Thursday October 19, 2006

The Final Word: “Be Careful What You Wish For 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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Premier of Iraq Seeks Assistance of Shiite Clerics:

The military has not conducted any major operations this month.

Tables Turned for the G.O.P. Over Iraq Issue:

"Chafee refuses to call for his firing," the commercial said.

A New Mayor Tests His Promises on Newark's Harsh Reality:

Now all he needs is a heliport to land it.

With Cash, Defectors Find North Korea’s Cracks:

"Pray to God to send you to America," the mother exhorted her son.

Japan Assures Rice That It Has No Nuclear Intentions:

In many ways her first stop, here in Tokyo, is the easiest, as Japan and the United States have the most unified public view on efforts to end North Korea's nuclear program.

Iran Seems Unmoved by Specter of Sanctions Against North Korea:

"Europe could have learned a lesson from what happened in Afghanistan, Iraq and during the 33-day war in Lebanon, and not underestimate the capability of the Islamic Republic of Iran for taking revenge on its enemies," it said.

Israel Sex Cases Defy Machismo of the Warrior:

She added: "At traffic lights people stop me and say: 'Are you satisfied now? You got the president.' "

Israeli Troops Find 5 Tunnels in Gaza Strip:

In northern Gaza, where Israeli troops are trying to halt Palestinian rocket fire, two Palestinians were shot dead overnight near the Jabaliya refugee camp, according to the Palestinians. One was a Hamas militant and the other was a civilian, they added. The Israeli military said it exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen, and confirmed hitting one.

New Laws and Machines May Spell Voting Woes:

"We're not sure what we will be handling," Mr. Goldman said. "But we're pretty confident that there will be no shortage of work that night."

Other News

N.L.C.S. Game 6 - Mets 4, Cardinals 2: Mets Beat Cards to Set the Stage for a Game 7:

The chat, it seemed, did not go for naught. One more victory, and the Mets will have a lot more to talk about. On their plane to Detroit.

Suicide Boats Explode in Sri Lanka Port, Killing 16:

The two sides are to resume peace talks on Oct. 28 in Geneva, but there is little optimism.

Bob Ney, Guilty but Still at Capitol :

"He's in and out," Mr. Lawler said. "I just don't have a lot of information for you."

Panel Suggests Brown U. Atone for Ties to Slavery:

The report cites examples of steps taken by other universities: a memorial unveiled last year by the University of North Carolina, a five-year program of workshops and activities at Emory University, and a 2004 vote by the faculty senate of the University of Alabama to apologize for previous faculty members having whipped slaves on campus.

A New Trend for Men's Wear:

And, it appears, it's easier to win.

Bloomberg's Car Is Stolen in New Jersey:

Former Mayor Edward I. Koch said yesterday that around 2000, his personal car was stolen while it was parked outside the Queens home of his driver, a retired police officer. "We never recovered it," Mr. Koch said. "Now there's an additional bond between the mayor and myself."

International

Memo From Dubai: Beyond Skimpy Skirts, a Rare Debate on Identity:

"The U.A.E. remains a Muslim and Arab country — we will still wear our abayas and our shail," Ms. Atiyat said, referring to the women's robes. "We are proud of who we are and we intend to stick to who we are."

U.S. Objections Lead Spain to End Venezuela Deal:

American officials have expressed unease over Madrid's refusal to adopt a hard-line approach to Venezuela, but stressed that the American position on the deal stemmed from its concerns over Mr. Chávez, a leftist populist, not Spanish policy.

National Report

Fort Collins Journal: Seeking Modern Refuge From Modern Life:

"It's been said that people with this condition are the new homeless," Ms. Schonbrun said. "We were lucky enough to build a nontoxic home, but it's still a never-ending struggle to live in a safe all-around environment."

Clinton Reflects on His 2 Terms and Hits Hard at Republicans:

"I don't think we've gotten a lot of foundational leadership from the Hill on this," Mr. Halpin said. "I think a lot of people are still stuck in this mindset of projecting a litany of policy solutions."

Louisiana Page Not Central to Inquiry, Lawmaker Says:

Nevertheless, the officials said, there is no sign that the Justice Department's preliminary inquiry is close to an end. Prosecutors have 90 days to conduct such investigations before deciding whether to go forward or shut the inquiry down.

Iraq Is Big Issue for Voters Seeing the Upside of War:

Mr. Murch said the war had hurt some parts of the local economy, because financing for some research and development projects had gone to buying military equipment. But over all, he said that he thought the economy was strong and that he was planning an addition to double the size of his house. "It feels good to me because I'm not having some of the problems that they have in the rest of the state," he said. Even if engineers in Madison get caught in budget shifts, he added, "There's an abundance of jobs."

Judge Bars Notices at Polls on Votes for Foley's Substitute:

A lawyer for Mr. Foley has said the statute of limitations on such charges expired long ago.

Flow of Immigrants' Money to Latin America Surges:

They too have begun to send money back. According to the bank's survey, remittances to Latin America from Louisiana should top $200 million this year, a 240 percent increase since 2004.

Wire-Transfer Crackdown by Arizona Is Challenged:

The authorities have refunded seizures in 10 percent to 15 percent of the cases after recipients spoke with law enforcement officers. Mr. Goddard said that he offered last week to check into any misguided seizures the Illinois group found but that it had not provided such information.

Trial Begins in '02 Murder and Rape Case in Cape Cod:

Tim Arnold, a former boyfriend of Ms. Worthington, testified Wednesday that he found her, and saw her daughter trying to nurse. He could not find the phone, he said, so he picked up the girl, went to his father's house and called the police.

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