Tuesday October 17, 2006

The Final Word: “The Dwarf Hominid Speaks 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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Wal-Mart Said to Be Acquiring Chain in China:

Mr. Dreher, of Deutsche Bank, expects Wal-Mart to expand aggressively there. By the year 2010, he predicts the company will have as many as 400 stores in China.

Wal-Mart Workers Stage Protest in Florida: John Simley, another Wal-Mart spokesman, said workers had misunderstood the policy. He said it helped workers because calling a toll-free number at headquarters would help ensure that company officials knew employees tried to inform managers of their absence.

Iraq's Christians Flee as Extremist Threat Worsens:

"It must be the only occasion when being a Christian actually helped in this country," he said.

Skills Gap Hurts Technology Boom in India:

"The way the I.T. sector is booming, this is the place to be," said Chinmay Nanavati, a fresh 22-year-old recruit. "At this point I'm happy with the way things are going. They're going my way."

In a Twist, Americans Appear in Ranks of Indian Firms: Ms. Anderson has tried to ignore what she sees as a penchant for staring, especially by men. She has donned Indian clothes in hopes of deflecting attention, only to realize that it has the opposite effect. She has stopped brooding quietly when someone cuts in line. "I say, 'Excuse me, there's a line here.' "

Lawyer, Facing 30 Years, Gets 28 Months, to Dismay of U.S.:

Ms. Stewart said she was grateful to the judge for giving her "time off for good behavior." She had been ready to go straight to jail when she came to court, she said, carrying a pair of sweat pants in a plastic bag. She said if she eventually has to serve the 28-month sentence, "I could do it standing on my head."

Criminal Records Erased by Courts Live to Tell Tales:

"It does reveal," Ms. Love said, "how perilous it is to build a public policy on a lie."

Cheney Hits Heartland, and He Can Feel the Love:

While Mr. Cheney spoke, 6-year-old Grace stayed behind at the airport and scored a private tour of Air Force Two. The Secret Service agents were impressed with her Cheney knowledge and admitted that it exceeded their own. She got her picture in the paper, made the local newscasts and became quite a sensation in her own right on the day Dick Cheney came to town, and it was a big deal.

Other News

Former F.D.A. Chief Is Charged With Conflict:

A spokesman for Pepsico said compliance with government regulations concerning conflict of interest was clearly an individual responsibility. He referred additional questions to Dr. Crawford.

North Korean Fuel Identified as Plutonium:

During the news conference on Monday, Ms. Rice said she was "not concerned that the Chinese are going to turn their backs on their obligations. I don't think they would have voted for a resolution if they did not intend to carry through on it."

Searches Carried Out in Influence Inquiry:

Mr. Weldon said Monday that he had not given his daughter any special assistance and that the House ethics committee had looked into her contracts after they were the subject of an article in The Los Angeles Times in February 2004. He said he had cooperated with the inquiry and had turned over 150 pages of documents and answered the panel's questions.

Venezuela Slips in Voting for U.N. Seat:

"In the year 2000, I was in Florida for 31 days," said John R. Bolton, the American ambassador, recalling the post-election fight of President Bush to win the presidency that year. "This has just begun."

Disney Says It Will Link Marketing to Nutrition:

Still, the omission of any guidelines that address the advertising of junk food products on the company's television networks — including ABC and Toon Disney — is an indication that a ban on the marketing of unhealthy food on Disney channels is not in the works.

Lieberman and Lamont Turn Debate to Home Front:

Mr. Schlesinger again intervened with a one-liner, "Joe, your time has run out, no pun intended."

Some Democrats Send a More Conservative Immigration Message:

"They think they can come in here and just malign me as this Democrat that is out of touch, whose views don't comport with mainstream conservative values," Mr. Ford said. "But we've been able to withstand that."

Fossils of Dwarf Water Buffalo Found:

The dwarf buffalo, said John J. Flynn of the American Museum of Natural History, another team member, is "the kind of evidence that makes you think it would not be surprising to find a dwarf hominid on an island."

International

Paris Journal: A Tell-All's Tale: French Politicians Stray Early and Often:

"This French exception that makes power rhyme with sexual prowess — will it survive the feminization of politics?" Le Figaro asked. "This question has not escaped Ségolčne Royal, who predicts the revenge of women if she assumes power."

Israeli Premier Says He Would Talk to Lebanese and Palestinians:

Nahum Barnea, a leading newspaper columnist, wrote in Yediot Aharonot: "The man Moshe Katsav is innocent as long as it has not been proven otherwise. But the man is one thing and the president another. President Moshe Katsav cannot continue in his position much longer."

Russians Arrest 3 in Murder of a Banker Who Fought Corruption:

The prosecutor's statement said that an investigation had been opened "to establish the sources of the leak of information" about the investigators' tactics and operations.

Bush Reassures Iraqi That There Is No Timetable for Withdrawal:

"We have literally scores of recommendations in front of us, and those are only two," Mr. Hamilton said. Asked about Mr. Snow's remarks, he said, "If he said that they're going to take a close look at it, we're pleased with that."

Suicide Bomber Kills 94 in Northern Sri Lanka:

Tamil rebels say they need their own state because the Sinhalese majority discriminates against Tamils.

Mexican Leftist Suffers Setback in Local Race:

"From my point of view, the protests that the deputies and senators of the P.R.D. carry out will be more symbolic than real," said Jaime Sánchez Susarrey, a conservative columnist.

National Report

Married and Single Parents Spending More Time With Children, Study Finds:

On average, the researchers said, employed mothers get somewhat less sleep and watch less television than mothers who are not employed, and they also spend less time with their husbands.

Hawaii Officials Assess Damage After Quake:

Airline passengers stood in long lines at the Honolulu International Airport on Monday morning, waiting to pass through security checkpoints to board flights that had been canceled Sunday. At the interisland terminal, Hawaiian and Aloha airlines were back to normal after experiencing long delays on Sunday, when lines of passengers snaked their way out of the terminal and onto the driveway.

Law on Overseas Brides Is Keeping Couples Apart:

"If men are investigated it will be good for all women," Ms. Meza said. "But when you are in love and want to go there, you get desperate."

Political Action: G.O.P. Narrows Its Focus:

On the Senate side, Republicans continue to hope they might be able to pull off an upset in New Jersey, making it that much harder for Democrats to pick up the six seats they need. When it comes to House races, President Bush is dropping into solidly Republican districts to shore up incumbents who seem vulnerable, as his party turns up the pressure on a handful of Democratic incumbents who face tough challenges, including Representatives Darlene Hooley in Oregon, Melissa Bean in Illinois and Leonard L. Boswell in Iowa.

Races: A Tossup in Seattle:

Congressional Quarterly has changed its rating of the race from leaning Republican to no clear favorite.

As Talk Radio Wavers, Bush Moves to Firm Up Support:

But Ms. Ingraham, who recently went bike riding with the president, has continued to complain about federal spending, progress in Iraq and, lately, the Republican leadership's handling of the Foley scandal. Ms. Ingraham likened herself to a sports fan who nonetheless has occasional criticism of the coach. But, she said pointedly on her show: "I am not an advocate for the G.O.P. I'm an advocate for conservative ideas."

Off the Cuff: The Perils of the Campaign Trail:

Polls show him trailing by double digits, and Mr. Friedman rebuffed a request last week by the Democratic candidate, Chris Bell, that he quit the race. "We don't negotiate with terrorists," he said.

Political Memo: With Tactical Itinerary, Mrs. Clinton Skirts Iowa:

But he also said: "I think in Iowa you have to fight for it. There aren't any coronations in Iowa. Rightly or wrongly, we demand the candidates come in early and often, and especially often. We expect them to shake our hands and look us in the eye. We expect to be able to ask questions and have them answered. She's going to have to work for it like anybody else."

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