Sunday September 17, 2006

The Final Word: “Pratfall of Rome 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

Iraq Stumbling in Bid to Purge Its Rogue Police:

A few days later, six headless bodies turned up in the neighborhood. No one knew who was responsible.

In Campaign Ads for Democrats, Bush Is the Star:

"Thank God the British stopped them," Mr. Ford says, adding: "Today our ports and borders remain vulnerable to terrorists."

The Ad Campaign: Too Close to Bush? Or Not Close Enough?: On the other hand, in recent months, she has displayed a large degree of independence on some issues. In February, she broke ranks with Mr. Bush and said she had "serious concerns" about the administration's wiretapping program. She has led House efforts to regulate the use of such surveillance, by imposing more restrictions than the White House wants. Ms. Wilson is chairwoman of a subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that monitors the National Security Agency, but she said she learned of the wiretapping program from news accounts in December.
Week in Review: What Would the Democrats Do?: "Many of them think it's enough to run on negativity on the Bush policy. I'm not convinced that's true. That feeds the perception that Democrats know what they're against but not what they're for."

U.S. and State Plan to Occupy Freedom Tower:

State and Port Authority executives have been working round the clock in recent weeks with Mr. Silverstein to complete the agreement struck in April. Both sides say they have made considerable progress in narrowing their differences.

How 3 G.O.P. Veterans Stalled Bush Detainee Bill:

"I took the time to try to explain it to him," Mr. Warner said. "That's one of the jobs we have to do, explain to the American people." He added: "Neither McCain nor Graham nor I nor anybody wants to tie the hands of the intelligence community."

For Insurance, Adult Children Ride Piggyback:

He said it was inappropriate to make employers that offer insurance serve "as a conduit to address broader social issues."

High School Football, Under Prime-Time Lights:

"It's not so much about X's and O's," he said, "as it is about the Jimmys and Joes."

Renewal Money for New Orleans Bypasses Renters:

"It seems that the people who were here and didn't flood are saying to the people who flooded, 'We don't need you, stay out of town,' " Mr. Quant said. "My tenants came back and recovered what wasn't looted. They were asking when they could come back for good. I had to tell them I didn't know."

Other News

U.S. Asks Finance Chiefs to Limit Iran’s Access to Banks:

But Singapore's initial refusal to allow many of the representatives into the country gave them too little time to get here, even after Singapore relented under political pressure. As a result, several of the most outspoken critics of globalization are not at the meetings.

Vatican Says Pope Benedict Regrets Offending Muslims:

Security around the pope's residence at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, would be strengthened for the pope's Sunday blessing, Agence France-Presse quoted the Italian ANSA news agency as saying. "Meticulous" security checks over an extended area were planned.

Psychiatrist Is Among Five Chosen for Medical Award:

Dr. Gall still works in the laboratory. A current interest is deciphering the function of a structure in the cell nucleus that the Spanish scientist Santiago Ramon y Cajal described in 1903.

Fortune's Fools: Why the Rich Go Broke:

"You can become complacent," he says. "You can say, 'I'm successful,' which is the kiss of death. In America it's hard to wake up hungry. It's frightening. You can become complacent and wake up tomorrow totally homeless."

Hunt for Source of Bad Spinach Carries On:

Growers said they had set up rigorous safety systems, especially in the fresh produce industry. But contamination remains a constant challenge. "You can't just boil bacteria," said Hank Giclas, vice president of Western Growers. "It will kill the bacteria, but it also will kill some of the desirable features of the product."

International

The Death Toll: As Deaths Rise, Sunnis Criticize Baghdad Plan:

"The government should be brave this time and work seriously to end the militias that now work freely" throughout the capital, Mr. Ani said in an interview on Saturday. Many people who are killed are not identified, or the government never announces their names, he said, adding, "The real number of the people who are killed is more than what is announced."

National Report

In San Francisco, a Plague of Stickers Opens a New Front in the Graffiti War:

"We want the law-abiding tourists," he said. "We don't want the traveling vandals."

(Black Heron: return to roost. Repeat, return to roost!)

Inner Circle Taking More of C.D.C. Bonuses:

None could immediately be reached for comment.

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