December 6, 2006

Jazz musicians and aficionados have converged online to help explain history of jazz since 1960's; task was inspired by blog post by trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas that called for insight into period of jazz music that is often ignored or perceived as difficult; result has been discography and interactive database posted on Web site behearer.com; photo (M)

Marines Seen Facing Charges At least five marines are expected to be charged, possibly as early as today, with the killing of 24 Iraqis, many of them unarmed women and children, in the village of Haditha in November 2005. PAGE A19 SPECIAL TODAY Circuits: Holiday Buying Cellphones can navigate, and cameras are wireless. Gadgets, including some that may be on your gift list, are learning new tricks. SECTION G Bad Bouncer The N.B.A. is addressing complaints by its players, who say the league's new synthetic basketball bounces erratically. PAGE D1 New York Drops Gender Plan A plan to let people alter their sex on birth certificates without sex-change surgery was dropped by the city's Board of Health. PAGE B1

N.B.A. Commissioner David Stern said Tuesday that the league made a mistake by not closely consulting with players about the new ball introduced this season.

Peter Applebome Our Towns column on Catskills' ski resort Windham Mountain; resort uses machine-made snow to ensure trails have enough for season opening; Windham general manager Tim Woods says natural snow is too unreliable; photo (M)

Minority homeowners are especially being hurt as rising interest rates make subprime loans even more expensive.