Wednesday August 16, 2006

The Final Word: “Life, The Universe and Everything Edition”

(The media experiment in which we conjoin the headline and last paragraph of each bylined article in the A-section of today's New York Times.)

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Hezbollah Leads Work to Rebuild, Gaining Stature:

Referring to Shiek Nasrallah, she said: "He tells the people, 'Don't worry, we're going to protect you. And we're going to reconstruct. This has happened before. We will deliver.'"

Forces: As Israel Begins to Pull Troops Out, Lebanon and the U.N. Prepare to Replace Them:

Mr. Haniya has succeeded in persuading Hamas militants not to fire more Qassam rockets into Israel, but other militant groups, like Islamic Jihad and Fatah's own Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, have said they will continue the rocket fire.

For Now, Pluto Holds Its Place in Solar System:

"The universe," Dr. Marcy added, "contains so much beauty and so many mysteries that we astronomers already have our hands full figuring out how it all came about."

New Lieberman Retooling Race as Independent:

"I'm sure he'll become better at the political stuff as time goes by," said Sharon Palmer, the president of the American Federation of Teachers' Connecticut branch. "But I think that that element of not being a slick politician is appealing to a lot of people."

New Jersey Attorney General Quits in Ethics Breach:

Joseph T. Afflitto Sr., a lawyer for one of the officers, said: "You're dealing with what you consider to be the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in the state, so you're inclined to accept it. If the boss says this is what I'd like, you do it."

Husband Takes Schiavo Fight Back to Politicians:

"Maybe down the road," he said of becoming a political candidate. "Maybe when everybody understands and everything is fixed."

For SAT Maker, a Broader Push to the Classroom:

Mr. Caperton does not blanch at the idea. "If we could find the funding," he said, he could envision starting 100 schools, or even 1,000.

State Fairs, Sagging, Arrive at County Crossroads:

"Everything has changed, hasn't it?" he said. "But there will always be a state fair."

Cooking Contests Still Thrive:

"Oh, yes," she said. "People try to hide a multitude of sins with icing."

Other News

Casualties: Number of Civilian Deaths Highest in July, Iraqis Say:

The well-organized attack came despite the fact that American and Iraqi troops have flooded areas of southern Baghdad.

Judge Rules for Insurers in Katrina:

The insurance industry had argued that a ruling requiring insurers to pay all flood damage would have meant that their policies or contracts could be rewritten by the courts, and might have led some of them to withdraw from the home insurance business.

Experts Warn Scientific Gains on H.I.V. Not Enough:

No formal agreement exists on which prevention services should be provided to participants in trials. Another ethical issue is determining whose responsibility it is to treat participants who become infected during a trial. Infections inevitably occur in such trials, Dr. Gayle said.

Medicare Sees No Rise in Premium for Drugs:

People with low incomes pay no premiums or reduced premiums for drug coverage, if they sign up for low-cost plans charging less than a specified amount. Medicare officials said they were using their authority to minimize the number of low-income beneficiaries who would need to shift plans next year. Seven out of eight beneficiaries receiving extra help can stay in their current plans and will not have to pay any premium for drug coverage in 2007, the officials said.

Landis's Fall in France Brings Down Teammates:

"I don't blame Floyd, or anybody," said Axel Merckx, one of the Phonak riders and the son of Eddy Merckx, a five-time Tour winner. "It's just a tough time for us. But here in Europe, cycling is a tradition and a beautiful sport. It would be really hard for the sponsors to stay away."

New York Area Is a Magnet for Graduates:

From the University of Virginia, for example, about 120 graduates head to New York to live each spring, up from about 75 just five years ago, said Carol Wood, assistant vice president for university relations. "We're definitely seeing a lot of young grads come up here for jobs right after school," Ms. Becker said.

Grass Created in Lab Is Found in the Wild:

In Japan, transgenic canola was found growing near some ports and roadsides. Since the crop is not grown commercially in Japan, scientists hypothesized that imported seeds had escaped during transportation to oil-processing facilities.

International

For Venezuela, as Distaste for U.S. Grows, So Does Trade:

"I'm reticent to attract much attention to this subject," said Edmond Saade, president of the Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with 1,200 members. "But really, we'd like to leave well enough alone."

Koizumi Exits Office as He Arrived: Defiant on War Shrine:

"If he sticks to the Koizumi line, he'll be in trouble with Korea and China."

Recent Moves by Kyrgyzstan Indicate Shift From West:

Kyrgyzstan has been hesitant in the past to collaborate with Uzbekistan, which has shown little regard for human rights in its pursuit of what it labels Muslim militants. "What's new this week is the cooperation between the Kyrgyz and Uzbek security forces," said the political analyst.

Reconstruction: Putting a Value on Rebuilding a Major Target of Hezbollah:

"Some things can be fixed, but some things cannot, like photographs, trinkets and family heirlooms," he said. "No money will ever pay for their loss."

Policy: Bush Said to Be Frustrated by Level of Public Support in Iraq:

The critic, Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said in a telephone interview that "one of the hallmarks of this administration has been stubbornness to any change of approach."

Insurgency: Pakistan Says It Arrested 29 Taliban Who Fought in Afghanistan:

Violence continued in Afghanistan on Tuesday as a district police chief and five of his men were killed in a Taliban ambush in the southwest, news agencies reported. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported.

Journeys to Realm of Militancy Began in Places Most Ordinary:

"I have seen them walking to the mosque to pray three or four times a day," Gretta Ferran recalled.

National Report

New Orleans Mayor Closes a Disputed Landfill Used for Debris From Hurricane:

"You know the old adage about debris," he said. "Everybody wants you to pick it up, but nobody wants you to put it down."

Residents Flee as Wildfire Gains Ground in Wyoming:

The mountain homes were of particular concern. The mountain has had settlements since a late-19th-century mining boom. But in recent years, people have built homes despite warnings that the mountain was overdue for a major fire. The mountain had not had a big fire for more than a century, officials said.

More Than 130 Arrested in Breakup of Heroin Ring:

Ms. Fisher said the network had offered a system that allowed customers to order heroin by phone and have it delivered to their doors. The network tried to recruit customers by sending dealers to work the streets at methadone clinics to lure recovering addicts, the officials said.

Senator Says He Meant No Insult by Remark:

"I have worked very hard in the Senate to reach out to all Americans, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity or gender," Mr. Allen said on Tuesday.

ACT College Test Scores See Their Best Gain in 20 Years:

Scores rose last year for every racial and ethnic group except Hispanics, whose average scores were steady. Males scored slightly higher than females, 21.2 versus 21.0. Both groups saw average scores rise 0.1 percent.

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