December 27, 2006

Giants Coach Tom Coughlin stripped offensive coordinator John Hufnagel of his play-calling responsibilities and handed them to quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride.

Richard Joseph is killed and two other construction workers are injured when roof of building being reconstructed in Harlem collapses; cause of collapse is yet to be determined; building is owned by Neighborhood Partnership Housing Development Fund Corp and Transport Construction Corp is contractor; 29 construction workers died in fatal accidents in city in year ending Sept 30, 2006; photo (M)

Many studies have shown that hundreds of government contracts set aside for small business are being awarded to large corporations; Federal laws provide several mechanisms that allow small-business owners who suspect that contracts have been awarded to large companies to protest; small-business owners say that rules in many cases impose nearly impossible standards on them; say almost no penalties are imposed even if they do succeed in protesting award and prove that federal agencies are intentionally awarding small-business contracts to big companies; Sen John F Kerry has proposed giving Small Business Administration more time to complete size determinations and to help prevent big businesses from slipping under radar of bureaucratic contracting process; Joseph N Cooper, whose small business was awarded SBA contract to do work with Immigration and Naturalization Service only to see contract go to three multimillion-dollar companies, comments; photo (M)

The death of a construction laborer follows a year in which there was a sharp increase in fatal accidents among construction workers in New York.

Iran is investing in Afghanistan as part of a bigger drive to spread its influence and ideas farther across the Middle East.

In his newest role, David Boreanaz plays F.B.I. agent Seeley Booth in “Bones,” the forensic procedural drama now in its second season on Fox.

New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin demotes offensive coordinator John Hufnagel, and gives his responsibilities to quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride; photos (M)

Manohla Dargis reviews film Notes on a Scandal, directed by Richard Eyre; Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench star; photos (M)

Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett star in a misanthropic game of cat and mouse from which no one emerges unscathed, including saps like us who think we’re watching a film about other people.

Even though the pager business is all but on life support, a few companies in the New York metropolitan region still repair them.

The move gives his cabinet some bipartisan luster and also weakens the Republicans’ control over their last bastion of statewide power, the Senate.

Soprano Anna Netrebko, currently starring in Metropolitan Opera production of Bellini's Puritani, has been subject of media hype that says she is on her way to being opera's biggest star; despite attention, Netrebko does not engage in diva behavior and is very honest about her flaws; photos (M)