Today's Headlines - The New York Times

Friday, February 4, 2011 

TOP NEWS Crackdown in Egypt Widens but Officials Offer Concessions By ANTHONY SHADID While blaming foreigners for the unrest, the Egyptian government offered concessions that once would have been startling.   Interactive Feature: A Closer Look at the Fighting in Egypt   Graphic: The Battle for Tahrir SquareUpdated  Times Topics: Egypt | Mubarak JPMorgan Hid Doubts on Madoff, Documents Suggest By DIANA B. HENRIQUES Newly unsealed court documents show that bank executives were suspicious of Bernard Madoff's accounts and steered clients away from him but did not alert regulators.   Documents  Norris: What Did Chase Know, and When Did It Know It? White House, Egypt Discuss Plan for Mubarak's Exit By HELENE COOPER and MARK LANDLER President Hosni Mubarak has balked at leaving, but talks are continuing with Egyptian officials about a plan in which Vice President Omar Suleiman would begin a process of reform, officials said. • NYTimes.com Home Page » QUOTATION OF THE DAY "People can't get what they need to run a business. The carpenter has no wood. The electrician has no cable. The plumber has no pipes. Right now, there is no flour in the shops. So what are all the pizzerias doing? They have to buy stuff that is stolen from bakeries." JUAN CARLOS MONTES, a former restaurant owner, on Cuba's tentative steps to encourage entrepreneurs.

Take a look at the Oscar nominees ALSO IN MOVIES » The Carpetbagger on Awards Season Make your Oscar predictions for a chance to win an iPad WORLD INTERACTIVE FEATURE: A Closer Look at the Fighting in Egypt Examine the clashes between pro- and antigovernment forces in Egypt. OPINION  VIDEO Undaunted in Tahrir Square The Op-Ed columnist Nicholas D. Kristof encounters determination, and one of his heroes, among the protesters in Cairo on Thursday.

WORLD Gangs Hunt Journalists and Rights Workers By JEREMY W. PETERS and J. DAVID GOODMAN After the campaign of intimidation, none of the major broadcasters could provide footage from Tahrir Square. As Islamist Group Rises, Its Intentions Are Unclear By SCOTT SHANE The Muslim Brotherhood is growing more assertive, and analysts are unsure what it means for Egypt. Some Fear a Street Movement's Leaderless Status May Become a Liability By KAREEM FAHIM and MONA EL-NAGGAR Despite logistical challenges, a campaign to oust President Hosni Mubarak has survived, waged by a diverse band of protesters with no acknowledged leader. • More World News » U.S. Smaller New Orleans After Katrina, Census Shows By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON Results of the 2010 census show that the population of New Orleans is 29 percent smaller than it was a decade earlier. For Tucson Survivors, Health Care Cost Is Concern By MARC LACEY and SAM DOLNICK Most of the 13 people wounded in the shooting had health insurance, but the spiraling costs were on their minds. TUCSON JOURNAL Bit by Bit, a City's Attention Returns to Mundane Matters By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS and CARLI BROUSSEAU Tucson, synonymous a month ago with a deadly shooting rampage at a political event, is beginning to move on. • More U.S. News » POLITICS G.O.P. Hopefuls Leave Egypt Crisis to the President By JEFF ZELENY The lack of debate underscores the relative absence of muscular Republican voices on foreign affairs. Governors Get Advice for Saving on Medicaid By ROBERT PEAR The administration's money-saving ideas were received as constructive, but not nearly enough. $32 Billion in Budget Cuts Proposed By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN The House Budget Committee's proposal falls far short of a pledge by John A. Boehner, the speaker, to trim $100 billion from this year. • More Political News » BUSINESS ADVERTISING Before Sunday, a Taste of the Bowl By STUART ELLIOTT Trying to build buzz before the kickoff, many advertisers are offering previews of their commercials. Others are putting the full versions of their spots online. Madoff Victim Says Mets Owners Ignored Signs By SERGE F. KOVALESKI The widow of a former employee of Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz says in a lawsuit that fiduciary duties were breached when employees were allowed to invest with Bernard L. Madoff. Bernanke Takes Sides on Debt Limit Vote By SEWELL CHAN Ben S. Bernanke spoke out on the debt ceiling issue for the first time and sided with the Obama administration.  Stocks &: Bonds Strong Retail Sales Drive a Late-Day Rally on Wall Street • More Business News » TECHNOLOGY Speculation of Alliance With Microsoft Lifts Nokia Shares By KEVIN J. O'BRIEN The rumor is that Nokia will abandon its Symbian operating system and use Windows Phone software in all its models. The announcement could come next week. TV Prices Still Falling, Sony's Profit Drops 8.6% By HIROKO TABUCHI Sony's net income reached $885.6 million, hurt by a strong yen and ever-intense competition in the global flat-panel TV market.   Video: Sony Quarterly Profit Falls Viacom Profit and Revenue Decline as DVD Sales Drop By TIM ARANGO Revenue rose at the company's big cable networks, including MTV and Comedy Central, while its Hollywood unit fell sharply despite box-office hits. • More Technology News » SPORTS He Can Serve, but He Can't Run By BILL PENNINGTON Joseph Chirlee, an American citizen and a United States Army private, is a world-class marathoner who has run afoul of a USA Track and Field rule. After 16 Seasons, Goodbye to a Gamer By TYLER KEPNER Andy Pettitte, who won 240 games, and who pitched for five Yankee championship teams, will formally announce his retirement Friday.  Game 5 in '96: The Best Ever From Pettitte  Retirement Further Erodes a Homegrown Core Two Teams Show Divide in Debate on Safety By ALAN SCHWARZ Donald Driver told his Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers to put his health first, a contrast to the defiant approach of the Steelers.  DeMaurice Smith Cites Fundamental Differences With League  Pouncey Is Overlooked for Rookie of the Year • More Sports News » ARTS OPERA REVIEW President and Opera, on Unexpected Stages By ANTHONY TOMMASINI Though it had its premiere in 1987, "Nixon in China" may have come to the Metropolitan Opera at just the right time.   Video: John Adams and Peter Sellars Discuss 'Nixon in China' Mahler Said What to Whom? By DANIEL J. WAKIN The New York Philharmonic is making public a mass of archival material on the Internet. On Thursday it released the first batch of documents, from the Bernstein years, 1943 to 1970. Getting the Most Ballet (View) for Your Buck By CLAUDIA LA ROCCO Sampling the views in four of New York's dance performance theaters to judge the best seats at the lowest prices. • More Arts News » NEW YORK / REGION Parents Seek More Action on PCBs in Schools By MIREYA NAVARRO Parents in New York City are pressing doctors and officials on the risks of toxic chemicals in classrooms. Fire Department to Replace New Gloves After Six Suffer Hand Burns By AL BAKER An analysis found that one material in the glove had been changed, making it noncompliant with national safety standards. Wal-Mart Skips Council Hearing as Impact of Stores Is Assailed By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS The retail company, which wants to expand into New York City, said it was being unfairly singled out. • More New York / Region News » MOVIES MOVIE REVIEW | 'COLD WEATHER' Between the Lines of Daily Living, Connecting the Dots That Matter By MANOHLA DARGIS Siblings move in together, find a social niche, then encounter a bit of intrigue in "Cold Weather."   Video: Shooting 'Cold Weather' MOVIE REVIEW | 'HOW I ENDED THIS SUMMER' Standoff in a Frigid Circle of Hell By STEPHEN HOLDEN "How I Ended This Summer," set at an Arctic weather station, is a suspenseful man-braving-the-elements adventure and a psychological thriller. MOVIE REVIEW | 'THE OTHER WOMAN' A Home Wrecker Faces Many Challenges, Too By A. O. SCOTT The title role in "The Other Woman" is played by Natalie Portman, a second wife dealing with complications in her marriage. • More Movies News » EDITORIALS EDITORIAL Egypt's Agonies The ruthless bid of President Hosni Mubarak to retain power in Egypt ensures only more chaos and instability. EDITORIAL Now Ireland Ireland's government becomes the first, but likely not the last, to be brought down by the shocks battering the euro. EDITORIAL Affordable Housing and the Gulf Congress needs to extend a tax credit program to help rebuild affordable housing units in the gulf states. EDITORIAL Korematsu Day Fred Korematsu was rightfully honored for his courage during World War II and role in constitutional law. • More Opinion » OP-ED OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR An Exit Plan for Mubarak By TAREK MASOUD Egypt's Constitution shows a peaceful path to democracy. OP-ED COLUMNIST We Are All Egyptians By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF Sneaking in and out of Tahrir Square during a brutal crackdown and finding inspiration.  Columnist Page | Blog | Facebook | Twitter   Video: Undaunted in Tahrir Square OP-ED COLUMNIST Hosni Mubarak Agonistes By ROGER COHEN Cairo is not finished, but the peaceful phase of Egypt's pro-democracy uprising is. Who will stand against a corrupted, dying regime? OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR Even More Things in Heaven and Earth By MICHAEL BYERS Both the discovery and demotion of Pluto remind us that our universe is a mystery. • More Opinion » ON THIS DAY On Feb. 4, 1974, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was kidnapped in Berkeley, Calif., by the Symbionese Liberation Army.