NYT > NYTimes.com Home Sun, 11 May 2008 22:12:05 GMT

Fierce Fighting Breaks Out East of Beirut  - The fighting followed overnight clashes in the northern city of Tripoli that left at least two people dead and five wounded, according to security officials. Already, Obama and McCain Map Fall Strategies  - Even before the Democratic nomination fight ends, the candidates are focusing on independent voters, Latinos and about a dozen states. Lessons Learned: Upside of Being Knocked Around  - Maybe a hard-hitting Hillary Rodham Clinton has been the best thing that could have happened to Barack Obama. Rescue Crews Search for Survivors After Storms Kill 23 in Three States  - Tornadoes and other violent weather brought destruction in Missouri, Oklahoma and Georgia. Myanmar Junta Still Blocking Much Cyclone Aid  - In an illustration of the difficulties aid agencies face in distributing supplies, a boat carrying some of the first aid to survivors sank. Sudan Breaks Off Ties With Chad After Attack  - The Sudanese president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, accused his country’s neighbor of backing a rebel force that nearly penetrated the capital. As Gazprom Goes, So Goes Russia  - The energy giant Gazprom and the state are cozier than ever now that its chairman, Dmitri A. Medvedev, is president. Serbs Vote in Parliamentary Elections  - The ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party held a slim lead heading into the parliamentary vote, closely trailed by President Boris Tadic’s pro-Western coalition. 600 Tibetan Protesters Detained in Nepal  - Police detained more than 600 female Tibetan protesters on Sunday after breaking up several demonstrations in Nepal’s capital against China’s recent crackdown in Tibet. The Long Run: Pragmatic Politics, Forged on the South Side  - Barack Obama’s ability to replicate and expand the eclectic coalition he built in Chicago has brought him to the brink of the Democratic presidential nomination. Jenna Bush Has Wedding at Ranch in Crawford  - President Bush’s daughter married Henry Chase Hager, a graduate student and son of a former Virginia lieutenant governor, before 200 relatives and close family friends.

NYT > Week in Review Sun, 11 May 2008 06:39:50 GMT

Lessons Learned: The Upside of Being Knocked Around  - Maybe hard-hitting Hillary Rodham Clinton has been the best thing that could have happened to Barack Obama — a teaching adversary who made him stronger. Almighty: The Dollar: Shrinkable but (So Far) Unsinkable  - What are the chances that a day of reckoning is coming, when the dollar would be so weak that America would have to play by the rules that apply to every other country? The Nation: In Dixie, Signs of a Rising Biracial Politics  - The South went solidly red state in the ’90s, but that tide may be receding. The World: The Dangers of the Deltas  - From the Mekong to the Mississippi, river mouths have long lured farmers, fishers and traders. But the same geography also guarantees they will be periodically inundated. The World: Oil Prices Are Up and Politicians Are Angry. Yawn.  - What can Washington do to reduce gas prices in the near term? The short answer, alas, is not much. Ideas & Trends: Time to Tie a String Around That Strad  - Why do musicians keep getting separated from their precious, often priceless instruments?

NYT > Sports Sun, 11 May 2008 22:15:10 GMT

Mets 8, Reds 3: Mets’ Offense a Safeguard Against a Potential Pérez Combustion  - Carlos Beltrán continued his hot hitting, going 2 for 5 with a two-run homer and three runs batted in, to support Oliver Pérez and give the Mets the victory. Breeding for Speed, Ignoring Durability  - Long before Eight Belles shattered her front ankles and was euthanized on the track on May 3, the industry had conceded that American racehorses were less sound than ever. In Cat and Mouse Game, Patriots Are Central Players  - In discussions of changes to the N.F.L.’s confidential rulebook, known as the game operations manual, one team, the New England Patriots, has surfaced more than any other. D’Antoni Accepts Offer to Coach Knicks  - Mike D’Antoni turned the Phoenix Suns into one of the N.B.A.’s most entertaining and successful teams of the last half-decade. Gasol Ceding the Spotlight, but Still Shining  - The transition from playing the lead in Memphis to being Kobe Bryant’s stage partner in Los Angeles has not been as difficult for Pau Gasol as people may think. A 16-Year Tour Veteran Takes an Unlikely Lead  - Paul Goydos, a former substitute teacher, shot two-under-par 70 for the 54-hole lead at the Players Championship on Saturday. Sorenstam Adds Kingsmill to Courses Conquered  - Annika Sorenstam’s comeback is real. And with her third victory in eight events this season, she also showed she can beat the new No. 1, Lorena Ochoa. Djokovic Wins Rome Masters  - Novak Djokovic won the 10th title of his career Sunday, rallying to beat unseeded Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the Rome Masters. Von der Lippe Is Still Making a Splash at 42  - Susan Von der Lippe, a three-time Olympian and a 42-year-old mother of two, will compete at the Olympic trials next month. If N.F.L. Doesn’t Call, the Army Will  - If Owen Tolson makes the Giants roster, a new Army program will allow him to delay his active-service commitment to play professional sports while serving as a recruiter. Tiger Stadium Faces Partial Demolition Amid Opposition  - The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, a group opposed to the demolition of Tiger Stadium, has until June 1 to raise $369,000 to try to save part of the historic site. Ohio State Tops Cornell for Its First N.C.A.A. Victory  - The Buckeyes defeated the Ivy League champion Big Red, 15-7, in a first-round game of the N.C.A.A. Division I men’s lacrosse tournament Saturday. Basketball Roundup: Celtics Slow James Again, but Road Woes Continue  - The shots did not drop again for LeBron James, and it hardly mattered. The rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers made most of theirs. Yankees 5, Tigers 2: Rasner Gives Yanks Some Stability  - Saturday’s victory featured the sort of ensemble pitching that may tempt the team’s ownership, management, fans and news media followers to be patient with the staff. National League Roundup: Marlins Win Again as Uggla Drives in 5  - Dan Uggla drove in five runs, Andrew Miller allowed two hits in seven innings and the visiting Florida Marlins beat the Washington Nationals, 11-0, on Saturday night for their sixth consecutive victory. Kyle Busch Overcomes a Penalty and Wins  - Kyle Busch won a battle of attrition Saturday night to convincingly win the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway. An Indian Billionaire Turns the Key in Formula One  - The arrival of the newest and tallest motor homes in the Formula One paddock is an overt statement of intent by the sport’s youngest team, Force India. N.H.L. Roundup: Red Wings, Missing a Scorer, Don’t Miss a Beat  - Darren Helm and Henrik Zetterberg scored in the first period for Detroit in a 2-1 victory Saturday that gave the Red Wings a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. Day to Remember, Night to Forget (Except Pelfrey)  - The Mets’ thrashing of the Reds in the first game of a doubleheader reminded them how simple baseball can be sometimes. In the nightcap, though, the Mets were reminded of the other side of the game. American League Roundup: Matsuzaka Gets Help in Red Sox Victory  - The Boston Red Sox received an unexpected power surge from the bottom of their lineup to help Daisuke Matsuzaka remain undefeated on Saturday. Soccer Roundup: Kai’s First Hat Trick Leads U.S. Over Canada  - Natasha Kai had her first career hat trick with three second-half goals to lead the United States women’s soccer team to a 6-0 victory against Canada on Saturday. 30 Seconds: With Ryan Church  - Ryan Church joined the Mets in a November trade with the Washington Nationals. He sustained a concussion in spring training and, two weeks later, became a father for the first time. Slap Shot: Grueling Series Put the Stars on Their Heels  - The Dallas Stars’ path toward the Stanley Cup has wound through the toughest teams in the league, and it may be taking its toll. Horse Racing Roundup: A Horse From Japan Dominates at Belmont  - Making only his second start, Casino Drive romped to a five-and-three-quarter-length victory Saturday in the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park. Sports of The Times: Racing Industry Is Stuck in Perpetual Post Time  - An insular industry built on horses and gambling is out of step, out of touch and out of sync with contemporary American culture. Sports of The Times: It’s the End of the World as the Knicks Know It  - Whatever system Mike D’Antoni installs in New York, the Knicks won’t be winners until their roster is turned over, until better and more coachable players are found. Cheering Section: Dying of Cancer, but Full of Life Lessons  - Randy Pausch, who has pancreatic cancer and whose book, “The Last Lecture,” has been an inspiration to many, was invited to a Pittsburgh Steelers practice. Keeping Score: For Griffey, the Roads Not Taken  - The Pecota projection system attempts to forecast the future performances of major league players based on comparisons with the past. In-Box: Emotional Responses to a Thoroughbred’s Death  - There was an outpouring of reactions to The Times’s coverage of the May 3 Kentucky Derby, in which Eight Belles broke her front ankles and was put down on the track.