Scientists found evidence of limbs in the making in the 375-million-year-old fish's forward fins.

Fossil Called Missing Link From Sea to Land Animals

Strong participation shows how school-choice programs are winning over minority parents.

Program on Vouchers Draws Minority Support

As the U.S. rebuilds a razed bridge, the trade-off between combat and reconstruction emerges.

In Bid to Rebuild Razed Bridge, Recovery and War Vie in Iraq

Joe McGinniss's true-crime story about a murdered financier took a new turn when the victim's brother was found stabbed to death.

Second Case of Murder Adds Twist to a Book

The Coca-Cola Company announced an innovative plan yesterday for paying outside directors: If earnings per share do not rise fast enough over a three-year period, directors will receive nothing. But they will get a significant raise if earnings perform as expected.     While many companies give directors all or part of their pay in stock or stock options, Coca-Cola appears to be the first to have adopted a plan that would provide nothing if the company did not perform well.  

Coke's Board to Get Bonus or Nothing

Washington Nationals defeat New York Mets, 9-5, in 10 innings; photos (M)

The Bullpen Can't Save Bannister's Great Start

New York City Police Comr Raymond W Kelly defends police conduct during protest by hundreds of Hasidic Jews over treatment of 75-year-old Arthur Schick during his arrest for traffic violation in Borough Park section of Brooklyn; police also arrest Chaim Gillig and Chaim Appel during protest; protest began over complaints that Schick was mistreated by officers after being pulled over in traffic stop; photo (M)

Police Defend Conduct During Borough Park Arrest and Protest

Scientists have discovered fossils of a 375-million-year-old fish, a large scaly creature not seen before, that they say is a long-sought missing link in the evolution of some fishes from water to a life walking on four limbs on land.      In two reports today in the journal Nature, a team of scientists led by Neil H. Shubin of the University of Chicago say they have uncovered several well-preserved skeletons of the fossil fish in sediments of former streambeds in the Canadian Arctic, 600 miles from the North Pole.  

WHY does Skype get so much hype? Sure, this software lets you make free ''phone calls,'' computer to computer, anywhere in the world. But it wasn't the first such program, it's not the most feature-laden, and it's still a mystery to most people over 25.     Yet somehow, Skype is changing everything. Twenty-five million people are using it to make free calls, much to the annoyance of the phone companies. College students call home and friends with it. Business travelers keep in touch with the family. Visitors to the United States chit-chat with their buddies in Europe, Japan or wherever. The software -- free from skype.com and available for Mac, Windows, Linux and PocketPC -- is pitifully easy to use, and the sound quality is more like FM radio than a phone call.  

Internet Calls Untethered From Your PC

New York City Council approves construction of new Yankee Stadium; Yankees will pay for stadium through $930 million in city-issued bonds, of which $860 million will be tax-exempt; city will pay for demolishing old stadium and to improve and create parkland; state will help pay for parking garages for local residents; council must still approve financing plan; photos (M)

Yankees Win as Council Approves Stadium

Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live head writer and cast member, has written new comedy for NBC; show, as yet unnamed, will star Fey and Alec Baldwin and is set backstage of sketch comedy show; Fey and executive producer Lorne Michaels are pitching show with hopes that it will be picked up for fall season; show faces some competition from pilot of Studio 60, one-hour drama written by Aaron Sorkin that also takes place backstage of sketch comedy show; photos (M)

Tina Fey's Brash Bid for Prime Time

Oakland Athletics defeat New York Yankees, 9-4; photo (M)

Yanks' Errors Prove Costly In Loss to A's

New crop of interior designers in their 30's have social pedigrees, talent for clothes and parties, and lists of glittering clients who are just as young and well heeled as they; include Celerie Kemble, Eugenie Niven, Laura Yaggy and Emma Jane Pilkington; photos (M)

Tradition's New Cheerleaders

Charles McGrath Critic's Notebook on BET reality shows Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown and College Hill; shows are product of Reginald Hudlin, Harvard-educated filmmaker and producer who was brought in as president of entertainment with aim to make network more socially responsible and contain more original programming; photos (M)

Lil' Kim's Posse and the 'College Hill' Gang on BET

Kelefa Sanneh Critic's Notebook review of new album by country singer Toby Keith; photo (M)

Toby Keith Changes Things Up Once Again on His New Album

Interview with Stephen Christopher Quinn, senior project manager for preservation of wildlife habitat dioramas at American Museum of Natural History in New York; his home in Ridgefield Park, NJ, reflects his passion for conservation and is filled with souvenirs of his field travels; photos (M)

Rounding Up Nature to Preserve Under Glass

Joyce Purnick Metro Matters column on linking approval of new Yankee Stadium to planned new Metro-North Railroad station nearby to reduce parking and congestion around stadium; cites Second Avenue subway and other rail links that have yet to be completed; says that Metro-North station will be tossed about by community groups, government and financial considerations for some time (M)

The House That Hope Built

 Setbacks in Canada For Internet Pharmacies  Online pharmacies in Canada were doing robust business with customers in the United States just two years ago, but the industry has recently encountered problems, including the new Medicare drug insurance benefit, which many Americans see as a better option.    PAGE C1    Compromise on Immigration  A group of Senate Republicans reached agreement on a compromise proposal that they hope can bring passage of a bill that could determine the future of the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants.   PAGE A21    Merck Told to Pay Damages  In a blow to Merck, a jury awarded $3 million to a man who had a heart attack after taking Vioxx for four years, and an additional $1.5 million to his wife.   BUSINESS DAY, PAGE C1    Duke Opens New Inquiries  The men's lacrosse team's season was canceled, the coach resigned and Duke's president said he would open several inquiries into behavior and culture at the university.   SPORTSTHURSDAY, PAGE D1    City Welfare Rolls Fall Again  The number of New York City residents receiving public assistance fell to 402,281 last month, the fewest since 1964 and a decline of nearly two-thirds since 1995.   PAGE B1    New Yankee Home Approved  The Yankees' effort to build a new stadium in the Bronx cleared its biggest hurdle as the City Council authorized construction.   PAGE B1  

INSIDE

Joe McGinniss will have to rethink his current true crime book, based on story of American financier Rober Kissel who was killed by his wife Nancy Ann, now that Robert's brother has been murdered after being charged with financial improprieties; McGinniss comments; photo (M)

Alex Kuczynski Critical Shopper column on Barneys in New York City; photos (M)

Seeking Retail Therapy in a Temple of Fashion

In the midst of the widely publicized negotiations over her future career in network television, Katie Couric called a family meeting, with her parents and two young daughters around the dinner table.     Laying out her options -- whether to stay on at NBC, where she had achieved enormous success as a co-host of ''Today,'' or to join CBS, which was offering her the position of anchor of the evening newscast -- Ms. Couric explained to her daughters that should she take the CBS job her schedule would change radically from morning work hours to evening work hours and certainly the family routine of early dinners together would be disrupted.  

Anchor's Chair Was an Irresistible Lure for Couric

After long imploring computer users to ''think different'' and defining the Macintosh as a lone bulwark against the Windows onslaught, Apple Computer has decided to open the gate, at least a bit.     Two decades after the first Mac arrived, Apple said Wednesday that it would offer users of its latest models a simple way to run the Microsoft Windows operating system as well as its own.  

Windows or Mac? Apple Says Both

Katie Couric, who for 15 years has chased the slumber from the minds of the biggest portion of the morning television audience, has attributed her success to being ''ridiculously normal,'' a person others see, as she once put it, ''as someone they could have gone to high school with or someone who works at the desk next to them.''     Legions of viewers no doubt recall having rejoiced at the birth of Ms. Couric's two daughters, wept at the premature death of her husband and laughed at her early-morning interplay with a rotating cast of regulars on the ''Today'' show on NBC.  

Katherine Anne Couric: Coming Back to Hard News

Only two years ago, Canadian online pharmacies were an emerging David thrashing at the multinational pharmaceutical Goliath, strengthened by soaring sales in the United States that ignited a lasting debate over high medicine prices.     Now, just as quickly as it rose, the industry has been swamped by problems that have cut into sales and forced many of the smaller online pharmacies out of business.  

Kinks in Canada Drug Pipeline

Duke University cancels lacrosse season as police continue to investigate allegations that team members raped woman hired to dance at their party; Duke president Richard H Brodhead contends that incident involves more than rape, and has sparked Durham (NC) debate over class and race as well; photos (M)

Duke Cancels Lacrosse Season and Initiates Critiques

Margaret Mary Dixon was an American collegiate women's basketball coach.

Maggie Dixon, American basketball player and coach (born 1977)

Maggie_Dixon

Francis Leonard Kellogg was an American diplomat, a special assistant to the Secretary of State during the Nixon and Ford Administrations and a prominent socialite in New York City.

April 6, 2006

Headlines from April 6, 2006

Fossil Called Missing Link From Sea to Land Animals

Program on Vouchers Draws Minority Support

In Bid to Rebuild Razed Bridge, Recovery and War Vie in Iraq

Second Case of Murder Adds Twist to a Book

Coke's Board to Get Bonus or Nothing

Billboard 200

3121

High School Musical

Back To Bedlam

The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties

In My Own Words

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for April 6, 2006