Hamper

ANKARA, TURKEY -- They're calling it a train crash here, the seemingly inevitable collision between this huge Muslim nation and the Europe it has courted for years. Those gauging Turkey's once promising program of reforms aimed at modernizing its democracy and joining the European Union see a troubled landscape: Turkish writers, journalists and even a 93-year-old academic are hauled into court on charges they insulted their country. Military commanders known for staging coups in the past make veiled threats.

The feud between the Baltimore state's attorney and Mayor Martin O'Malley has led to an early hurdle in the effort by public officials to develop a unified anti-gang strategy for the city. Reacting to the growth of gangs, Baltimore's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, a group of city, state and federal representatives, has used a state grant to study ways to confront the problem. Yesterday, city State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. talked about the need for a coordinated strategy before they walked into a regional meeting of gang investigators in Hampden.

BEAUMONT, Calif. -- Weary firefighters continued to endure the harsh terrain and weather in their battle to control the growing Esperanza fire yesterday, as the pool of reward money for the arrest of those who started the killer blaze grew to at least $300,000. Fighting gusting Santa Ana winds, crews tried to build a 50-foot firebreak to contain the fire, which burned into its second day with no estimate of when it would be brought under control. The Esperanza fire in Riverside County is less than 20 miles west of Palm Springs.

The Ravens' offensive line is still under construction. That was the general consensus of the unit, which surrendered a couple sacks and committed a couple penalties but provided some encouraging results in the team's 20-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium last night. "We're doing some good things, but we've got a lot of work to do," center Mike Flynn said. Playing the entire first half, the first-string offensive line helped the team gain 192 yards, including a 14-for-18, 148-yard outing from quarterback Steve McNair.

WASHINGTON -- For eight months, a quiet battle has raged between two federal agencies that piece together clues of potential terror threats. The feud has left officials without information about potential dangers. And it has persisted despite a White House deadline, which passed last month, to reach a resolution. The dispute is not about the clues, but what to call them. With more than 100 labels in use among the various federal agencies to identify types of unclassified, but sensitive, information -- and who gets access to it -- the Justice and Homeland Security departments were assigned last year what seemed to be a fairly straightforward task: consolidate the list to just a few labels that would be shared by all agencies.

A 6-foot-deep hole opened on Howard Street downtown last night, closing the southbound lanes to vehicle and light rail traffic as a city public works crew began repairs. The hole was discovered yesterday evening in the 800 block of N. Howard. Officials were trying to determine whether the problem was caused by a break in an underground sewer line or by a storm drain, said Kurt L. Kocher, a spokesman for the city Department of Public Works. Southbound light rail service was interrupted on Howard Street.

PHOENIX -- With a major expansion proposed by President Bush, the Border Patrol might overtake the FBI as the largest federal law enforcement agency. But the expanded mission comes as the patrol wrestles with recruitment and training problems and several agents face accusations of misconduct and corruption. In response to concerns, the Homeland Security Department, which oversees the Border Patrol, said it would audit its recruitment, hiring and training practices. A spokeswoman, Tamara Faulkner, said the review could begin this month.

One year after getting embarrassed by Georgetown on its home field, the Navy men's lacrosse team hit another wall yesterday against the visiting Hoyas, and the Midshipmen once again have begun their regular-season stretch run with a stumble. Hampered by an offense that had trouble shooting straight, and schooled by a Georgetown offense that came alive with sharp cuts, good passing and efficient shooting in a pivotal third quarter, No. 6 Navy suffered a 9-5 defeat to the No. 5 Hoyas before 5,102 at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.

WASHINGTON -- Four months after the White House appointed Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach to be acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, he remains just that - temporary head of an agency that has become accustomed to fill-in leaders under the Bush administration. The FDA's top post has seen no fewer than four interim commissioners over all but 18 months of the Bush presidency, generating growing concern from members of Congress from both parties, various interest groups and industry.

Water shortages and burdened public facilities are deterring development throughout Carroll County, but particularly in areas where officials are trying to encourage growth. A lack of new water sources is curtailing residential and industrial development in Taneytown. New Windsor and Hampstead cannot add more homes or businesses until they expand wastewater treatment plants. Future development in South Carroll, already the county's most populous area, depends on the success of several new wells and millions of dollars in upgrades to the Freedom Water Treatment Plant that will take at least two years to complete.