA's decision at 6 pm that day; stock fell 16 percent next day; Fuks and Ben-Yehuda plead not guilty and note that after Waksal's arrest, he denied tipping them off when being interviewed by federal investigators (M)

2 Are Charged Over Trading in ImClone

Bush administration, after years of campaigning against radical Shiite Muslim Hezbollah as terrorist pariah, is grudgingly going along with French and United Nations efforts to steer party into Lebanon's political mainstream; American, European and UN officials see shift as reluctant recognition that Hezbollah is enormous political force in nation that could block Western efforts to get Syria to withdraw its troops (M)

U.S. Called Ready to See Hezbollah in Lebanon Role

Article in periodic series Beyond Balco, on medical and legal aspects of steroid use, particularly among youths, focuses on death of Vacaville, Calif, football player Efrain Marrero, 19, who killed self weeks after he stopped taking steroids; his death and two other suicides of young athletes who used steroids underscore for many medical experts short-term risks linked to withdrawal from steroids at time of increasing concern about their use by young athletes and long-term health risks associated with drugs; photos (M)

Steroids Are Blamed inSuicide of Young Athlete

Rutgers University men's basketball team defeats Notre Dame University, 72-65, in first round of Big East Conference tournament; photos (M)

Two Teams on Bubble Keep Their Hopes Alive

David Tynan O'Mahony, known professionally as Dave Allen, was an Irish comedian, satirist, and actor. He was best known for his observational comedy. Allen regularly provoked indignation by highlighting political hypocrisy and showing disdain for religious authority. His technique and style have influenced young British comedians.

March 10, 2005

Headlines from March 10, 2005

Marching Toward N.C.A.A. Tournament

Say Goodbye to the Big East We Used to Know

New R&B Sounds, Emanating From One Source

Ferrer Promoting Mayoralty as a National Democratic Goal

Towering Ambition Gets Loose in the Yard

Billboard 200

O

Genius Loves Company

American Idiot

The Documentary

The Beekeeper

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for March 10, 2005