Does the American Ballet Theater have split personalities, or just a very deep roster?

A Theater of Ballet Stars, Except When It’s Not

The Mets’ glorious swath through the National League ended abruptly last night, done in by the St. Louis Cardinals and catcher Yadier Molina's two-run homer in the top of the 9th.

Mets Are Called Out; Cards Head to World Series

Fingers are being pointed in an increasingly testy circle of blame for potential Republican losses this fall.

Republican Woes Lead to Feuding by Conservatives

From Augusten Burroughs’s best-selling memoir,  a showcase of high-quality acting (especially from Annette Bening) without much in the way of dramatic coherence or emotional power. 

Mom’s Wacky, Dad’s Distracted, Son Survives

John Spencer, the Republican candidate for the United States Senate in New York, is trailing badly in the polls but he has continued to run a spirited campaign.

Pressing Senate Bid With a Sharp Tongue and Strong Resolve

The American military’s new security plan for Baghdad has failed to reduce the violence and a new approach is needed, said Gen. William Caldwell, a spokesman.

U.S. Says Violence in Baghdad Rises, Foiling Campaign

A dispute has flared over how far the Internet can go in displacing the brick-and-mortar laboratory. 

No Test Tubes? Debate on Virtual Science Classes 

Next fall, NBC will fill its 8 p.m. hour with lower-cost shows and save its more expensive programming for the 9-to-11 p.m. block.

NBC Tries a New Tack for 8 P.M.

The Mets lost Game 7 of the N.L.C.S. Thursday night despite one of the most remarkable grabs the postseason has ever seen by Endy Chávez.

Going Above and Beyond, and Then Left Standing

The Dow’s future performance will hinge on how the economy handles the troubled housing market.

How Far Past 12,000? Watch Data

Twenty times a year,  a dam on the Cheoah River (pronounced chee-OH-ah)  in North Carolina  releases a
white-water adventure.

What Time Do They Turn the River On?

In his new film about the battle for Iwo Jima, Clint Eastwood says something new and urgent about the uses of war and of the men who fight.

A Ghastly Conflagration, a Tormented Aftermath

Perhaps the mayor acted hastily a few months ago when he removed Bernard B. Kerik’s name from the Lower Manhattan jail known as the Tombs.

Fresh Insights for Albany, Gleaned Behind Bars

The popularity of a nerve-testing system speaks to the zealous sales practices of some makers of medical devices.

New Nerve Test, a Moneymaker, Divides Doctors

It is not like Mets fans to be quiet, but Yadier Molina’s home run Thursday night took the wind out of their larynxes.

From Anticipation to a Quiet Ending

The current challenge for Democrat Brooke M. Ellison, who uses a wheelchair as the result of a car accident, is to beat Republican John J. Flanagan for New York State Senate.

Paralyzed, 28, and Aiming for the State Senate

Medical bill-sharing ministries are competing more and more with businesses that are not eligible for breaks.

Ministry’s Medical Program Is Not Regulated

One of the most divisive questions in the legal dispute over Brooke Astor’s care and fortune has been whether someone forged her signature on a set of changes to her will. 

Expert Says Astor’s Signature Was Forged

Second-home sales in many ski towns have slowed compared with the market this time last year. 

The Ski Home Market Hits a Slow Patch

Richard A. Grasso said that he would appeal, which would further delay a nonjury trial that had been scheduled to start last month.

Ex-Stock Exchange Chief Told to Return Millions

China is prepared to reduce oil shipments if the country refuses to return to talks or conducts more nuclear tests.

China May Press North Koreans

Taxpayers may now face patent infringement suits if they use a tax strategy someone else thought of first.

You Can’t Use That Tax Idea. It’s Patented.

Article in series Side Effects, which examines how monetary considerations can influence ways doctors conduct business and practice medicine, describes split among physicians over automated device that checks patients for for nerve disease; Neurometrix, maker, promises doctors profit of $250 for test that takes 15 minutes and yields diagnosis that might otherwise require extensive testing by specialists; some 12,000 doctors have bought device; many neurologists, who stand to lose money and patients from growing popularity of device, say that general practitioners who use it are not always capable of discovering true cause of patient's symptoms; some insurers and other doctors also have qualms about use of automated test to diagnose possible nerve damage; photos (L)

 Foreign Groups in Russia Must Suspend Activities  Scores of foreign private organizations, including some that have been critical of the Kremlin, like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, were forced to cease their operations in Russia while the government considered whether to register them under a new law that has received sharp international criticism.   PAGE A8    Priest Admits Foley Contact  A priest living in Malta has admitted having intimate contact with Mark Foley, the former congressman from Florida, when he worked at Mr. Foley's childhood church in the 1960's.    PAGE A17    A World War II Front, and Everything After  In ''Flags of Our Fathers,'' Ryan Phillippe plays a World War II sailor who returns to the United States on a war-bond drive after helping to raise the flag at Iwo Jima. A review by Manohla Dargis.   WEEKEND, PAGE E1    Dow Average Closes Above 12,000 for the First Time  The Dow Jones industrial average closed above the 12,000 level for the first time, indicating that investors were confident that the economy was poised to slow but not to stall. Many traders still worry about the slowdown in the housing market, however.   BUSINESS DAY, PAGE C1    Ex-Stock Exchange Chief Told To Return Up to $100 Million  A judge has ruled that Richard A. Grasso, former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, did not disclose to his fellow directors the extent to which his soaring compensation caused his pension to balloon, and that he violated his contract by withdrawing $87 million before his retirement.   BUSINESS DAY, PAGE C1

INSIDE

Conservative leaders are blaming one another for potential Republican losses in coming Congressional elections; taxcutters call evangelicals bullies; Christian conservatives say Republicans in Congress have let them down; hawks say Pres Bush is bungling war in Iraq; others blame Rep Mark Foley's sexual messages to teenage pages; comments by social conservative Tony Perkins, neoconservatives David Frum and William Kristol and economic conservatives Grover Norquist and Pat Toomey; photos (M)

Arnold Viiding was an Estonian shot putter and discus thrower. At the 1936 Summer Olympics, he achieved eighth place in the shot put event with 15.23 metres.

Arnold Viiding, Estonian shot putter and discus thrower (born 1911)

Arnold_Viiding

Jane Waddington Wyatt was an American actress. She starred in a number of Hollywood films, such as Frank Capra's Lost Horizon, but is likely best known for her role as homemaker and mother Margaret Anderson on the CBS and NBC television comedy series Father Knows Best, and as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Spock on the science-fiction television series Star Trek. Wyatt was a three-time Emmy Award–winner.

October 20, 2006

Headlines from October 20, 2006

A Theater of Ballet Stars, Except When It’s Not

Mets Are Called Out; Cards Head to World Series

Republican Woes Lead to Feuding by Conservatives

Mom’s Wacky, Dad’s Distracted, Son Survives

Pressing Senate Bid With a Sharp Tongue and Strong Resolve

Billboard 200

The Open Door

Sam's Town

It Just Comes Natural

Duets: An American Classic

FutureSex/LoveSounds

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for October 20, 2006