Monday October 9, 2006

The Final Word: “Echo Chamber of Failed North Korea Policy 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

N. Korea Reports 1st Nuclear Arms Test:

“It would not be totally surprising if it was a fizzle and they said it was a success because they learned something,” he said. “We did that sometimes. We had a missile defense test not so long ago that failed, but the Pentagon said it was a success because they learned something, which I agree with. Failures can teach you a lot.”

Text of North Korea's Announcement: It will contribute to defending the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the area around it.

Where Faith Abides, Employees Have Few Rights:

Adventist hospitals are still waiting for their own Great Falls moment. As Mr. Berman put it, “We’re not asking for carte blanche, for the ability to be exempt from all laws — just with respect to what is unique about these hospitals.”

Dolan Family Offers $19 Billion in Bid to Take Cablevision Private:

Still, the Dolans own 22.5 percent of Cablevision and have 74 percent voting power, so they would have to consent to any takeover. And they made it very clear yesterday that they were not putting the company up for sale.

Evangelicals Blame Foley, Not Republican Party:

The church has been actively registering parishioners and reminding them to vote. “Every Sunday already,” Ms. Gimenez said.

'05 Meeting Could Clarify G.O.P. Role in Foley Case: Now, Mr. Trandahl is expected to return to the Hill in the coming days or weeks, to tell his story to the House ethics committee.

G.O.P.'s Baker Hints Iraq Plan Needs Change:

On Sunday, the interviewer, George Stephanopoulos, said, “It’s exactly what’s happened now, isn’t it?” Mr. Baker replied, “A lot of it.”

After Tsunami, Intentions to Build but No Road Yet:

“I can’t imagine how they will do it,” a crestfallen Mr. Noor said. “Will they do it nicely, or will they do it roughly?”

Operas for $20? New Audiences Hear Siren Song:

“I wanted to keep it less than the price of a movie,” Ms. Shuler said. “For $10,” she added, “people are more likely to say, ‘I can come and take a chance.’ ”

Other News

South Korean Won't Need to Wait Long, or Look Far, for First Crisis as U.N. Chief:

“I also know the criticism about inefficiency and corruption,” he said. “Through reform, the United Nations must be reborn as a viable and efficient organization so that it can properly deal with the challenges it faces in the 21st century.”

U.S. and Iraqi Forces Clash With Shiite Militia:

Mr. Laity said the change was because Taliban insurgents had been defeated in combat last month and not because they were winding down their insurgency before winter.

Iran Arrests Outspoken Cleric Who Opposes Religious Rule:

He had been summoned over a month ago to the Special Court for the Clergy, but refused to surrender.

I. M. Pei in China, Revisiting Roots:

As for whether the museum is his final project, Mr. Pei said: “Never predict the future. If you ask my wife, she’ll say that’s it. But if you ask me, I’m not sure it’s the end. There are always challenges in life.”

Harsh Words From Steinbrenner, but No Word Yet on His Manager:

“I think we got taken by surprise,” Lidle said. “We got matched up with a team that, I think, was a little more ready to play than we were.”

International

China and Japan Take Steps to Mend Fences:

But Mr. Abe said Sunday that China appeared to have accepted how he said had he would handle the matter.

Chkhalta Journal: A Battle for Hearts and Minds Sets Off a Building Boom:

Kodori’s future is still uncertain. “We’ll live and see,” said Nukzar V. Arguliani, a lifelong resident who has refused to abandon his home. “We will be here to the end.”

North's Test Seen as Failure for Korea Policy China Followed:

They may also seek to water down any sanctions to ensure that restrictions on the North’s trade do not topple the government, an event China fears could set off an influx of refugees and a volatile political environment on its border.

Device on Jet in Amazon Crash Had Not Been Recalled as Faulty:

The Boeing 737, operated by Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, crashed in the jungle, killing all 154 people aboard. Experts said that if the planes collided in flight, it would be the first time in the quarter-century since anticollision systems came into common use that two planes with the systems had done so.

Germans Want to Press Russia on Rights:

Elmar Brok, a leading member of Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, said, “Europe and Germany together need a strategic partnership with Russia, but in parallel to focusing on human rights, too.”

National Report

California Prosecutor's Novel Gets Her Bumped From a Case:

“It’s not really a good judgment call to closely mirror the facts of a case while it’s still pending,” Ms. Fairstein said.

In the Race for Governor of Michigan, the Struggling Economy Is Topic A:

Mr. Lowry, who said he expected to vote for Ms. Granholm, said he was not sure to what extent the voters would hold their political leaders responsible for all that had happened — and all that had not. “There’s something about our species, though, that wants a scapegoat,” he said.

Santa Rosa Island Journal: A Multipronged Tussle Over the Fate of Herds Living in an Island Park:

“They’re trying to get it back to a period that never existed,” Mr. Woolley said. Nita Vail added, “The reality is, any kind of ecosystem evolves.”

Support
The Final Word:
Buy A Bumper Sticker

Page 1

Other News

International

National Report

Previously...