They pressed the prime minister-designate to re-establish public confidence in the government and rid Iraq's forces of infiltration by militias.

Rice Visits Iraq With Rumsfeld to Press Leader

Parents said cellphones, which are technically banned in city public schools, are essential for maintaining a daily link to their children.

City Schools Cut Parents' Lifeline (the Cellphone)

Kelefa Sanneh Critic's Notebook review of new album by Christian rock group MercyMe; photos (M)

Christian Rock and Mainstream Music Move Closer Together

Trial of 18 grandmothers who blocked armed forces recruiting center in Times Square places Judge Neil Ross of Manhattan Criminal Court in uncomfortable position as defense presents case as referendum on grandmotherhood; photo (M)

With 'Grannies' in Dock, a Sitting Judge Is Bound to Squirm

Muddy Buddy and other such races combine running, biking and crawling through mud pit; competitions are sprint versions of traditional adventure races; photos (M)

Down and Dirty Wins the Race

New York Mets defeat San Francisco Giants, 9-7, in extra innings; photos (M)/

Bonds Hits No. 711, but Mets Prevail in a Classic

 Iran Promises Retaliation Against U.S.  Iran vowed to strike at American interests worldwide if it is attacked by the United States, which is keeping military options open in case diplomacy fails to curb Tehran's nuclear program. A United Nations report on Iran's nuclear program is expected this week.   PAGE A10    A Different Press Secretary  Tony Snow, the new White House press secretary, is something the White House briefing room has not yet had at the lectern: a star of the opinionated cable news era. But he is also something else: a free-wheeling outsider with a history of sharing criticism of the president.   PAGE A20    New Attacks in Egypt  Suicide bombers attacked peacekeepers in northern Sinai, Egypt, two days after attacks killed nearly two dozen people in a resort to the south. The suicide blasts were small, officials said, killing only the attackers while damaging two security vehicles.   PAGE A10    Big Names for Sale At Spring Auctions  Picasso's ''Dora Maar With Cat'' is among some of the greatest hits in art history that will be up for auction this weekend at Sotheby's and Christie's.      Other works to be offered are a portrait by van Gogh, a Warhol soup can with its top cut open, three of Donald Judd's wall stacks and a lamb submerged in formaldehyde by Damien Hirst.      Familiar names in the art world are selling, as the art market continues to rise. They say they believe that rising prices make this a good time to sell, especially with many new collectors, including Russians and Asians, active at auctions.   THE ARTS, PAGE E1    The Man Behind the Face  Tom Hanks, below being made up on the set of ''The Green Mile,'' tells the story of Dan Striepeke, the artist who turned him into somebody else. Mr. Striepeke, Mr. Hanks's makeup man for 19 years, worked on films from ''Cast Away'' to ''The Da Vinci Code.''    THURSDAY STYLES, PAGE G1

INSIDE

Two weeks of back-to-back auctions of impressionist, modern, postwar and contemporary art are set to begin in New York; record-breaking prices at last fall's New York auctions and those recently in London have encouraged many to sell; Christie's and Sotheby's are doling out large guarantees, undisclosed amounts promised to sellers regardless of sale's outcome, to win business of seasoned collectors; photos (M)

At Spring Auctions, Big Names Are Selling, and Being Sold

The MediaNews newspaper chain controlled by William Dean Singleton announced plans on Wednesday to acquire four Knight Ridder newspapers, although two papers would first pass through the hands of another chain, the Hearst Corporation.     The four papers, fetching a price of $1 billion in cash, are among 12 Knight Ridder publications that the McClatchy Company agreed to buy last month but does not want.  

4 Knight Ridder Papers to Be Sold for $1 Billion

Karl Rove, the senior counselor to President Bush, testified for several hours on Wednesday before the federal grand jury in the C.I.A. leak case, in an appearance that was a sign of renewed attention by the special prosecutor in a matter that has lingered unresolved for months.     It was the fifth time Mr. Rove has appeared before a federal grand jury in the case. The appearance came at a politically sensitive time for Mr. Rove, who was relieved of his policy portfolio at the White House in a staff reshuffling earlier this month and now faces the challenge of helping Republicans maintain their primacy in the midterm elections this fall.  

GRAND JURY GETS ROVE TESTIMONY OVER C.I.A. LEAK

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey releases new plan with accelerated construction pace for development of World Trade Center site; some construction, real estate and urban planners warn pace may have same destabilizing consequences on area that twin towers had in 1970's; some question if there will be enough steel, concrete and curtain wall to build four towers by 2012, considering that many other projects in city are planned or underway; others say Freedom Tower should be scratched from plans altogether; photo (M)

A Plan to Rebuild by 2012, and Doubts on the Big Rush

Property taxes in New York State have increased by 60 percent since 1996, three times rate of inflation over last five years; are highest in nation, 28 percent higher than national average, and consume disproportionate level of income of New Yorkers; suburban homeowners bear biggest burden; costs are attributed to soaring property values and rising cost of education, Medicaid and pensions; New York City homeowners fare well compared with suburban counterparts because city relies on income taxes to pay for services; chart (M)

Property Taxes Rising Too Fast, Report Warns

Profile of Andy Garcia at his Key Biscayne, Fla, home; home is inspired by an old Cuban plantation house, with wraparound verandas, five bedrooms and studio where he can write and play music; he discusses his new movie The Lost City; photos (M)

The Soul of Havana on Biscayne Bay

Family and friends of Milton Rocano remember him as hardworking man who had emigrated to New York City from Ecuador six months ago; Rocano was buried alive at his job while transferring construction debris from trucks at City Recycling Corp in Queens; body was found three days later at landfill in Suffolk County; photos (M)

The Death of Milton Rocano, Unseen, Unnoticed and Horrible

New Jersey Devils defeat New York Rangers, 3-0, to lead first-round playoff series, 3-0; photos (M)

Devils Deflate Rangers in a New York Minute

Swedish author Henning Mankell, best known for crime novels by his English-language readers, has written numerous novels that are not mysteries as well; his 1995 novel Chronicler of the Winds, which has won awards and been made into movie and play in Sweden, is being published in English for first time; Mankell's preoccupation with Africa as topic of his non-mystery works discussed; photo (M)

In a Break From Mystery Writing, Henning Mankell Turns to Africa

NFL teams increasingly choose receivers with top 10 picks in draft; photos (M)2

Wide Receivers Are Draft Puzzle: Picked Early and Traded Often

ABOUT 85 percent of the Internet population uses the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser to surf the Web, even though it's relatively ancient, crusty with neglect and about as secure as a screen door. In what other industry would 85 percent of consumers choose such a product -- when better ones, also free, were also available?     Trick question. Those consumers aren't actually choosing Internet Explorer; in fact, they're not choosing. They just use what came on their Windows computers. Thanks to this built-in following, Microsoft hasn't felt much need to keep Internet Explorer current. Version 6 has been creaking along for five years -- an eternity in Internet time.  

New Tricks of a Browser Look Familiar

The books' spines bear names like Cecily von Ziegesar, Ann Brashares and, most controversially, since plagiarism charges were leveled against her on Sunday, Kaavya Viswanathan. But on the copyright page -- and the contracts -- there's an additional name: Alloy Entertainment.      Nobody associated with the plagiarism accusations is pointing fingers at Alloy, a behind-the-scenes creator of some of the hottest books in young-adult publishing. Ms. Viswanathan says that she alone is responsible for borrowing portions of two novels by Megan McCafferty, ''Sloppy Firsts'' and ''Second Helpings,'' both published by Crown Publishing Group. But at the very least, the incident opens a window onto a powerful company with lucrative, if tangled, relationships within the publishing industry that might take fans of series like ''The It Girl'' by surprise.  

First, Plot and Character.Then, Find an Author.

Film TV Set, which has its premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, goes behind scenes of television industry to see who is to blame for 'dreck' that generally passes for modern sitcom; Jake Kasdan, writer, director and producer of film, and cast members comment; photo (M)

'The TV Set' at the Tribeca Film Festival Sends Up the Making of Sitcoms

Tom Hanks article on his long relationship with his makeup man Dan Striepeke; photos (M)

The Man Who Aged Me

Justice Peter Smith has embedded his own secret code in first 13 and half pages of ruling in copyright case concerning The Da Vinci Code; Smith declines to provide solution for puzzle, but has provided several clues (M)

Puzzle Embedded in 'Da Vinci Code' Ruling

Shopworn or forgotten fashion labels like Kork-Ease, maker of platform sandals, and Jordache jeans are being given new life, marketed to attract same consumers who embraced them in 1960's, 70's and 80's; venerated labels often evoke high spirits of youth; retailers also hope updated interpretations of resurrected brands will appeal to children and grandchildren of baby boomers; photos (M)

Hooked on a Feeling

Thousands of hurricane evacuees who counted on a year of free housing and utilities are being told by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that they are no longer eligible for such help and must either pay the rent themselves or leave.      Of about 55,000 families who were given long-term housing vouchers, nearly a third are receiving notices that they no longer qualify, FEMA officials said. For the rest, benefits are also being cut: they will have to sign new leases, pay their own gas and electric bills and requalify for rental assistance every three months.  

Evacuees Find Housing Grants Will End Soon

During the final stretch of David Ritter's hourlong trip to middle school, he pulls a cellphone from his jeans and calls his mother in Washington Heights to say he is out of the subway and moments from the Salk School of Science on East 20th Street.     ''It's one thing I can cross off my list of things to worry about,'' his mother, Elizabeth Lorris Ritter, said. ''It's a required part of our everyday life. We have a refrigerator, we have running water, we have cellphones.''  

Julia Stimson Thorne was an American writer. She was the first wife of John Kerry, who was U.S. Senator during their marriage.

Julia Thorne, American author (born 1944)

Julia_Thorne

One World Trade Center, also known as One WTC and as the Freedom Tower, is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the United States, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the seventh-tallest in the world. The supertall structure has the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new skyscraper stands on the northwest corner of the 16-acre (6.5 ha) World Trade Center site, on the site of the original 6 World Trade Center. It is bounded by West Street to the west, Vesey Street to the north, Fulton Street to the south, and Washington Street to the east.

Construction begins on the Freedom Tower (later renamed One World Trade Center) in New York City.

April 27, 2006

Headlines from April 27, 2006

Rice Visits Iraq With Rumsfeld to Press Leader

City Schools Cut Parents' Lifeline (the Cellphone)

Christian Rock and Mainstream Music Move Closer Together

With 'Grannies' in Dock, a Sitting Judge Is Bound to Squirm

Down and Dirty Wins the Race

Billboard 200

Me And My Gang

White Trash With Money

NOW 21

High School Musical

King

Notable Deaths

Historical Events

Historical Context for April 27, 2006