Wednesday November 1, 2006

The Final Word: “Wild Kingdom 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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Iraqi Demands Pullback; U.S. Lifts Baghdad Cordon:

The American military announced that two soldiers died in Baghdad on Monday, one when a bomb exploded next to his vehicle and the other by small arms fire. With at least 103 announced deaths, October has been the fourth-deadliest month for American troops since the beginning of the war. The other highest monthly tolls were 107 in January 2005, 135 in April 2004, and 137 in November 2004.

As Vote Nears, Stances on War Set Off Sparks:

With a flurry of polls as their guide, Republicans redirected resources on Tuesday, pulling back on races in Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania in hopes of shoring up seats elsewhere. The largest infusion of money was reported in Missouri, Montana, Tennessee and Virginia.

North Korea Will Resume Nuclear Talks:

Liu Jianchao, the foreign ministry spokesman, said Tuesday, before the resumption of talks was announced, that China had no plans to sever aid or trade with North Korea, but dodged questions about the oil cutoff.

After the Storm, Students Left Alone and Angry:

"When we get our students to respond in a different way," he said, "then I can back off. We're trying to train our students to resolve conflict, and that's something they haven't been able to do."

Battle Over Abortion Focuses on South Dakota Vote:

Opponents of the ban have filed complaints with local television stations over the commercial, saying supporters are trying to confuse undecided voters in the final days.

Working Mothers Find Some Peace on the Road:

"I'll be calling home a million times, but the thought of sleeping in a bed without my 2-year-old saying she wants some juice in the middle of the night or my 4-year-old saying, 'Mommy, I need to tinkle,' is so incredible," she said. "Just the thought of being alone in a big bed with clean sheets...."

Other News

China Acts to Reduce High Rate of Executions:

"So far, the leadership is not willing to take on real reform," Mr. Bequelin said.

NASA Plans Manned Flight to Fix Telescope:

NASA has flown three shuttle missions since the Columbia accident to test new safety modifications and resume building the space station, and agency officials said about a half dozen more flights would occur before the Hubble mission. Crews now routinely inspect the shuttle while in flight for the kind of damage that doomed the Columbia, and they carry rudimentary repair kits for fixing many heat shield problems that could bring down a shuttle.

P. W. Botha, Defender of Apartheid, Is Dead at 90:

"I have nothing to apologize for," he said. ''I will never ask for amnesty. Not now, not tomorrow, not after tomorrow."

A Skateboarding Ramp Reaches for the Sky:

Alone at the pinnacle of skateboarding's newest discipline, the sky was the limit.

CVS in Talks to Buy Drug Middleman:

“Mac Crawford has done a spectacular job of turning around Caremark in the last 10 years,” Mr. Abramowitz said.

International

Memo From Hungary: From Velvet to Fringe in Post-Soviet Central Europe:

Perhaps the best analogy to the Central European muddle today is France's Fourth Republic, which was polarized and ineffectual after World War II until a strong center-right politician — de Gaulle — swept it away with a stronger constitution and a new republic. The question then is: Who is going to rise up and claim the mantle of de Gaulle?

Hezbollah Says Talks About Release of 2 Israeli Soldiers Have Begun:

"Hezbollah told them," he said with his typical dramatic flair, "we are fighting to the last bullet and the last blood."

72 Muslim Workers Barred From Paris Airport:

"Monsieur or Madame X who goes to pray in the mosque and travels to Mecca for the pilgrimage is not a problem for us," he said.

For North Korean Resort, Symbol of Engagement, Nuclear Test's Fallout Is Financial:

"I don't see any horns on your head," one of the North Koreans said. "I hope you don't see any on mine, either."

Rights Advocate Wins a Retrial, a Rarity in the Chinese Courts:

The actual prospects for a new trial are uncertain.

U.S. Central Command Charts Sharp Movement of the Civil Conflict in Iraq Toward Chaos:

Still, for a military culture that thrives on PowerPoint briefings, the shifting index was seen by some officials as a stark warning about the difficult course of events in Iraq, and mirrored growing concern by some military officers.

NATO Forces Fight Taliban in 5 Provinces of Afghanistan:

Since NATO took over responsibility for the region from American troops at the beginning of August, 56 of its soldiers have been killed in fighting. The nationalities of the four NATO soldiers killed Monday and Tuesday were not released.

U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq Still Mostly Outside Capital:

"Now we have to juxtapose the insurgency with the strength of militias," Mr. O'Hanlon said.

National Report

Against Nearly Universal Opposition, San Francisco Raises Taxicab Fares:

"We are just trying to make a living in this city," said Thomas George-Williams, a cabdriver of nine years. "We have to find a middle ground so customers can afford the fare and we can make a living."

Truth or Consequences Journal: Town Looks to the Future, Again, for an Identity:

"To stop the spaceport now would be harder than continuing it," Chief Peterson said. "There are too many irons in the fire."

Justices Weigh Limits on Punitive Damages:

Judge Kessler's ruling was appealed by Philip Morris USA, Lorillard Inc., Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation and British American Tobacco.

Researchers Link Brain Defect With Infant Death Syndrome:

"For parents like us, I think we are looking forward to the next step, to get to the point where we'd have a screening test and a cure," said Robert Kossar, a father in New Jersey who with his wife, Michelle, started the Ryan Wolfe Kossar Foundation in honor of their infant son who died of SIDS in 2004.

Race: A Democrat in Nebraska:

As he campaigns, Mr. Kleeb quips: "I'm a Democrat, and I'm a bull rider. Now which of those two things do you all think is more difficult to be in Nebraska?"

Senate Logistics: What if It's a Tie?:

Could it happen again? Democrats admit they have considered the possibility, "What was done in 2001 should serve as a useful framework," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for the Democratic leader, Senator Harry Reid. Not so fast, the Republicans say. They do not want to be seen even considering the idea of losing control, so much so that a senior Republican aide would speak only anonymously. "If the Senate were ever to return to that ratio," the aide said, "the previous agreement is not precedent."

Senator Clinton Attacks Bush and the Iraqi Government:

"The people who promised less government," she said, "have instead given us the largest and least competent government we have ever had."

A Senate Newcomer, Helping Fellow Democrats on the Trail and Drawing Big Crowds:

"Well," he added, catching himself, "judgment, vision and passion for the American people, and what their hopes and dreams are."

Campaign 2006: The Continental Divide:

"I think people are ready," Mr. Perlmutter said. "They have seen enough ads."

Duke Rape Case Shadows an Unusual Campaign:

"People who are upset about the lacrosse case, they will be vocal but I don't think significant," said Frank Hyman, a former city councilman and longtime political observer, who backs Mr. Nifong. "I think most people are going to recognize this needs to be settled in court and not in the press."

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