Thursday September 14, 2006

The Final Word: “Great Divide 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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Panel in Senate Backs Bush Plan for Eavesdropping:

That set the stage for the unusual spectacle of the Judiciary Committee — and its chairman — supporting two proposals that many lawmakers said would effectively nullify each other if passed.

Interior Official Assails Agency for Ethics Slide:

"We do not have a 'smoking gun,' '' Mr. Devaney said. "We do, however, have a very costly mistake which might never have been aired publicly absent The New York Times, the interest of this committee, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and several other interested members of Congress."

As Gaza Parents Go Unpaid, Children Go Hungry:

A week ago, her former husband took Aya away. He said it was easier to feed Aya himself than find the cash for child support.

Philanthropy Google's Way: Not the Usual:

"Why would we put Wi-Fi in a place where what they need is food and clean water?" he said.

Cuomo Smiles, Pirro Gleams, and War Is On:

"The real trouble for both of them is, people in glass houses have to watch out about throwing stones," Mr. Adler said. "And both of them live in houses constructed largely of glass."

Gubernatorial Candidates Exchange Barbs: He also continued to criticize Mrs. Clinton's nuanced position on the war in Iraq, saying it was "not cut and run, it is cut and jog."
Voting Devices for Disabled Draw Praise: The process may have seemed old-fashioned, but he did not mind. "I was able to cast each vote separately, and the machine told me when I was finished," he marveled. "I think that's a great feature."

Despite Pledges, Congress Clings to Pet Projects:

"They have had months to reach an agreement even among House Republicans about what this fig leaf should look like," he said, "and they still haven't been able to do it."

First Through Gates of Ellis Island, She Was Lost. Now She's Found.:

So far, this turns out to be one of the few cases in which historical revisionism may have enhanced a legacy instead of subverting it. As one guidebook says: "Annie Moore came to America bearing little more than her dreams; she stayed to help build a country enriched by diversity."

Other News

On Another Grim Day, Bodies Lie Everywhere in Baghdad:

"I saw people without their heads, I saw legs and arms," he said. "I saw parts of the body of my beloved friends. I called to a friend of mine and he came to me. I asked him for a mirror and asked him to bring me a first aid kit. I looked at my eyes and they were terribly red. I was suffering from terrible pain."

Ann Richards, Flamboyant Texas Governor, Dies at 73:

Survivors, according to The AP, include her children, Cecile, Daniel, Clark and Ellen Richards, and eight grandchildren.

Gay Groups Renew Drive Against 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell':

"I am openly homosexual," he said, "and that opportunity won't be there for me."

Wolfowitz Corruption Drive Rattles World Bank:

"Let's face it, promotion at the World Bank comes from spending money,'' said John Githongo, a onetime campaigner against corruption in Kenya who has fled to safety in Britain and is now an adviser to Mr. Wolfowitz. "If you're in the field, and too many complaints about corruption interrupt the spending, it has an impact on your career trajectory.''

Chicago Minimum Wage Ordinance Fails:

Alderman Joe Moore, who led efforts to pass the wage rule, promised a revised proposal for it as early as at the Council's next meeting. "This issue will not go away," he said.

Woman Killed by Gunman in Montreal; 19 Are Injured:

The 1989 killings at the Ecole Polytechnique, an engineering school, were by a man who blamed women for his financial and career problems. The shock that followed those killings prompted a national new gun registry law that was unpopular in rural areas. The Conservative government that came to power in January is winding down that registry in favor of longer mandatory sentences for gun-related crimes.

Who's This Guy Dylan Who's Borrowing Lines From Henry Timrod?:

But James Kibler, a professor of English at the University of Georgia who teaches the poetry of Timrod in his Southern literature classes, was delighted to hear of Mr. Dylan's use of the verse. "If I were Timrod, I would love it," he said. "I would say he's doing a great honor to Timrod and let's celebrate that." Mr. Kibler said he planned to share Mr. Dylan's references with his classes because his students "probably know more about Bob Dylan than Timrod."

A New Focus on the Body, but That's All That's New:

Speaking of the body, did the designers of Rodarte, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, consider it when they rolled out the couture silks? These have to be the silliest clothes to come down the pike in a while. There's no point talking about the design of their dresses and suits if the Mulleavy sisters don't have any sense of proportion.

Fashion Week: Forecast: Simpler for Spring:

"It's evocative of a romantic world," Mr. Browne said. "It's nice and new and beautiful."

International

Typhoon Toll Much Higher Than China's Leaders Let On:

"This is the consistent style of the Chinese government," he said. "Big or small problems are suppressed as much as possible. They have no courage to face any of them."

Ijmuiden Journal: In the Netherlands, Life Runs on 2 Wheels (Sometimes 3):

"The Netherlands is primarily bike country; it's something they use daily," he said. "It's no surprise that we're having such a success."

Arrests End a Labor Protest in Zimbabwe Before It Can Begin:

The president of the trade-union congress, Lovemore Matombo, and the general secretary, Wellington Chibebe, were arrested as they carried the petition to the start of the planned march and were taken to the Harare Central Police Station. Reached by telephone in the station, Mr. Chibebe told the BBC that Mr. Matombo and he had been beaten with rifle butts and batons en route to the station.

New Date Offered for Neanderthals' Last Stand:

Dr. Delson and Dr. Harvati also pointed out that "evidence of Mousterian tools does not in itself indicate that their makers were Neanderthals: this is merely a reasonable assumption."

Pakistan Bid to End Abuse of Women Reporting Rape Hits Snag:

The religious coalition has opposed any changes to the Hudood Ordinance, and refused to participate in an all-party select committee on the issue. Early this month, the alliance threatened to resign from the government coalitions in two provincial assemblies. That rattled the government, in particular because one of the provinces, Baluchistan, has been in turmoil since the death of a tribal leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti, in August at the hands of the army, Mr. Khan, said.

Amid the Chaos of Baghdad, an Oasis for Defiant Diners:

"No!" he said, all but calling his questioner a fool. "That has become a normal part of life in Iraq."

U.S. to Roll Out Tepid Welcome for President of South Korea:

"For the North Koreans, it would be the next logical step in managed escalation," said Richard L. Armitage, the former deputy secretary of state. "The irony of the situation is that the farther away you are from the peril, the more concerned you are about it."

Most Mideast Leaders Are Angry About U.S. in Iraq, Annan Says:

"I think it's marked the organization, and everybody else as well,." he said.

Palestinian Cabinet Makes Room for Planned Unity Government:

Mr. Haniya said that he saw little point in any Palestinian politician meeting with Israeli officials. "We do not want to relive the experience of past negotiations," he said. "Before talking about negotiations, we should ask ourselves: Do the Israelis recognize the rights of Palestinians? Will the refugees return? Will the prisoners be released? Will Israeli occupation and aggression end?"

Amnesty International Says Hezbollah Committed War Crimes:

Ms. Khan, who is from Bangladesh, said Amnesty was pressing for a United Nations inquiry into the war. She said she had just returned from Cairo, where she had met Egyptian and Arab League officials to seek support for such an inquiry.

National Report

Accord Reached on Diverting Water From Farms to Restore San Joaquin River:

A tentative timetable calls for water to be diverted to the river by 2009 or 2010. Fish would be introduced two or three years later, with most construction and physical restoration finished by 2016. The project, if approved, would run through 2026.

The Boom in Galaxies After the Big Bang:

Nor is the Japanese record likely to last long. Richard Ellis of the California Institute of Technology said in an e-mail message that he had used the Keck Telescope on Mauna Kea and a quirk of Einsteinian gravity to find protogalaxies even farther in the past, less than 500 million years after the Big Bang. These objects, too feeble and small for the Hubble to have seen them, have been amplified by the gravitational fields of intervening galaxies.

NASA Scientists See New Signs of Global Warming:

Over all, Dr. Serreze said, it was hard to find an explanation for the shifts other than human-caused warming.

Stuck Bolt Temporarily Proves Tricky on Spacewalk:

In the afternoon briefing, John Hainsley, the lead director for spacewalks on the mission, said the control team and the crew were mindful of the precise amount of force that the bolt could take without breaking and were careful not to exceed it.

Overhauls Proposed in Benefits for Jobless:

By curbing government payments to those who experience only short-term joblessness, he said, this new plan could operate with the same total money as the current system but would provide more help to the neediest.

From Author, Help for White-Collar Workers:

United Professionals plans to charge dues of 10 cents a day, $36.50 a year. Beyond mutual support and lobbying, the group hopes to find ways to provide members with legal and financial advice and affordable health insurance.

Head of Broadcasts Board Survives Effort to Oust Him:

In a statement issued by a board spokesman, Mr. Tomlinson said, "Surely reasonable people should conclude that it is time to move on."

Democrats Form New Group for Fund-Raising and Ads:

On the Republican side, Club for Growth has supported conservatives in primaries against moderate incumbents in Michigan and Rhode Island. Progress for America is running advertisements on national cable television and in Missouri praising Republican strength in combating terrorism.

After 51 Years of Campaigns in Maryland, a First Loss:

Instead of sulking Wednesday morning, he consoled staff members, assured them all would be well and sang "God Bless America" with them — twice.

Primaries Sharpen Focus in the Battle for Congress:

In a highly publicized primary to succeed Representative Martin Olav Sabo of Minnesota, a Democrat who is retiring, Keith Ellison, a state legislator, won a tough race in the Minneapolis-area district. That puts Mr. Ellison in line to become the first Muslim member of Congress.

Councilman Is Positioned to Become Washington's Youngest Mayor:

Pausing, he laughed briefly and added, "I mean, I'm talking about really big challenges, like the entrenched bureaucracy of our school system."

House Republicans Will Push for 700 Miles of Fencing on Mexico Border:

"They've put forth a strong barrier bill,'' Mr. Sessions said of House Republicans. "It's time for us to complete the job.''

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