Tuesday September 26, 2006

The Final Word: “Timid Mammals Show Teeth When Cornered 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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Tobacco Makers Lose Key Ruling on Latest Suits:

While Mr. Lautenberg is one of 28 Democratic and Republican sponsors of another bill that would give the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco, Dan Katz, chief counsel for Mr. Lautenberg, said that this new bill is needed as a more immediate stop-gap measure.

Qaeda Operative, an Escapee in '05, Is Killed in Iraq:

The American military reported that insurgents shot an American soldier near Mosul on Monday. The soldier later died from the wounds.

Stricter Voting Laws Carve Latest Partisan Divide:

Or, she added, she used to.

Europe Panel Faults Sifting of Bank Data:

But Booz Allen rejected such charges on Monday. "What clients are buying from us," said Marie Lerch, a spokeswoman for the firm, "is independence and objectivity."

Delivering Small-Town Justice With a Mix of Trial and Error:

"I'll never go fishing up there again," he said.

Baseball’s Oldest Old-Timer Opens a Window on the Past:

"That's me," he declared. "Oh, we had good times."

Homes Post Price Drop for August:

"The underlying trend here is one of stable to modestly lower prices after the sharp gains seen for many years," he wrote in a research note. "It should not be a huge shock that we are seeing a price correction."

2 Ex-Acquaintances of Senator Allen Say He Used Slurs:

Still, he said, he did not give Mr. Allen "a moral lesson." He said he had been visiting Mr. Allen to pick up an Australian shepherd puppy and had simply left with the dog.

Shanghai’s Party Leader, Mistrusted by Hu, Is Purged:

There has been no public action taken against Mr. Huang or his wife. Mr. Huang had surgery for a case of cancer and disappeared from public life for several months earlier this year. He has since made at least a partial recovery and resumed his duties, suggesting that he does not face an immediate political threat.

U.S. Eases Rules on Gels and Liquids in Carry -Ons:

"We don't want to be in the position of, out of the urgent need to do this, we essentially waste the taxpayers' money," he said. "We want to take our time to do it right."

Gunmen Kill Afghan Official Who Backed Women’s Rights:

President Hamid Karzai, on a visit to the United States, condemned the killing. "The enemies of Afghanistan are trying to kill those people who are working for the peace and prosperity of Afghanistan," he said in a statement released in Kabul.

Beyond Black and White: Stalking the Skunks of Martha's Vineyard:

"He's a pretty boy," she says as she lets him go.

How to Remove the Smell:In that case, he says, "only time and adequate ventilation will help."

An Emotional Recovery:

It took a football game Monday night for them to find their way back.

International

Bolivian Leaders Find Their Promises Are Hard to Keep:

Meanwhile, recognition that Bolivia is dependent on Brazil, the largest buyer of its natural gas, is encouraging a much softer nationalization stance. Mr. Villegas, the new energy minister, said in an interview, "We want a rational redistribution of petroleum income in the country, while also telling foreign companies that we want them to profit."

Kushimoto Journal: Farming Bluefin Tuna, Through Thick Stocks and Thin:

"Just because it's farmed, the prices are automatically lower," he said. "If it's good, it's good. There shouldn't be a difference."

Europeans Favor Admitting Romania and Bulgaria, Then Retooling:

The two countries hope that membership will help raise their per capita income, which is one-third the European Union average.

Blair Rival Makes Pitch to Lead Labor Party:

His remarks drew a generally positive, if sometimes mixed, response from delegates. "There are one or two other good people and we will have a leadership election, but my belief is that Gordon has the strength," said George Richardson, a party member.

Pope Assures Ambassadors of His Respect for Muslims:

"We have to reconcile," he said. "And we need a dialogue based on truth, as well as a genuine constructive dialogue."

In Book, Musharraf Expands on North Korean Nuclear Link:

"He had a huge ego," Mr. Musharraf writes, adding that, "he had managed to build himself up into Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer rolled into one."

Israeli Premier and Saudi Said to Hold Secret Meeting:

Yediot Aharonot reported last week that Saudi Arabia and Israel began holding discussions during the fighting this summer. In an interview with Mr. Olmert last week, the newspaper asked him whether there had been contacts. "I do not have to answer every question," Mr. Olmert replied.

Trial Begins for Wealthy Kenyan Accused of Killing Black Man:

In April 2005, Mr. Cholmondeley shot and killed Samson ole Sisina, a wildlife ranger working undercover and investigating a complaint that members of Mr. Cholmondeley's staff were selling wild game meat. Mr. Cholmondeley said he mistook Mr. Sisina for a robber, and the charges were dropped a month later.

Demonstrations Become Clashes After Islamists Take Somali City:

Islamist leaders in Mogadishu vehemently object to the presence of foreign troops on Somali soil. One reason why they seized Kismayo, they said, was to establish a base to deter any foreign troops from trying to enter Somalia from Kenya.

National Report

Supporters of A.C.L.U. Call for the Ouster of Its Leaders:

"I am truly troubled by the direction and governance of the organization," he said.

Jet Had Time to Spot Error, Board Reports:

On Monday, the family of the co-pilot, the only survivor, said he was "still not completely lucid and currently has no recollection of the accident."

Judge Blocks Leasing Plan for Alaska:

The other recent rulings blocked administration efforts to divert water from the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, a national park in Colorado; to allow some logging at Giant Sequoia National Monument in California; and, last week, to open some of the 49 million acres of roadless national forest to logging and mining.

Security and War Take Center Stage as Campaign Break Nears:

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, retorted, "When the United States intelligence community confirmed that America is losing the war on terror because of Bush failures in Iraq, this White House lost all credibility on matters of national security."

G.O.P. Reaches Tentative Deal on Domestic Spying Legislation:

"This is a major setback for the Fourth Amendment and civil liberties," said Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies.

Senators Call for Release of Intelligence Estimate on Terrorism:

Among those who signed the letter was Representative Jane Harman of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Panel Urges Basic Coverage on Health Care:

The panel was created by the 2003 law that added a drug benefit to Medicare. Under the law, President Bush has 45 days to comment on the recommendations and offer his views in a report to Congress. The citizens' group went to great lengths to solicit opinions from average Americans, in addition to health experts. It tried to forge a consensus after listening to views expressed by more than 7,000 people at 98 community meetings in 37 states.

A Rare Kind of Food Bank, and Just Maybe the Hippest, Flourishes:

"You can't give away food without an emotional and spiritual component," said Stewart Scofield, a volunteer coordinator who discovered the garden after his partner died of AIDS. "We're friends and neighbors taking care of each other."

Anthrax Not Weapons-Grade, Official Says:

"Despite the frustrations that come with any complex investigation,'' he said, "no one in the F.B.I. has, for a moment, stopped thinking about the innocent victims of these attacks — nor has the effort to solve this case in any way been slowed."

Races: Katherine Harris:

Then, she embarked on a mishap-filled campaign to unseat the incumbent Democrat, Bill Nelson. Now, the House seat she is giving up, in what had been safe Republican territory, is at risk of falling into Democratic hands. Outside analysts call the race competitive but for now give the edge to the Republican, Vern Buchanan. Democrats say their candidate, Christine Jennings, is leading in their polls. Either way, it could end up as the most expensive House race in the country.

Encounters: Jon Stewart and Pervez Musharraf:

But Mr. Bush must think General Musharraf's work may reinforce his security message; he told reporters at the White House last week to "buy the book."

Political Action: Battlegrounds:

With a few exceptions, House Republicans are playing defense rather than offense, spending most of their money to stamp out Democratic challengers in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio and Pennsylvania. On the Senate side, Republicans have put all their advertising money this month, about $3.5 million, into Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. Winning any of those states would make it almost impossible for Democrats to capture the Senate.

White House Memo: For White House, War of Words, at Least, Is Battle Where It Excels:

He will know for certain in six weeks.

Presidential Face Time Isn't Everything, Except to Big Donors:

Tony Snow, the White House press secretary, said the trend would change. "We'll have a lot of open events," he said, talking to reporters in a grove of trees along the waterfront in Greenwich. And in any case, he said, nothing very newsworthy was going on inside: "It's not like the administration is pulling rabbits out of its hat. He's saying things that you've heard before."

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