Wednesday November 15, 2006

The Final Word: “Positive Strokes for America's Children 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

As Guard Changes in Congress, Lobbyists Scramble:

To place the change of power in perspective and to lighten the mood, they opened with the timeless tale from Dr. Seuss: "If I ran the zoo."

Life Is Complicated at Louisiana School:

"Keven's a bright kid, one that makes you glad to come to work," Butler said. "He knows what he doesn't want to happen. As long as he believes in himself as much as we believe in him, he will make it. Sometimes, it's hard for kids to look up at the big picture when they're always looking down, trying to get over one hurdle or the next."

Enter, Pariah: Now It's Hugs for Lieberman:

He beamed as he said this, as he did for much of the day.

The Minimalist : To Stuff or Dress the Bird? James Beard Had It Covered:

And you can cook them in the bird if you prefer, and call them stuffings.

Today's Paper

Dozens Abducted in Brazen Raid on Iraq Ministry:

Elsewhere, a car bomb exploded near a busy market in the capital, killing 10 people and wounding 25 others, an Interior Ministry official said. Late Monday and into Tuesday, clashes erupted between members of the Mahdi Army militia and American troops, leaving six civilians dead and 13 wounded, an Interior Ministry official said. The police found 25 bodies dumped across the city on Tuesday, the official said.

Get Out Now? Not So Fast, Experts Say:

"If we start pulling out troops and the violence gets worse and the control of the militias increases and people become confirmed in their suspicion that the United States is not going to be there to prevent civil war, they are to going to start making decisions today to prepare for the eventuality of civil war tomorrow," he said. "That is how civil wars start."

Study Questions Angioplasty Use in Some Patients:

A spokesman for Boston Scientific, the leading stent maker in the United States, said Dr. Hochman's study would not have much impact because the findings applied to only a small subgroup of patients. But the company's stock price dropped sharply yesterday morning when news of Dr. Hochman's study first hit the news. It recovered by the end of the day, however, as analysts said the findings were likely to have little effect on stent use. By late afternoon, the rally had wiped out all the morning losses. Boston Scientific ended trading at $15.94, up 8 cents.

Enter, Pariah: Now It's Hugs for Lieberman:

He beamed as he said this, as he did for much of the day.

As Guard Changes in Congress, Lobbyists Scramble:

To place the change of power in perspective and to lighten the mood, they opened with the timeless tale from Dr. Seuss: "If I ran the zoo."

Officials Clash Over Mentally Ill in Florida Jails:

"You have large numbers of people sent to state hospitals not for therapeutic purposes, but for purposes of making them competent to proceed to trial," Mr. Honberg said. "We're not going to solve these problems until we invest adequate resources into services that work for people before they get to jail."

Other News

G.O.P. House Leaders Withdraw Vietnam Trade Bill:

The administration argued that granting Vietnam "normal" trade status is the best way of getting it to abide by international trade rules, including bans on copyright piracy and restrictions on foreign investments and imports.

South African Parliament Approves Same-Sex Marriages:

"We can't be in the situation where civil officers can decide who they want to marry and who they don't want to marry," she said. "They aren't able to refuse to marry a black person and a white person. Why are same-sex couples different?"

U.N. Says Somalis Helped Hezbollah Fighters:

The report recommends that the Security Council blockade Somalia. It also warns urgently against sending any peacekeepers to the country, saying such a force could become "the catalyst that sparks a serious military confrontation between the opposing sides."

Life Is Complicated at Louisiana School:

Wartime Chinese Laborers Sue Japan:

Chinese lawyers say they have begun pressing Chinese branches of the Japanese companies, many of which are dependent on China's booming economy. It is unclear whether Beijing will allow suits centering on individual claims against the state — even if that state is Japan — but Chinese lawyers say they are gingerly taking steps in that direction.

School Districts With Officials but No Schools? New Jersey Has Them:

While Mr. Hall said there would certainly be advantages to joining another school district, he remained divided over whether the borough should do so. "We're doing well the way we are," he said. "I like it because it's working."

The Minimalist : To Stuff or Dress the Bird? James Beard Had It Covered:

And you can cook them in the bird if you prefer, and call them stuffings.

International

African Children Often Lack Available AIDS Treatment:

The Chantal Biya Foundation Hospital looks after 200 children on antiretroviral AIDS medicines, by far the biggest group of treated children in the country, said Dr. Felix Tietche, the director. But as a sign of how far there is to go, he estimated that there might be 15,000 in need of treatment nationwide.

Memo From Egypt: Silence and Fury in Cairo After Sexual Attacks on Women:

"This is not the first time this has happened, but the dangerous part is that it is the first time that it happened in such a collective way," said Nesreen Khaled, one of the demonstrators. "Where are the police that are always there at the mosques? Where are the regular people to stop this from happening?"

Iran's Leader Cites Nuclear Progress:

Intelligence analysts say Iran could be anywhere from three to nine years away from having the ability to build an atom bomb.

Vatican Decries Fence Planned for U.S. Border:

"I will try to sign an agreement with Romania to strengthen cooperation in the fight against crime," Interior Minister Giuliano D'Amato told the daily newspaper La Repubblica.

Arab Gunmen Kill Hundreds of Villagers in Chad:

The United Nations Security Council has approved a United Nations peacekeeping force to stanch the violence spreading out of Darfur and replace the largely ineffective and undermanned African Union force currently working there. But Sudan has adamantly refused to allow the new force to deploy. The United Nations plans to convene a high-level meeting on Thursday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the headquarters of the African Union, to discuss ways to end the violence.

C.I.A. Tells of Bush's Directive on the Handling of Detainees:

Mr. Bush said in September that 14 high-level terrorism suspects had been moved from secret prisons overseas to the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Blair, Clinton and Democrats Hold Meetings With Iraq Panel:

Mr. Clinton, whose session with the group lasted about 90 minutes, was not on the public list of those meeting with the panel. His spokesman, Jay Carson, said the former president "was happy to meet" with the group, adding, "He gave his thoughts on how best we can achieve the goals that almost everyone wants — a secure and stable Iraq with our troops home safely as soon as possible."

Qaeda Leaders Losing Sway Over Militants, Study Finds:

"Bin Laden's message is well known," he said. "It is the deeper arguments that are bringing people into the movement."

12 Detainees Sue Rumsfeld in Germany, Citing Abuse:

"If I were Rumsfeld's travel agent, I would advise him to choose some other part of 'old Europe,' " said Detlev F. Vagts, emeritus professor of international law at Harvard Law School, referring to Mr. Rumsfeld's now famous poke at two wayward American allies, Germany and France. "There is some danger out there."

National Report

Time Again to Choose or Switch Drug Plans:

John C. Rother, policy director of AARP, the lobby for older Americans, said the new program had helped many people. His "biggest disappointment," Mr. Rother said, was that several million low-income people had not applied for the extra help available to them.

Abramoff Set to Start Prison Term:

A former White House budget official, David Safavian, was sentenced last month to 18 months in prison for lying to federal investigators about his knowledge of Mr. Abramoff's lobbying work and the circumstances of the golfing trip.

Soldier to Plead Guilty in Iraq Rape and Killings:

"Given the state of the evidence," Mr. Sheldon said, "it was certainly likely that Specialist Barker could have received the death penalty or life without parole. He who gets to the courthouse fastest often is the smartest."

U.S. Bishops Adopt Guidelines on Gays:

"Heterosexual Catholics, married and unmarried, understand that the responsible exercise of their sexuality includes the use of contraceptive methods that the church forbids," Ms. Kissling said in a written statement. "Almost no one is looking to the bishops for guidance on contraception, sexuality and law making, and if the bishops continue making pronouncements such as those issued this week in Baltimore, they will find themselves increasingly isolated."

In House, New Class Arrives for Lessons in Lawmaking:

Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat of Arizona, was fighting a cold. So she found her way to the House physician. "H-166," she reported authoritatively.

G.O.P. in House Gears Up for New Leadership Fight:

Many House Republicans say that Mr. Blunt can hold his post, but that the wild card will be whether the party sees the need for a major change in leadership if Mr. Boehner holds on to the top spot.

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Page 1

Top Stories

As Guard Changes in Congress, Lobbyists Scramble:

Life Is Complicated at Louisiana School:

Enter, Pariah: Now It's Hugs for Lieberman:

The Minimalist : To Stuff or Dress the Bird? James Beard Had It Covered:

Today's Paper

Dozens Abducted in Brazen Raid on Iraq Ministry:

Get Out Now? Not So Fast, Experts Say:

Study Questions Angioplasty Use in Some Patients:

Enter, Pariah: Now It's Hugs for Lieberman:

As Guard Changes in Congress, Lobbyists Scramble:

Officials Clash Over Mentally Ill in Florida Jails:

Other News

G.O.P. House Leaders Withdraw Vietnam Trade Bill:

South African Parliament Approves Same-Sex Marriages:

U.N. Says Somalis Helped Hezbollah Fighters:

Life Is Complicated at Louisiana School:

Wartime Chinese Laborers Sue Japan:

School Districts With Officials but No Schools? New Jersey Has Them:

The Minimalist : To Stuff or Dress the Bird? James Beard Had It Covered:

International

African Children Often Lack Available AIDS Treatment:

Memo From Egypt: Silence and Fury in Cairo After Sexual Attacks on Women:

Iran's Leader Cites Nuclear Progress:

Vatican Decries Fence Planned for U.S. Border:

Arab Gunmen Kill Hundreds of Villagers in Chad:

C.I.A. Tells of Bush's Directive on the Handling of Detainees:

Blair, Clinton and Democrats Hold Meetings With Iraq Panel:

Qaeda Leaders Losing Sway Over Militants, Study Finds:

12 Detainees Sue Rumsfeld in Germany, Citing Abuse:

National Report

Time Again to Choose or Switch Drug Plans:

Abramoff Set to Start Prison Term:

Soldier to Plead Guilty in Iraq Rape and Killings:

U.S. Bishops Adopt Guidelines on Gays:

In House, New Class Arrives for Lessons in Lawmaking:

G.O.P. in House Gears Up for New Leadership Fight:

Previously...