October 1, 2005

The 2005 growing season is leaving behind a patchwork of parched acres a few towns away from productive ones, with farmers who have access to irrigation systems suffering from increased fuel costs, farmers without water despairing about lost crops, and flighty rains soaking a field here and a field there but always leaving the land thirsty for more. The New Jersey Emergency Board of the federal Department of Agriculture voted unanimously yesterday to ask Acting Governor Richard J. Codey to seek a federal disaster declaration, which would allow for emergency loans and debt restructuring for qualifying farmers.

Smaller Towns Bore Brunt Of Hurricane Rita's Power Because it mostly spared Texas cities that it had been expected to hit, like Houston and Galveston, Hurricane Rita has been overshadowed by Hurricane Katrina. But as settlements in rural Louisiana and Texas slammed by Hurricane Rita opened to residents for the first time, the sweeping destruction there began to reveal itself. PAGE A10 Identity Theft's Tangled Web About 10 million Americans fall victim each year to identity theft. Using private data, thieves can lead parallel and often luxurious lives, leaving a tangled mess that can take years to sort out. BUSINESS DAY, PAGE C1 Corruption Fear in Louisiana With many billions of dollars in federal relief aid soon to be in their leaders' hands after Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana residents are worrying about the state's long history of political corruption and incompetence. PAGE A10 Red Sox and Yanks Are Tied The Boston Red Sox beat the Yankees last night, and the Cleveland Indians lost to the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox and Yankees, now tied for first in the American League East, lead the Indians for the wild-card spot. SPORTSSATURDAY, PAGE D1 THIS WEEKEND Political Capital The New York Times Magazine's annual New York issue presents the city as more than just the cultural and financial center of the nation. Matt Bai follows Hillary Clinton's centrism, Sam Tanenhaus looks back on William F. Buckley's mayoral campaign and Russell Shorto examines the city as ideology factory. Betting the House on Culture A look at how the Las Vegas Strip is becoming Broadway West, with as many as a dozen shows on the way, according to producers, and a peek inside the gilded lifestyles of some of the city's full-time guest performers. ARTS & LEISURE

When a new state driving law goes into effect here on Saturday, Will Suarez will have to put down his Treo 650 cellphone and stop digging into his briefcase while cruising Connecticut's streets and highways in his Audi sedan. The new law, one of the toughest in the nation, goes beyond just prohibiting drivers from using hand-held cellphones while behind the wheel. Those pulled over for speeding or other moving violations can be fined $100 for any behavior that distracts them from driving -- glancing at a newspaper, typing on a BlackBerry, applying lipstick while looking in the rearview mirror or turning to yell at the kids in the back seat.

Judith Miller, a reporter for The New York Times, spent Friday morning testifying to a federal grand jury investigating whether Bush administration officials leaked the identity of a Central Intelligence Agency operative. Ms. Miller made her appearance at the federal courthouse here a day after she and her lawyers reached an agreement with the prosecutor for her to testify and she was released from a jail in Virginia where she had been incarcerated for 12 weeks for refusing to testify to the grand jury.

Wal-Mart Stores, under pressure from faltering growth overseas just when it needs to offset a slowdown in the United States, reshuffled top management Friday to spread talent abroad and moved to take over an operation in Japan. Wal-Mart said Friday that it would spend almost $600 million to take full control of the Tokyo-based Seiyu, its affiliate supermarket chain.