Rudy Giuliani revels in a reputation for being unstoppable - the bold prosecutor of mobsters and crooked politicians, the dauntless mayor at the World Trade Center. And now a Republican presidential contender. But Giuliani does know failure.

Rudy Giuliani boasts that he reined in crime, welfare and taxes in a city once considered ungovernable. Those claims are intrinsic to the former New York mayor's pitch to Republican voters that he has the combination of competence and toughness they want in a president.

By beverly fleming During my recent trip to the Midwest, I was surprised to see medium grade gasoline at a cheaper price than regular gasoline, not to mention the fact that it was less than $2 a gallon. I was informed that the medium grade contained ethanol, a fuel product derived from plants.

The New York Times endorsed Mayor Michael Bloomberg in his bid for re-election Sunday while criticizing him for spending millions on his campaign. The newspaper said in an editorial that Bloomberg's greatest achievement has been to show that good government is not a zero-sum game.

Led by a procession of African drummers, the remains of hundreds of colonial-era blacks are making their final sojourn back to the graveyard where they were uncovered 12 years ago.