Monday October 16, 2006

The Final Word: “Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll 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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In Final Weeks, G.O.P. Focuses on Best Bets:

"When you look at the polling numbers, they don't want to vote for the Democrat," Mr. Forti said. "Believe me, we are not going to waste two million bucks if we don't think we have a shot."

Questions Grow Over U.N. Curbs on North Korea:

"The feeling is that the engagement policy itself was not to blame for the nuclear test," said Kim Sung-han, a senior analyst at the government-financed Institute for Foreign Affairs and National Security in Seoul. "The issue is how to implement it. Should there be more elements of dialogue or reciprocity? There is the feeling that implementation was not balanced enough. From now on, the government will be more realistic in implementing the engagement policy instead of giving it up altogether."

Bush's Press Secretary Is Raising Money, and Some Eyebrows:

Mr. Snow said his stardom was only "the reflected glory of the president." But on Saturday night, as he basked in the spotlight, his face beaming out at the crowd from six oversize screens, he looked awfully happy when he said, "Let me bring you greetings from the president of the United States."

Pirro Attacks, Cuomo Parries at First Debate:

Mr. Cuomo said that as district attorney, Ms. Pirro had a lower rate for felony convictions from her Internet pedophile sex sting operation than her peers in most nearby counties had in similar cases. And he said she had recovered only a small percentage of Medicaid money that had been improperly paid in Westchester.

Candidates Miss Some Details in Accusations: Mr. Cuomo said the article showed that Ms. Pirro's record "failed compared to Nassau and Brooklyn and Manhattan." While the article cited figures indicating that prosecutors in those jurisdictions were less likely than Ms. Pirro to bargain with defendants charged with trying to sexually entice minors using the Internet, it also noted that each of those offices had brought fewer such cases than Ms. Pirro had.

As Lenders, Hedge Funds Draw Insider Scrutiny:

Mr. Miller of Greenhill said that the issue of managing secrets was a serious one for the industry. Walls may be in place, but people still run into each other outside the walls. "It is hard to be foolproof," he said.

Health Insurer's Chief Is Ousted in Options Inquiry:

Ms. Skolnick or CRT Capital Group had other concerns. She said the changes announced yesterday were "good" but added that "the scary thing" was the possibility that past stock-dating practices may still lead to costly penalties. "I worry that something bad must have happened," she said.

U.S. Firing Plans for Great Lakes Raise Concerns:

"Our treaty had always said that the Great Lakes will not be militarized," Mr. Miller said. "And in effect, this remilitarizes them in the name of a threat from 9/11."

Other News

CBGB Brings Down the Curtain With Nostalgia and One Last Night of Rock:

"When I go into a rock club in Helsinki or London or Des Moines, it feels like CBGB to me there," Mr. Kaye said. "The message from this tiny little Bowery bar has gone around the world. It has authenticated the rock experience wherever it has landed."

5 Americans Killed in Iraq, Bringing Month's Toll to 53:

Mr. Hussein, 68, faces a possible sentence of death by hanging for his role in the execution of 148 men and boys from the mostly Shiite town of Dujail after an assassination attempt against him in 1982.

N.L.C.S. Game 4 - Mets 12, Cardinals 5: Pérez Helps Mets and Gets Plenty in Return:

When he left the game with two outs in the sixth, after allowing Yadier Molina's home run, Pérez skipped over the foul line and dashed down the dugout steps to a conquering hero's reception. High-fives, backslaps and hugs all around, all for a guy who did not throw a no-hitter or a shutout or even pitch all that well, but gave the Mets exactly what they needed. A game ball awaited him in his locker.

Early Returns Point to Runoff in Ecuador:

Mr. Chávez, for his part, has remained uncharacteristically restrained in commenting on the race, perhaps out of concern that he might weaken Mr. Correa's chances. Opponents of leftist populist presidential candidates in both Peru and Mexico won elections this year after attacking their rivals' perceived ties to Mr. Chávez.

Israeli Police Recommend Charges Against President:

Israel's previous president, Ezer Weizman, resigned in 2000 amid scandal. During the 1980's, when he was a lawmaker and cabinet minister, he received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a French businessman with interests in Israel. No charges were filed against Mr. Weizman, who died in 2005.

A Strong Earthquake Rattles Hawaii:

"Right now, it does not look like there is substantial structural damage or major fires," he said. "And it looks like very modest costs to insurers. It could turn out to be higher if there is considerable damage to foundations and walls that is not immediately obvious."

Doctors Say Electric Pulses Aided Brain-Damaged Man:

"Even though this is a first step, it is of utmost importance, because is shows that this therapeutic approach is worth studying," said Dr. Steven Laureys, a neurologist at the University of Ličge in Belgium. "I can only hope that further cases will confirm this result, because if that would fail, we would see this whole idea go back into the fridge for a long time."

International

Pope Benedict XVI Names 4 to Sainthood:

Father Smaldone was an early proponent of education for the deaf, establishing schools for the deaf and blind in southern Italy. He died in 1923. He also founded an order of nuns, the Congregation of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, which has convents in Brazil, Paraguay, Rwanda and Moldavia.

Panama Journal: A Killer in a Medicine Bottle Shakes Faith in Government:

"Someone should say they're sorry," said Kimberly Castillo, 18, one of Ms. Cruz's granddaughters. "And someone has to make sure it doesn't happen again. We're all afraid to use medicine now. We don't know if we'll get better or if we'll die."

China Charges a Lawyer With Inciting Subversion:

A spokesman for the Beijing Public Security Bureau did not respond to an inquiry about Mr. Gao's case.

Afghan Attack Brings Total of Canadians Killed to 42:

The kidnapping occurred just a week after two German journalists were killed by unknown gunmen in central Afghanistan.

Video Disputes China's Claim Shooting Was in Self-Defense:

The American ambassador in Beijing, Clark T. Randt Jr., went to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday to protest China's treatment of the refugees, an embassy representative said.

U.S. Pursues Tactic of Financial Isolation:

"This is a step where the end result could clearly weaken the dollar," said John G. Heimann, an investment banker and former comptroller of the currency in the Carter administration. "What has to be considered is whether or not we are shooting ourselves in the foot."

National Report

American Album: A Soldier Comes Home to Alaska, Too Early and Yet Too Late:

And when the fall whale hunt begins, a new man will be holding the oar that Billy Brown once held.

A Power-Grid Report Suggests Some Dark Days Ahead:

The number of miles of transmission lines, which can help redistribute supplies, will increase by only about 7 percent, the report said.

Rape Accusation Has Ruined Lives, Students Say:

The other suspended student, Collin Finnerty, 20, of Garden City, N.Y., said he also had evidence showing he left the party early, but did not want to reveal it before trial. He said he left the party after the women stopped dancing and never saw them again.

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