Some of Venezuela's neighbors have expressed rising impatience at what they see as Hugo Chávez's meddling. 

Seeking United Latin America, Venezuela's Chávez Is a Divider

The Coast Guard is tipping off some large ships about security searches that had been intended as a surprise.

Some Ships Get Coast Guard Tip Before Searches

Inspired by research on the end of life, hospices are broadening their range of therapeutic services. 

For the Families of the Dying, Coaching as the Hours Wane

The panel's criticism came as military officials at Guantánamo disclosed the most serious disturbances by prisoners there since the camp opened. 

U.S. Should Close Prison in Cuba, U.N. Panel Says

The American Society of Hypertension is in the midst of a dispute over the influence of drug industry money. 

Unease on Industry's Role in Hypertension Debate

"The Da Vinci Code" has already spawned a mini-industry unto itself that encompasses video games, cookbooks, even pornography.

'Da Vinci' as a Brand: From Soup to Nuts

It took a brass band to make it happen, but peace broke out last week in the Ulster County Legislature in Kingston, N.Y.

Music Calms a Dyspeptic County Legislature, but the Malady Lingers On

A hit-and-run driver is still at large in the death of two children, one 5 and the other 2, in northern New Jersey.

Children's Relatives Plead for Help in Finding Hit-and-Run Driver

Robert Stephens has made a very good living solving the problems of technophobes and people who thought they were technically adept.

Never Mind the Clip-On Ties, Geek Squad Can Fix Your PC

A new study presents a series of snapshots of earning and spending in New York City from 1901 to 2003.  

After Century, Room and Board in City Still Stings

The Mets completed their comeback from an early four-run deficit against the Yankees when David Wright drove in the winning run against Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning.

For Mets, a Perfect Ninth

Malual Manyok Duot, one of the Lost Boys who lost their childhood amid violence in Sudan, has graduated from college.

A Wandering Lamb of Sudan Finds a New York Sheepskin

With all their injuries, it's as if the two New York baseball teams were the two New York football teams.

Two Teams Grope for Help Amid Avalanche of Injuries

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has cast himself as spokesman for united Latin America free of Washington's influence; some nations are beginning to take umbrage, with Peru and Brazil expressing rising impatience at what they see as meddling and grandstanding, often at their expense; former Mexican foreign minister Jorge G Castaneda says Chavez is loose cannon and is causing tensions, picking fights with friends and adversaries; some of his gestures make him popular among poor, but increasingly he has come to stand for style of caustic nationalism that many in region fear as divisive; Chavez has taken uncompromising stand that governments must choose between his vision of unity or free trade with America, which he blames for impoverishing region; photos (M)

New York Mets defeat New York Yankees, 7-6; photos (M)

Ulster County, NY, Legislature begins its sessions with short musical performances by student groups in effort to lower heat of debate that follows; county agenda has become caught in cross-fire between Republicans, who controlled Legislature for more than 25 years, and Democrats, who swept into power in last November's elections; photo (M)

American Society of Hypertension is in midst of dispute over influence of drug industry money; Merck, Novartis and Sankyo donated $700,000 to society, which it used on series of dinner lectures to brief doctors on latest news about high blood pressure; main talking point was expanded concept of high blood pressure that many doctors say would dramatically increase number of people taking drugs; dinners illustrate connections that can ultimately affect patient treatment; controlling blood pressure has been mainstay of pharmaceutical industry, which currently has $17 billion annual market in drugs for hypertension; photo (M)

United Nations Committee Against Torture issues report criticizing United States for its treatment of terrorism suspects and calling for shutting down detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; dismisses several basic legal arguments Bush administration offered to justify certain pratices; criticism comes as military officials at Guantanamo disclose serious disturbances, including attempted suicides by detainees, violent attack on guards quelled by antiriot soldiers and episode involving detainees who tore apart their quarters and attacked guards in showcase unit for camp's most compliant inmates; military officials say prisoners' actions were aimed at raising political pressure on Bush administraiton over its detention policy; recommendations of committee are not legally binding, but are likely to be more influential than previous internal reviews, in part because administration took process more seriously, sending delegation to Geneva to present its case (M)

Coast Guard is tipping off some large commercial ships about impending security searches that formerly had been surprise; companies say surprise boardings at sea cause unnessary delays, costing up to $40,000 per hour; Coast Guard Capt Paul E Wiedenhoeft, who is in charge of port complex at Long Beach and Los Angeles, says sometimes commerce and security conflict; notification practice has caused confusion and debate within Coast Guard, and even disagreements within command at some ports; typical search involves checking crew and cargo manifests against those filed with ports, as well as matching identification cards against faces of crew members; Capt Frank Sturm, official at Washington headquarters, says policy is fluid, depending on reasonable suspicions based on what ship reports it is carrying and composition of crew; critics worry that practice of notification may undermine important component of security effort to keep terrorists away; photo (M)

Final moments are focus of new attention as hospices broaden their range of services, inspired by growing body of research on very end of life; hospice movement has grown from one program in 1974 to 3,650 in 2004; as it grows, more Americans are expected to choose hospice care as its extends its reach into hospitals and nursing homes, where palliative care is not routinely available; hospices are encouraging calming properties of music, meditation and other therapies for both patients and families; some are increasing training for so-called 11th hour companions who families can request be with them, as holding hand of dying loved one alone at bedside may be frightening; preparation for death, vigil and aftermath described for several families; photos (M)

Family of Hector and Vanessa Montes, children struck and killed on May 18 in hit-and-run accident in Roselle, NJ, plead with witnesses to come forward; prosecutor tells public to be on lookout for white car last seen near scene of accident; photos (M)

Opening of movie version of Da Vinci Code has spawned mini-industry of product tie-ins and merchandise; products have generated estimated $1 billion in sales before film's opening weekend; book's popularity guarantees merchandise will continue to sell well even if movie is not blockbuster as expected; book has produced $400 million in worldwide revenues with 60.5 million copies in print in 44 languages; photos (M)

Study by Bureau of Labor Statistics compares earning and spending in New York City with rest of nation from 1901 to 2003; report recounts march toward prosperity and shows that New Yorkers, who earned less than other Americans at start of last century, became wealthier as their incomes grew faster than those of other Americans, and much faster than cost of living; however, more than half of spending still goes toward housing and food, in contrast to other Americans who allocate more than half of their spending to discretionary items; housing boom of last two decades is largely responsible for spending gap; rent and other housing expenses cost New York households $18,919 in 2003, or about 38 percent of their total spending; during century, income of typical New York household more than quadrupled, while annual expenses did not quite triple; photos; charts (M)

Dave Barry column profiles Malual Manyok Duot, Sudanese immigrant who was one of thousands of boys who were orphaned or disconnected during civil war and wandered African plains in search of refuge as military attacks, starvation and thirst took their toll; he came to United States through special United Nations program and has just graduated from Wagner College on Staten Island; photo (M)

Hyundai chairman Chung Mong Koo is indicted on bribery charges; arrest disrupts Hyundai industrial group; corruption charges against Hyundai and Samsung raise questions about management of Korean companies as some are joining top ranks of world markets; skeptics doubt South Korea has changed its economic legacy of being controlled by wealthy and selective families; photos (M)

May 20, 2006

Headlines from May 20, 2006

Seeking United Latin America, Venezuela's Chávez Is a Divider

Some Ships Get Coast Guard Tip Before Searches

For the Families of the Dying, Coaching as the Hours Wane

U.S. Should Close Prison in Cuba, U.N. Panel Says

Unease on Industry's Role in Hypertension Debate

Billboard 200

10;000 Days

Pearl Jam

Blood Money

High School Musical

Me And My Gang

Historical Context for May 20, 2006