Monday September 11, 2006

The Final Word: “Post 9-11 World 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.)

Page 1

Bush Mourns 9/11 at Ground Zero as New York Remembers:

When the hourlong service was over, a lone clergyman, draped in black, stood in the churchyard facing the western entrance of the chapel to ring the Bell of Hope, presented to New Yorkers by the mayor of London on the first anniversary of the attacks. The bell pealed 20 times, clanging into the dusk as Mr. Bush's motorcade drove off.

The Hole in the City's Heart:

"For many, Sept. 11 has become very abstract,'' he said. "People forget already what this was all about. They think it's about pretty facades and square-footage prices. They don't remember anymore that it's about people who perished, it's about America, it's about some pretty big ideas."

Getting Past the Pain of 9/11 With Steps, Big and Small

These are glimpses of those who lost family members in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, and of their lives since. They were written by Cara Buckley, Glenn Collins, Anthony DePalma, Robin Finn, Jan Hoffman, Tina Kelley, N. R. Kleinfield and Andy Newman. Their stories appear alongside photographs of the victims. With the exception of Ms. Buckley, the writers interviewed families they had spoken to five years ago. The families were chosen by the reporters; some who were contacted chose not to participate.

For Democrats' Hopes, Less Promise in New York:

The Democrats have also had their eye on Mr. Reynolds, who in 2004 won with 56 percent of the vote over Mr. Davis, who has vowed to spend $2 million on his campaign this year.

Suicide Bomber Kills a Governor in Afghanistan:

Amid the grim developments on Sunday, there was one piece of promising news: Mr. Karzai inaugurated a $25 million Coca-Cola bottling plant in a new industrial park on the edge of Kabul. The bottling plant, the project of an Afghan businessman, will provide 600 jobs, and is the first large new factory to open in the country.

Other News

Federer in a Class by Himself:

Only one match kept him from hoarding them all.

Proposal for Autonomous States in Iraq Creates Tension:

Officials also said that a planned visit to Tehran by the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, had been delayed. It would have been the prime minister's first visit to Iran since taking office earlier this year.

In Cost and Vitriol, Race in Arizona Draws Notice:

Mr. Barnes, the Republican consultant, said, "There will be a collective sigh of relief on both sides of the aisle after this primary is over."

Opening Shows Snub Conventional Wisdom:

From the men's department, John Bartlett showed a straightforward sportswear collection, in creams and khaki, with saddle Oxfords. You can say that Steven Cox and Daniel Silver of Duckie Brown were daring in showing baggy styles evocative of slackers at a New England boarding school, but you can also say they were out of step.

How Will Apple's Marketing Maestro Marry the Computer and the Home TV?:

"Once that has been solved," he said, "it will completely transform the entertainment landscape."

An Industry Is Based on a Simple Masquerade:

Mr. Baird said he felt that his and other detective agencies were using the phone records in beneficial and legitimate ways. The decision to stop using them has cost him in lost business, though he declined to say how much. "We'll leave it alone and let Congress figure it out," he said.

Colts 26, Giants 21: Colts Defeat Giants, but Battle of Mannings Is a Tie:

The Giants are glad to call him one of their own, too.

Jets 23, Titans 16: In Return, Pennington Provides Jets’ Counterpunch:

The Jets rushed for 91 yards, including a 1-yard scoring run by Kevan Barlow in the second quarter. ... Chad Pennington's father, Elwood, a semi-retired football coach, watched the game from the family's home in Clinton, Tenn. He had a heart attack last month and was not cleared by his doctors to attend the game. "To sit and watch it as a football coach was phenomenal, and to sit and watch it as a father was phenomenal," he said in a telephone interview. ... Pete Kendall, the 11th-year left guard who is the most experienced member of the Jets' offensive line, was injured in the second minute of the second quarter and was replaced by Norm Katnik, who was appearing in his second N.F.L. game. Kendall did not return. ... Titans center Kevin Mawae, who spent eight years with the Jets before being released earlier this year, said after the game that he "wasn't happy about the way my situation went down" with the Jets. "This one hurts," he added.

International

China Puts Stricter Limits on Distribution of Foreign News:

In the past, Western media companies have said that such strong-arm tactics may violate China's obligations under the World Trade Organization.

4 Marines to Begin Defense in Rape Trial in Philippines:

Then she said, "I don't know what happened, but when I regained consciousness I just realized I was already on the ground and my pants were on the reverse."

Party Rejects Malaysia's Ex-Leader:

Party leaders have denied such accusations, saying such tactics were more typical of Mr. Mahathir's style.

Agriculture Discord Stymies World Trade Talks' Revival:

"We saw signs of flexibility and a preparedness to move," Mr. Amorim said, in summarizing the meetings between the camps. "We didn't have any sign of blockages."

Immediate Treatment Needed for Bird Flu Cases, Study Says:

"Lethality in the virus may rely on several changes," he said. "But it's got several different paths to the same end. That's what makes it so efficient."

28 Killed as Sri Lankan Army Breaches Rebels' Front Lines:

The fighting has also blocked access by road to and from the northern Jaffna Peninsula, leaving thousands of people trapped as essential supplies dwindle.

Blair and Abbas Discuss Idea of a Unity Government:

The Israeli military said its troops had fired a tank shell at two Palestinians who approached Israeli forces and were suspected of planting a bomb.

Europe Union and Iran Report Progress in Nuclear Talks:

But it is far from certain that the United States could win support for sanctions from the other four permanent members of the Security Council. China and Russia said last week that they wanted to pursue diplomacy and questioned whether sanctions would be effective. Germany has not explicitly stated whether it would support sanctions.

Diplomatic Memo: Diatribes and Dialogue in Mideast for Annan:

"Individual nations have individual views and they convince themselves they are right and they are so sure of what they say, and they don't want to budge because they feel if they budge, they will lose face," Mr. Annan said in an interview aboard his plane on Wednesday night while departing Ankara, Turkey. "My job is to give them a ladder to climb down from the precipice."

National Report

Medicare Costs to Increase for Wealthier Beneficiaries:

"The new income-related premium is fundamentally at odds with the premises of social insurance," Mr. Marmor said. "Large numbers of upper-income people will eventually want to find alternatives to Part B of Medicare and will no longer be in the same pool with other people who are 65 and older or disabled. Congress will then have less reluctance to cut the program."