Wednesday August 23, 2006

The Final Word: “Employment & Deployment 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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Iran Won't Give Promise to End Uranium Effort:

"We should not define our national interests in accordance with the sort of reaction we might get from the West," said Ali Akbar Velayati, the foreign affairs adviser to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an interview with ISNA, the student news agency. "In that case we would be a passive nation."

News Analysis: Iran Sanctions Could Fracture Coalition:

Going after Iran when Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon all remain unresolved would be an enforcement challenge for world leaders, he said.

A New Orleans Home Is Reborn, With Grit and Persistence:

Something, somewhere, wanted nailing.

Relief Agencies Find Hezbollah Hard to Avoid:

Mr. Noureldine also dismissed the Bush administration's pledge of $230 million in reconstruction aid. "If they were to give us all the money in the world, we would not take it," Mr. Noureldine said. "They will not be able to buy our hearts. We are receiving billions now through our traditional channels. We don't need American money."

In College Football, Big Paydays for Humiliation:

"Everyone loves to play home games, but a game is a game," said Jamey Richard, a junior offensive lineman at Buffalo. "If you want to play Division I ball, you've got to play a tough schedule. What better way to prove yourselves than playing top teams?"

Nation Faltering, Afghans’ Leader Draws Criticism:

"In each of these fields we need to be successful," he added. "Otherwise we will not be able to stabilize Afghanistan."

Clinton Rival Tries to Make Most of Liberal Anger:

"I think Senator Clinton's more of an opportunist, like supporting the war and now really criticizing it," said Sarah Kaufmann, 23, a teacher in New York. "I hadn't heard much about that guy before tonight, but he sounded like he cared about Democratic ideals."

Other News

Poll Shows a Shift in Opinion on Iraq War:

Most of those surveyed, 56 percent, said they did not believe that the country had a responsibility to help resolve the conflicts between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries, while 39 percent said it did.

Study of Test Scores Finds Charter Schools Lagging:

More recently, the 2005 national assessment showed no significant difference in reading scores between fourth graders in charters and those in regular public schools, although students at regular public schools did significantly better in math at fourth grade and in math and reading at eighth grade.

Astronomers in a Quandary Over Pluto's Status:

"Some people think that the astronomers will look stupid if we can't agree on a definition or if we don't even know what a planet is," said Dr. Pasachoff of Williams College. "But someone pointed out that this definition will hold for all time and that it is more important to get it right."

Conflict of Interest Is Raised in N.S.A. Ruling:

Deborah L. Rhode, a law professor who directs the Center on Ethics at the Stanford Law School, said, "I certainly think it should have been disclosed."

Fired or Quit, Tom Cruise Parts Ways With Studio:

"I think the press has become the weapon of choice for these people," said the studio executive. "These companies are sick of being pushed around. This is indicative of a huge paradigm shift in the industry in terms of what constitutes a star and how much power a star has."

2 Studies Find High Weights Shorten Lives:

"They show quite convincingly, yet again, that overweight and, in particular, obesity, raise the risk of mortality,'' Dr. Stampfer said. "It really should be the final word on this issue that's arisen as to whether overweight is actually bad for you or not."

Gatlin Accepts Test and Faces 8-Year Ban:

"If there are others who, in any way, are complicit in Justin's doping offense, they, too, must step forward and accept responsibility for their actions," he said. "To profit from your involvement in sport while knowingly participating in doping is fraud, and it should not be condoned."

Mets 8, Cardinals 7: It’s Getting Better All the Time:

To make room for Green on the 40-man roster, the Mets designated outfielder Víctor Díaz for assignment.

Defying Law, a Foie Gras Feast in Chicago:

But Jerry Stout, a lunchtime diner at Connie's Pizza, said city leaders should have more pressing matters to worry about than fattened duck liver. Hardly a foie gras connoisseur — he could not remember whether he had ever tasted it before — Mr. Stout, 54, tried it on his pizza and said he would recommend it because of its mild flavor. "I guess we were rebels today," he said.

International

Canadian Doctors Elect Advocate of Larger Private Role in Medicine:

"There has been a change in what is feasible and what is permissible in public debates," said Antonia Maioni, a McGill University political scientist who specializes in health care. "Five years ago someone like Brian Day would never have been elected president of the Canadian Medical Association. Five or 10 years ago there was much more of a consensus about the sustainability of the public system."

Russian Jet Crash in Ukraine Kills 169; Many Are Young:

The aircraft has been involved in some of Russia's worst crashes. One Tupolev collided with a cargo plane over Germany in 2002, killing 71 people, and one was shot down by a Ukrainian missile during a training exercise in 2001, killing 78.

Tottori Journal: In the Shrinking Dunes, Stalking a Creepy Green Enemy:

"My stress level goes up when I'm busy working or when I'm dealing with people," he said. "When my work increases, I feel stressed. Weeding — I can do at my own pace. The sand dunes soothe my soul."

Migration of Eastern Europeans to Britain Soars Beyond Estimates:

The debate touches nerves in Britain, where many foreigners — from Poles to South Africans — do jobs that Britons either do not do or will not do for the same low wages, like waiting on tables, fixing leaky faucets, driving buses or lifting bricks at construction sites.

What's in a Name? Not, It Seems, a Leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon:

"We responded in the absolute negative."

Israeli Police Investigating Sex Case Take Items From President's Home:

Israel considers Hamas a terrorist organization, and membership in the group is banned under Israeli law.

Italy Offers Thousands of Troops for Lebanon:

President Bashar al-Assad of Syria denounced plans to station foreign troops on his country's border with Lebanon to enforce the resolution's ban on the import of unauthorized arms into Lebanon. Syria is widely believed to be the transit point for Iranian and Syrian weapons going to Hezbollah.

Kurds Tell of Gas Attacks by Hussein's Military:

"I had one son," Ms. Ahmed testified at one point. "They Anfalized him. My nephew was also Anfalized. My brother was also Anfalized."

As Suspects Are Charged, East London Looks Inward:

"This has certainly taken us backward in terms of community relations and Islamophobia and suspiciousness," Mr. Khaliel said.

Wider Network May Be Linked to Bomb Plot, Germans Say:

In the wake of this latest plot, the interior minister and Mr. Hanning's boss, Wolfgang Schäuble, has called for the expansion of video surveillance of train stations and other public places, and the creation of an antiterrorist database — something Germany has resisted because of concerns about privacy.

U.N. Brokers Cease-Fire as Congo Vote Turns Violent:

President Kabila and Mr. Bemba are backed by large militias with a history of fighting each other. International human rights groups have accused Mr. Bemba of encouraging his men to brutalize civilians and have been trying to get Mr. Bemba indicted on war crimes.

National Report

In California, Deal to Raise the Minimum Wage:

Mr. Reynolds cited federal figures showing that in 1995, 3 percent of the working population nationwide earned less than the minimum, while 4 percent earned less after the federal minimum wage was raised in 1997. "You get people marginalized and competing for second-rate jobs," he said.

Judge Rejects Plan to Allow Tree Clearing in Monument:

Mr. Mathes said the Forest Service was looking into such methods.

Suspect in Ramsey Killing to Be Returned to Colorado:

Mr. Karr still faces an outstanding warrant in Sonoma County, for failing to show up at a court hearing in response to the child pornography charges. He was arrested in April 2001 but released Oct. 5 on the condition that he obey restrictions pending further hearings. When he did not appear for a hearing on Dec. 13, 2001, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, but Mr. Karr was not found.

Official Met With Reporter Around Time of C.I.A. Leak:

Mr. Armitage's calendar shows that he met with Mr. Libby on June 6, 2003, for 15 minutes; the topic of the meeting was not noted. The meeting on June 13 with Mr. Woodward was to be from 2 to 3 p.m. and was identified only as "Private Appointment/Bob Woodward." A lawyer for Mr. Libby, who is facing trial next year, did not return calls on Tuesday.

Marines May Call Up 2,500 Reservists:

While about 59,000 marines are currently in the reserve, those in their first or last year of reserve status will be exempted from the call-up, creating a pool of about 35,000 available for involuntary recall.

Death Rate on Highways Rises, and Motorcycles Are Blamed:

The number of deaths in which vehicles rolled over rose 2.1 percent to 10,816, even though the number of deaths involving rollovers of sport utility vehicles declined. Rollover deaths accounted for slightly less than one-quarter of the total highway fatalities.

Two Cyclists Die in Crash During Ride for Charity:

Lieutenant Dudley worked out of the state police central headquarters, helping run the academy for recruits, and was an avid cyclist who helped organize the ride.

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