Tuesday November 14, 2006

The Final Word: “Sensitive Tomahawk 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

Pakistan Link Seen in Afghan Suicide Attacks:

The maulavi said he had no idea that Mr. Shah had gone to Afghanistan. He denied sending Mr. Shah on the suicide mission. "He was not brave enough to do that," he said dismissively.

For Evangelicals, Supporting Israel Is 'God's Foreign Policy':

"Israel — to walk where Jesus walked, to pray where Jesus prayed, to stand where he stood — there is no other place like it on earth," Mr. Robertson says in the commercial, according to the Jerusalem Post.

After Vote, Public Demands Change: Take Down the Signs:

"The signs are framed and hung on the wall like a scalp," he said.

As Math Scores Lag, a New Push for the Basics:

John Harrison, principal of Mercer Island High School, estimates that as many as 10 percent of his school's 1,400 students are getting outside math help. "It's not surprising that math is so important in Seattle, with so many people earning their living at Microsoft or Boeing," Mr. Harrison said. "Our kids do very well on the state tests, compared to the state averages, but even here, math proficiency is less than reading and writing."

Bush Says He's Open to Change in Iraq, but ...:

"No matter what the commission recommends, the day after the recommendations come out, you're going to have American troops in Iraq continuing to train and stand up the Iraqi forces," Mr. Hunter said. "You have to do that. There's no shortcut to that. There's no silver bullet and there's no easy way to do it."

For Montauk, It's Lighthouse vs. Surf's Up!:

"We're not destroying a wave," Mr. Donohue added. "We're preserving a lighthouse."

Other News

Backing This Hopeful for No. 2 Job Is Risky for Incoming House Speaker:

"They happen, and we will deal with them and see what happens," said Representative George Miller, Democrat of California.

A Setback for Vietnam Trade Bill:

Even under the law, however, the United States still has the right to designate Vietnam a "nonmarket economy" — that is, a state-controlled economy that continues to operate under Communist principles. But the Bush administration sought the trade bill as a means to get Vietnam to change.

Giuliani Moves to Explore Bid:

In a four-page filing submitted on Friday to the New York State Department of State and obtained by The New York Times, the new organization was listed as a nonprofit corporation. Bobby R. Burchfield, a partner who handles corporate litigation at McDermott Will & Emery, a law firm in Washington, filed the papers. Mr. Gross was listed as a director of the organization, along with Peter J. Powers, a former deputy mayor, and Dennison Young Jr., a former federal prosecutor who was Mr. Giuliani's chief counsel.

Ancient Crash, Epic Wave:

Of course, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, Dr. Masse said, "and we're not there yet."

Health Disparities Persist for Men, and Doctors Ask Why:

He added: "Men think that being vulnerable is the worst thing. But to recognize there might be something wrong with you, you have to acknowledge: you're vulnerable."

Health Insurance Industry Urges Expansion of Coverage:

Many economists say the tax code, by subsidizing the purchase of health insurance, has fostered excessive use of health care services, driving up costs. "New subsidies could aggravate that problem," Mr. Steuerle said.

Honoring Robinson Is Part of Citi Field Plans:

The number of toilets will increase, to 646 from 568, as will the number of wheelchair-accessible seats (to 830 from 174), luxury suites (to 54 from 45) and public elevators (to 11 from 4). The new stadium store will be 7,200 square feet; the store at Shea is 2,600 square feet.

International

Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Maintain Tough Front on Iran:

Ms. Eisin said Mr. Bush and Mr. Olmert also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, though that process is in limbo as Hamas and the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, seek to form a unity government in the hopes of ending the Palestinians’ international isolation. Israel, the European Union and the United States all cut off money to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas came to power.

World Leaders Release Plan for Resolving East-West Rift:

Mr. Annan said in a written statement: "The problem is not the Koran or the Torah or the Bible. Indeed, I have often said that the problem is never the faith, it is the faithful and how they behave toward each other."

Many Nations' Forests Regrow, Study Finds:

"Are people in northern Thailand moving off of marginal farmland and going to Bangkok so the land can revert to forest?" he asked. "It's a scenario, but I'm not sure we really know that."

Educator Seen as Favorite to Succeed Palestinian Premier:

"If Hamas accepts the quartet conditions, I will sit down with them," Mr. Olmert was quoted as saying.

Sri Lanka Accused on Child Soldiers:

Mounting violence in Sri Lanka since January has killed more than 2,500 people.

South Korea Won't Intercept Cargo Ships From the North:

"Even if the talks are held," he said, "I don't think there will be a complete solution to the problem."

Lawmakers Seek to Continue Iraq Reconstruction Watchdog:

The Guard members have agreed to cooperate in the government's investigation of someone accused of being a co-conspirator, the Justice Department said.

Iraqi Premier and U.S. General Discuss Syria and Iran:

Iraqi authorities reported that the American military raided homes of supporters of Mr. Sadr in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Shuala, The Associated Press reported. Helicopters and jets were called in and gun battles were heard by residents nearby.

Blair Urges Strategy Change in Mideast, Spotlighting Iran:

William Hague, the opposition Conservative Party spokesman on foreign affairs, said Monday, "It is very important that there is heavy British involvement in that reassessment, that it is not just an American process."

Toll of Civilians NATO Killed Was Worst Since It Took Over:

NATO forces spent more than one and a half hours confirming that Taliban were present in the compound before ordering the air attack, the official said. Taliban were heard communicating by radio, the official said, and were observed by an aerial drone and ground forces. NATO soldiers were unaware that shepherds were in the area, the official said.

National Report

Restaurant Group Sues Over Health Plan:

"We'll see them in court," he said.

Catholic Bishops Take Up Contraception and Gay Issue:

The bishops' meeting continues until Thursday, though the public sessions end Tuesday afternoon.

Political Memo: In Call for More Troops, McCain Places His Bet on Iraq:

"God bless him, he's about the only serious person in this whole debate," said Joshua Muravchik, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, the conservative research organization in Washington. "Even a supporter of the war like myself would have to acknowledge that we're in a mess, so the question is what to do about it. And McCain is saying we ought to do what we should have done in the first place, which was send enough troops to do the job. That seems counterintuitive because the whole momentum of emotions in the country at this point is to get out of there."

Environmentalists, Though Winners in the Election, Warn Against Expecting Vast Changes:

"I think we're still looking at a big turnaround in the tenor of the debate," Mr. Cook said, "and the nature of information coming out of Washington."

On the Town: Party On, Democrats:

Then there is No. 127, the frat, er, town house that is home to four fun-loving guys from the other side: Representatives George Miller of California and Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts, and Senators Charles E. Schumer of New York and Richard J. Durbin of Illinois.

Political Action: A Committee's Platform:

The committee's Democratic ranks also include Senators Evan Bayh of Indiana, who is almost certain to run for president, and Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, probably the strongest advocate of the war in his party. This committee provided Mrs. Clinton the forum this summer in which she excoriated Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for "incompetence in executing the war."

Hispanic Is Expected to Be the Next Public Face of the G.O.P.:

Mr. Lott will oppose Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee for the No. 2 slot of whip in an election on Wednesday. Mr. Lott had been quietly testing his support. Should Mr. Lott win, it would be a remarkable comeback for the conservative legislative tactician. He was forced out in late 2002 after joking at the 100th birthday party for Senator Strom Thurmond that the nation would have been better off had Mr. Thurmond won the presidency in 1948, when he ran on a segregationist ticket. The remark drew strong criticism as being racially insensitive.