Article on King of Kings Skateboard Ministries, evangelical outreach troupe formed in 2002 by Darren Wells, as some of its members perform skate stunts outside Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Chandler, Ariz; photos (M)

Jesus on the Half-Pipe

Barbers in Iraq live in fear of militant Islamists who are killing those who shave men's beards or do Western-style haircuts; as many as 12 barbers have been killed; many other barbers have received threats; killings and threats are not first efforts in Iraq to enforce Taliban-style religious rule; in Falluja, armed mujahedeen ran Islamic police state for months before American invasion, and in southern Iraq, Shiite militants attacked liquor stores and sometimes killed those who ignored their threats; killings and threats in Baghdad are concentrated in Doura, working-class neighborhood that has seen so much violence that police say there is little they can do to protect barbers; photos (M)

A Haircut in Iraq Can Be the Death of the Barber

Wisconsin University-Milwaukee men's basketball team defeats Alabama University, 83-73, in first round of NCAA touranment; photo (M)

A Recognizable Feat From an Unknown Team

New York State National Guard's 69th Infantry, which usually has many participants in New York City's St Patrick's Day Parade, is depleted this year with roughly 800 of its 900 soldiers serving in Iraq; photos (M)

Green Camouflage and Purple Hearts

Article on historical truth and fiction behind several versions of Verdi opera Don Carlo, originally commissioned by Paris Opera and currently in revival at Metropolitan Opera starring Richard Margison; photos (M)

The Plot Is True but Not the Love

Clyde Haberman NYC column contends that Congress and baseball are too easy on New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi, who was allowed to remain silent at Congressional hearings on steroid use in baseball because of ongoing investigation into Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (M)

Let's Test Those Egos for Steroids

Senate votes, 52 to 48, to strip proposed 2006 budget of Medicaid cuts, setting it on collision course with House and dealing blow to Pres Bush; House budget includes steep cuts in Medicaid and other so-called entitlement programs; Senate vote seen as rebuke to both White House and Republican leadership, which sought $14 billion reduction in Medicaid spending; amendment striking Medicaid cuts is sponsored by Republican Sen Gordon Smith; debate over cuts in Medicaid and other so-called entitlement programs has been especially contentious on Capitol Hill this year, with federal deficit at record levels; Bush has proposed budget that, for first time since 1997, seeks to reduce federal spending by cutting back entitlements programs, in which spending is determined by eligibility and which are growing at rapid clip; photo (M)

In Blow to Bush, Senators Reject Cuts to Medicaid

Central Intelligence Agency Director Porter J Goss says CIA interrogations 'at this time' are legal and do not include torture, but he declines to make same broad assertions about practices used over last few years, testimony before Senate Armed Services Committee; says he could elaborate after committee goes into closed session to take classified testimony; his comments come closer than previous statements from CIA to admission that at least some of its practices might have crossed legal limits; they raise new questions about CIA's conduct in detaining and questioning terror suspects, and in transferring them to foreign governments, in what remains one of most secretive areas of government's efforts to combat terrorism; Goss acknowledges 'some uncertainty' in past among CIA officers about what interrogation techniques were specifically permitted and prohibited, but says now CIA employees are 'erring on the side of caution' in choosing what techniques to use; legal memorandum relaxing limits on interrogation was issued in 2002 but repudiated by Bush administration in 2004 (M)

Questions Are Left by C.I.A. Chief on the Use of Torture

Lil' Kim is convicted of perjury for lying to grand jury about 2001 sidewalk shootout between rival rap groups outside New York City radio station Hot 97; originally testified that her manager Damion Butler was not present during shootout, but it was later determined that he was (M)

Rapper Guilty of Telling Lies About Gunfight

Police investigating murder of chemist Geetha Angara focus on eight male coworkers who provided shaky alibis when questioned about Angara, who was found at bottom of water tank at Passaic Valley Water Commission treatment plant in Totowa (NJ), where she worked; photo (M)

Co-Workers Become Focus in Killing at Water Tank

Article on scene in Honey Brook, Pa, as first of this spring's auctions, called mud sales because of soggy ground of season, gets under way; rite of spring in Lancaster County for 40 years, they are usually organized, staffed and run entirely by local Amish and raise funds for local volunteer fire companies; list; photos; map (M)

Dutch Auctions, With a Pennsylvania Twist

US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that New York State's unemployment rate is down to 5.1 percent from 6.8 percent at same time last year (M)

Joblessness in Region Is Off Sharply, U.S. Says

Pres Bush names Rep Rob Portman, Ohio Republican who is one of his closest friends in Congress, to be next US trade representative; Portman is hailed as strong choice by lawmakers of both parties and by many trade groups; Bush and Portman comment; Portman will succeed Robert B Zoellick, who left post nearly month ago to become deputy secretary of state; photo (M)

Congressman From Ohio Is Chosen for Trade Post

Illinois University men's basketball team defeats Fairleigh Dickinson University, 67-55, in first round of NCAA tournament; photo (M)

Fairleigh Dickinson Falls to History and No. 1 Illini

George F Kennan, American diplomat who conceived cold-war policy of containment, dies at age of 101; his idea was that United States should stop global spread of Communism by diplomacy, politics, and covert action--by any means short of war; he conceived secret 'political warfare' unit that aimed to roll back Communism, not merely contain it; his brainchild became covert-operations directorate of Central Intelligence Agency; detailed biography; photos (L)

George F. Kennan Dies at 101; Leading Strategist of Cold War

Maurice R Greenberg continues to hold powerful sway over management of American International Group just days after stepping down as chief executive; Greenberg's unusual control stems largely from his role as top executive of related, private entities, C V Starr and Starr International Co; Greenberg holds reins over vehicles that dole out compensation to AIG exeutives; is also still chairman of Starr Foundation, one of nation's largest private foundations, which makes contributions to organizations and charities run by company's directors; photo (M)

At A.I.G., It Seems Chief's Departure Was Exaggerated

Evidence is mounting that raucous campaigning in Zimbabwe's crucial parliamentary elections is masking expansive effort by Pres Robert G Mugabe's party to rig outcome; independent analysts and members of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's party cite fact that polling places are scarce in opposition strongolds; that two in five enrolled voters are suspect; that Zimbabwe's vast, mostly anti-Mugabe diaspora is barred from voting; that 8,500 election observers are mostly Russians and close African allies likely to rubber-stamp government victory; that most Westerners are excluded from witnessing vote; that foreign journalists are effectively banned from Zimbabwe under threat of arrest, although many enter country as tourists; that government-run media is heavily biased; most important, that government controls biggest incentive to undecided voters: distribution of almost all emergency food in nation where estimated 40 percent of people are unsure where to find their next meal; elections will be held Mar 31; photo (M)

For Zimbabwe, Peaceful Vote, but Is It Fair?

Photo of Radha Mitchell and Will Ferrell, who are starring in new Woody Allen movie Melinda and Melinda

Woody and Woody

Ben Brantley reviews musical Monty Python's Spamalot, book and lyrics by Eric Idle, music by John Du Prez and Idle, directed by Mike Nichols; Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce and Hank Azaria star; photos (M)

A Quest Beyond the Grail

George Vecsey Sports of The Times column contends that former slugger Mark McGwire's refusal to answer questions about steroid use and visible discomfort at hearings on steroid use in baseball made him look both guilty and fearful; photo (M)

Avoiding the Past, a Role Model Is History

Federal workers to belong to Thrift Savings Plan, which mimics 401(k) retirement plans, has seen widely varying results; Pres Bush holds up federal savings program as model for retirement accounts he wants to add to Social Security; federal thrift plan, however, differs in essential way from retirement accounts that Bush wants to carve out of Social Security; thrift accounts are on top of generous fixed pension for federal employees, while Bush's proposal envisions amounts replacing substantial part of Social Security's fixed pension; some federal workers comment on their plan; chart; photo (M)

Retirement, the Federal Way

Alessandra Stanley reviews HBO TV movie Sometimes in April, written and directed by Raoul Peck and starring Oris Erhuero and Idris Elba; photo (M)

A Grim Excursion to Rwanda's Hell

Mark McGwire, one of top home run hitters in baseball history, refuses repeatedly during Congressional hearing to say whether he used steroids while he played; is among 10 players and baseball executives who speak under oath before House Committee on Government Reform, which is trying to pressure baseball to toughen its policy against steroids; Sammy Sosa flatly denies using steroids, and Curt Schilling says there is very little steroid use in baseball, opposite of what he has told reporters in past; Baseball Comr Bud Selig and Donald Fehr, executive director of players association, defend baseball's policies; baseball did not test for steroids until 2002, and program has penalties for first time this year; Jose Canseco, whose book Juiced set off Congressional inquiry, refuses to answer some questions without being granted immunity from prosecution; photos (M)

McGwire Offers No Denials at Steroid Hearings

As they do every Friday, Muslims will answer the call to prayer at mosques around the city today. But in a bold move, some plan to break with convention and attend a service led by a woman at a conference hall on the Upper West Side -- an act that has stirred a modest but fierce debate about the role of women in Islam.    The event is the work of a small but growing group of activists, journalists and scholars who consider themselves among the pioneers of a ''progressive Muslim'' movement in the United States. They hope to encourage discussion about the centuries-old tradition that separates men from women during congregational prayer, and reserves the role of prayer leader, or imam, for men.   

Muslim Group Is Urging Women to Lead Prayers

Floyd Norris column on whether Qwest Communications used fraud to arrange disastrous merger with US West in 2000; says Securities and Exchange Commission has sued Qwest's former chief executive Joseph P Nacchio for return of $216 million in salary, bonus and profits from stock sales, but Nacchio does not face criminal charges because Justice Department in its prosecution of some lower-level officials; holds new SEC action may cost some former Qwest managers a lot of money, but none are in danger of going to prison; SEC contends that there would have been no merger without fraud; adds without merger, shares in original Qwest would be worthless; graph (M)

March 18, 2005

Headlines from March 18, 2005

Jesus on the Half-Pipe

A Haircut in Iraq Can Be the Death of the Barber

A Recognizable Feat From an Unknown Team

Green Camouflage and Purple Hearts

The Plot Is True but Not the Love

Billboard 200

The Massacre

Rebirth

In Between Dreams

Frances The Mute

The Documentary

Historical Context for March 18, 2005