June 6, 2005

The Mets began their twi-night doubleheader against the Giants yesterday at Shea Stadium knowing that a sweep would put them in a tie with Washington atop the National League East. That was quite an incentive for a team that has not been in first place all season. But after the Mets dropped the opener, 6-3, Manager Willie Randolph played down the importance of first place. After all, it is early June. But Randolph was well aware of what a sweep would have meant.

Like many shopping strips in immigrant neighborhoods, Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick is overflowing with 99-cent stores, cuchifrito stands, sneaker shops -- and egregious wage and hour violations.

Haiti is poised for implosion, with almost all its institutions ravaged from inside out by corruption and no one certin who is in charge; chaos reigns; ruthless mobs led by drug traffickers, former military officers and corrupt police officers have set off devastating wave of murders, carjackings, armed robberies and rapes; estimated 6 to 12 kidnappings occur in Port-au-Prince every day; some are high-profile cases, but overwhelming majority seem aimed at middle and working classes; one vegetable vendor was reportedly kidnapped for $30 ransom; most families negotiate with kidnappers on their own, fearful of involving police; human rights groups report that more than 700 people, including seven peacekeepers, have been killed in last eight months; Prime Min Gerard Latortue claims many gang leaders inciting violence are Haitians who have spent time in American prisons; photo of 14-month-old kidnap victim after being reunited with her mother; map (M)

Kelefa Sanneh reviews annual hip-hop Summer Jam concert at Giants Stadium (M)

Article on ABC's new reality series The Scholar, in which 10 high school seniors compete for college scholarships, with top prize worth as much as $240,000; photo (M)