Saturday September 23, 2006

The Final Word: “Dirty Tricks 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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Study Condemns F.D.A.'s Handling of Drug Safety:

The F.D.A. asked the Institute of Medicine to review its drug safety system shortly after the Vioxx withdrawal in 2004, and the agency has agreed to pay $3 million for the study.

Chairwoman Leaves Hewlett in Spying Furor:

Mr. Hurd affirmed that he had been informed of the plan to send a bogus message and had approved of the "naming convention" that was used. But he said he did not recall knowing or approving of the tracking technology. Neither Mr. Hurd nor Mr. Holston indicated why the chief executive did not raise questions about the way the scheme was to be carried out.

Detainee Deal Comes With Contradictions:

"An attempt to throw out of court many hundreds of pending cases that the Supreme Court has twice held have a right to be there," he said, "is not likely to be met with a favorable reaction in the Supreme Court."

A Stormy Test for Democracy in South Africa:

But that elite does not choose the leader of the African National Congress — and by extension, the next president of South Africa. The party's 3,400 or so delegates do. And here, for the moment, Mr. Zuma may possess an early and decisive lead.

As Time Stands Still in Court, Justice for a Broken Girl Waits:

Ms. Santiago sat there in handcuffs beside her silent interpreter, them both watching the lawyers argue in English while the music played.

U.S. Best Seller, Thanks to Rave by Latin Leftist:

As a matter of fact, it is a growing trend. At a press conference in the East Room of the White House yesterday, Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan, dodged a few questions by joking that Simon & Schuster, which is publishing his memoirs on Sept. 25, had barred him from commenting until his book is out. President Bush played along: "In other words, 'Buy the book' is what he's saying," Mr. Bush said.

Other News

Lebanon Throng Hails Hezbollah Chief, Who Calls Militia Stronger:

While Hezbollah and Sheik Nasrallah have been hailed as heroes throughout the Arab world, the group's position in Lebanese politics is more complex. They have been attacked by opponents who fear that an empowered Hezbollah would exert even more influence over the country. Some of Sheik Nasrallah's opponents said they thought the rally might help undermine his chance of reaching out beyond his Shiite base because he said he was comfortable being aligned with Syria and Iran. For his part, Sheik Nasrallah seemed to try to both embrace his benefactors in Syria and Iran and to distance himself from them. He said it made him angry when his detractors charged that the battle with Israel was a proxy war for Iran, or Syria. "We are with the Iranians, we are with the Syrians, but this was our war," he said, as he thrust his right hand into the air, and the crowd cheered.

Musharraf Defends Deal With Tribal Leaders:

On Thursday, asked if he knew the whereabouts of Mr. bin Laden, Mr. Karzai smiled and said: "If I said he was in Pakistan, President Musharraf would be mad at me. And if I said he was in Afghanistan, it would not be true."

Decline in Gas Prices Isn't Buoying Detroit:

"The executives in Detroit — finally — don't trust this decline in gasoline at all," he said. "Any foreign event could put us back at $3 a gallon, and I think the public senses that."

Report Says Education Officials Violated Rules:

"The department has said at least 10,000 times that they had no favored reading programs, and this report provides clear evidence that they were very aggressively pressing districts to use certain programs and not use others," Dr. Slavin said.

Puccini for the People: The Met's Free Lunch:

Some sang out notes or phrases. One of the visitors was Marguerite Scully, a 29-year-old soprano. Speaking to no one in particular, she looked out at the house and said: "I'll be back here. Don't worry."

International

Hamas Rebuffs Palestinian President Over Israel:

The Palestinians assumed control of the Rafah crossing last November, but Israel has kept it closed most days since its soldiers entered southern Gaza at the end of June, in response to the seizure of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants.

Blasts in Western Baghdad Damage Mosque and Homes:

Iraqi officials say that insurgents and militia fighters have been employing new tactics in their attacks. According to the Defense Ministry, there have been cases recently of gunmen kidnapping drivers, loading their cars with hidden explosives unknown to the driver, then releasing the driver only to detonate their vehicles by remote control when they reach a checkpoint.

The Saturday Profile: Berlin Mayor, Symbol of Openness, Has National Appeal:

"I'm 53 next month, and it's not my thing to go to clubs and dance through the whole night," he said in September. "That time is a little bit over."

European Faults U.S. Official for Remarks on Geneva Rules:

"We must also prevent the recruitment of the next generation of terrorists," he said.

25 Die in Crash of German High-Speed Train:

Advocates of the trains argued that the crash, horrifying as it was, should not undermine the technology. "It's no different than if you land an airplane and there is something parked on the runway," said Kevin C. Coates, a transportation consultant in Bethesda, Md., and a former spokesman for Transrapid. "It's going to take a lot to convince me this technology is not safe."

Chess to Unify Championship, in Elista. Where? In Elista.:

This time the whole chess world will be watching, even if only online.

To Build Trust, U.S. Navy Holds a Drill With China:

In the Wednesday exercise, the crew of the American destroyer Shoup worked with the crew of the Chinese destroyer Qingdao. The Swamp Fox, a torpedo recovery vessel, played the role of the ship in distress. The Qingdao and the Hongzehu, a Chinese oiler, visited San Diego as part of the exchange.

News Analysis: Voices of Discontent: Anti-U.S. Leaders Seek Allies:

A win by Mr. Chávez, United Nations officials said, would not only mean livelier debate in the Security Council. It might also signal potential trouble for many Americansponsored issues before the Council, from putting a peacekeeping force into Darfur to efforts to reining in Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Israel Denounces Foreign Affairs Group for Allowing Iranian to Speak:

"How can anyone talk to him?" Mr. Wiesel asked, after seeing Mr. Ahmadinejad's public appearances on television. "I believe he should be declared persona non grata, and Iran expelled from the U.N. while he is president."

National Report

Burbank Journal: An Unwelcome Light on a Club Where Legends Teed Off:

"They are hanging this lawsuit on the issues of equal access," Mr. Johnson said. "And there are some California laws that deal with that issue, but they don't apply to truly private clubs. Lakeside is a truly private club."

Cardinal Takes Web Surfers Along on His Trip to Rome:

In Friday's post, the cardinal said he had read from two of the books, "Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's" by R. A. Scotti and "Suite Francaise" by Irene Nemirovsky.

Differences Settled in Deal Over Detainee Treatment:

Mr. Specter plans to hold a hearing on the issue on Monday. But that is not expected to hold up the bill's proceeding to the floor.

Texas Democrats File Suit Against Voting Fraud Law:

Ms. Hale also defended Mr. Abbott's use, in a PowerPoint presentation on voter fraud, of a postage stamp about sickle cell anemia, an ailment found chiefly among African-Americans, to show how possibly fraudulent mail ballots were examined for suspicious similarities. But she said another exhibit in the presentation, a "clip art" illustration of black voters in line at a polling booth, had been removed.

New Timeline by Prosecutor in Duke Case:

The trial is widely expected to start in the spring.

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