June 9, 2008 | Select excerpts from the New York Sun Iraqi Sheik Offers To Take Fight to Bin Laden
Hero of Anbar Would Stir a Revolt in Afghanistan
BY ELI LAKE - Staff Reporter of the Sun
WASHINGTON — The leader of the tribal confederation that has fought to expel Al Qaeda from most of Iraq's Anbar province is offering his men to help gin up a rebellion against Osama bin Laden's organization along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In… Top Talent Scout for Obama Tied to Subprime Lender
Could Become a Political Liability
BY JOSH GERSTEIN - Staff Reporter of the Sun
Long-standing ties between a member of Senator Obama's new vice presidential search team and a prominent mortgage executive the senator has pilloried could become a political liability that hampers the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's… Paterson Signals He'd Fight a Bloomberg Challenge
'If He Did It, We're Going To Run Right at Him'
BY JACOB GERSHMAN - Staff Reporter of the Sun
If Mayor Bloomberg decides to run for governor in 2010, Governor Paterson would confront him head-on despite what would seem to be an uneven matchup: a contest between a nationally known billionaire businessman with strong approval ratings and a… Bonus Pay for Teachers May Be Expanded Amid a Tight Budget
Weingarten Favored Initial Plan, Opposes 20% Boost Being Considered
BY ELIZABETH GREEN - Staff Reporter of the Sun
The experiment in giving teachers cash bonuses if their students score well on tests is set to be expanded in the fall — and for the first time it would be financed by the taxpayer dollar. The expansion is pending the finalization of the Department… Police Department Changes Sought in Wake of Sean Bell Shooting
BY ANNA PHILLIPS - Special to the Sun
State and federal legislators and two likely mayoral candidates are calling for sweeping changes in police department procedures in the wake of the 2006 Sean Bell shooting. State Senator Malcolm Smith and about a dozen others, including state… Spectators, Police Crowd Hot Puerto Rican Day Parade
BY MARK GIANNOTTO - Special to the Sun
The sweltering heat may have had many New Yorkers staying inside or scurrying to the nearest swimming pool, but it did nothing to dissuade the thousands lining Fifth Avenue yesterday in celebration of the 51st annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. The… Homeless Services Agency Accused of Mismanagement
BY Ross Goldberg - Special to the Sun
Five years after the city's Department of Homeless Services pledged to clean up its act, it is facing renewed allegations of improper accounting practices. Comptroller William Thompson issued a scathing criticism of the department yesterday, saying… Prominent Law Firm Urges Atlantic Yards Development Be Stopped
BY JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN - Staff Reporter of the Sun
The public interest law firm that challenged the use of eminent domain in the landmark case Kelo v. City of New London is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to stop Forest City Ratner's Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn. In a friend-of-the-court… Multiple Subway Lines Affected By Brooklyn Power Outage
BY SARAH GARLAND - Staff Reporter of the Sun
A power outage shut down two subway lines in Brooklyn yesterday amid a heat wave in New York City. A Con Edison official said the outage originated at a smoking manhole at the intersection of Smith and Dean streets in downtown Brooklyn. The 2, 3… State's Wine Region Moves Toward More Expensive Grapes
BY BEN DOBBIN - Associated Press
BRANCHPORT, N.Y. — A half-century ago, Vince Bedient spent his days chopping down trees for his father's sawmill, stealing time during harvest to haul farmers' grapes to a Welch's juice factory. Now 78, Mr. Bedient can attest to the multiple charms… New Yorkers Pool Their Gripes for Complaints Choir
BY PETER KIEFER - Staff Reporter of the Sun
Anyone who has lived in New York City knows the sensation. Whether it is a subway service change, spotty cell phone service, or a delayed flight out of La Guardia, moments of civic frustration — often shared with total strangers — are a cornerstone of… Schumer Adds His Obama for President Endorsement
BY BENJAMIN SARLIN - Special to the Sun
With Senator Schumer's endorsement yesterday, Senator Obama is consolidating his support among Democratic officials in New York after a long, bruising presidential primary in which he defeated the state's junior senator, Hillary Clinton. "I know… McCain and Obama Tiptoe On Issue of Immigration
BY JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS - Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The tricky politics of immigration, an issue once seen as a driving force of the 2008 election, have relegated it to a back but hot burner in the presidential campaign debate and paralyzed Congress on the topic. Both John McCain and… Arson Suspected in Texas Governor's Mansion Fire
BY Staff Reporter of the Sun
Arson is suspected in a fire that left much of the historic Texas Governor's Mansion charred and inflicted damage that state officials described as 'bordering on catastrophic.' No one was inside at the time… Third Spacewalk a Breeze for Discovery Crew
BY MARCIA DUNN - Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Shuttle Discovery's astronauts breezed through their third and final spacewalk yesterday, replacing an empty gas tank at the international space station and collecting a sample of dusty debris. Spacewalkers Michael Fossum and… N.H. Gay Bishop, Partner Unite in Civil Union
BY NORMA LOVE - Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. — The first openly gay Episcopal bishop and his partner of 20 years have been united in a private civil union. The Right Reverend V. Gene Robinson was legally joined to Mark Andrew, his partner of 20 years, in a civil ceremony… Study: Many Teenage Drivers Ignore Phone Restrictions
BY KEN THOMAS - Associated Press
WASHINGTON — From Jeannie Harrison's perspective, the social lives of most teenagers tend to revolve around their cell phones — even when they are behind the wheel. "People don't want to be inaccessible for even 15 minutes driving up the street,"… The Senate's Intelligence
Editorial of The New York Sun
"Our evidence suggests that Baghdad is strengthening a relationship with al-Qaeda that dates back to the mid-1990s, when senior Iraqi intelligence officers established contact with the network in several countries." "We have some evidence that Iraqi… Socialized Racing
Editorial of The New York Sun
Governor Paterson says he "doesn't think the New York Racing Association deserves to run thoroughbred racing, but he won't try to stop NYRA's latest franchise struck with former Gov. Eliot Spitzer," according to the language in which Mr. Paterson's… Additional Panic Selling Is Feared
BY DAN DORFMAN
"We saw the beginning of a selling panic today," a semi-retired Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., trader, Fred Guerin, told me in an e-mail message Friday. "The $64,000 question is how long will it last? That's what people want to know, and that's what you should… Americans Fill Up For $4 a Gallon
BY ADAM SCHRECK - Associated Press
NEW YORK — The average price of regular gas crept up to $4 a gallon for the first time over the weekend, passing the once-unthinkable milestone just in time for the peak summer travel season. Prices at the pump are expected to keep climbing… 'Black Gold' Now Mined in Germany
BY HARRY DE QUETTEVILLE - The Daily Telegraph
Berlin — The economic wastelands of the former East Germany are becoming the focus for a rush for reserves of "black gold" as world oil prices rise to unprecedented levels. Companies from across the globe, including Britain, have been competing to… This Week in New York Business
BY V.L. HENDRICKSON
Today The New York Public Library hosts a workshop called "Managing the Built Environment: Building Maintenance Sources & Services" beginning at 3 p.m. at the Science, Industry and Business Library, 188 Madison Ave. Free. Contact: 212-592-7000 The… The Perils of Globe-Trotting
Turtle Bay
BY BENNY AVNI
These are difficult times for anyone hoping that Secretary-General Ban would forgo the title of world diplomat in chief and instead become a Turtle Bay reformer. Traveling the world, Mr. Ban is too busy even to visit his organization's New York… Iraq President Visits Iran, Meets With Ahmadinejad
BY ASHRAF KHALIL - Los Angeles Times
BAGHDAD — Prime Minister al-Maliki of Iraq, in a visit to Iran where he met yesterday with president Ahmadinejad, pledged closer ties between the two neighbors at the same time Baghdad is negotiating a long-term security agreement with America. The… Greece Hit With 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake
BY MARIA PETRAKIS - Bloomberg News
ATHENS — Greece was hit by an earthquake classified as "strong" on the Richter magnitude scale yesterday, the U.S. Geological Survey and Greek scientists said, killing two and sending hundreds of panicked Greeks into the streets. One man was killed… Iran Premier Orders Asset Transfer To Skirt E.U. Sanctions
BY CON COUGHLIN - The Daily Telegraph
IRAN — The president of Iran has ordered the country's leading banks to transfer billions of dollars of assets from Europe to the Central Bank to prevent them being frozen by international sanctions, according to Western diplomats. The funds are… First Lady Visits Boasts Progress of Afghan Projects
BY DEB RIECHMANN - Associated Press
BAMIYAN, Afghanistan — Rallying international aid for Afghanistan, the first lady, Laura Bush, yesterday showcased projects to better the lives of war-weary Afghans. Yet at each stop, an eerie reminder of the country's violent past was just a glance… BBC Journalist Found Dead in Afghanistan
BY Associated Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — An Afghan journalist working for the BBC World Service was found dead in southern Afghanistan with a gunshot wound to the head yesterday, the BBC and Afghan officials said. The British Broadcasting Corp. said Abdul Samad… Olmert Backs Away From Minister's Iran Remarks
BY MATTI FRIEDMAN - Associated Press
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Olmert distanced himself yesterday from a Cabinet minister's suggestion that Israel will be forced to attack Iran. A spokeswoman for Transportation Minister, Shaul Mofaz, said he had not been expressing government policy… Top Pakistan Official: Musharraf Should Step Down
BY ASIF SHAHZAD - Associated Press
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A senior member of a key party in Pakistan's shaky coalition government called yesterday for President Musharraf to step down for the "survival" of the country, a day after the former army strongman insisted he's not going… Thirteen Killed in Algeria Bombings
BY AOMAR OUALI - Associated Press
ALGIERS, Algeria — Two bombs in quick succession rocked a train station in Algeria yesterday, killing 13 people, including a French engineer and Algerian firefighters and soldiers who responded to the first blast, a security official said. The first… South Korea Urges Against Violence Over U.S. Beef Imports
BY SEYOON KIM - Bloomberg News
Seoul, South Korea — South Korea's government urged protesters to refrain from taking violent action after police clashed with them in a candle-lit vigil opposing imports of American beef. "The government understands deeply the public anger over the… Report: Zimbabwe Violence 'Extinguished' Hope for Fair Elections
BY The Daily Telegraph
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Any chance of "free and fair" voting in Zimbabwe's presidential election run-off on June 27 has been "extinguished" by appalling violence, according to a human rights watchdog report published yesterday. Since the inconclusive… Stabbing Spree Leaves at Least 7 Dead in Tokyo
BY JULIAN RYALL - The Daily Telegraph
TOKYO — A man launched a knife attack that left at least seven people dead in Tokyo yesterday after he drove a lorry into a crowd of shoppers. Twelve other people were injured in the Akihabara district, a popular electronics shopping center, before… Aftershock Causes Landslides in China
BY CARA ANNA - Associated Press
QINGLIAN, China — A magnitude 5.0 aftershock shook a brimming, earthquake-formed lake and sent landslides tumbling down surrounding mountains yesterday, underscoring the persistent threat of flooding to more than 1 million weary refugees downstream. … Stranded Divers Fight Off Komodo Dragon in Indonesian
BY ALI KOTARUMALOS - Associated Press
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Scuba divers swept away in strong currents survived 12 hours in shark-infested waters before scrambling onto a remote Indonesian island where they faced yet another threat: a Komodo dragon. The divers — three from Britain and… Bush Set To Begin Eight Day European Trip
BY GARANCE FRANKE-RUTA - The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — President Bush departs Washington bright and early this morning for an eight-day trip to Europe, beginning with the American-European summit in Slovenia. The tour is scheduled to take him to Germany, Italy, France, and England, with a… Chavez To Rescind Intelligence Law
BY CHRIS KRAUL - Los Angeles Times
BOGOTA, Colombia — Bowing to popular pressure, President Chavez of Venezuela said he will rescind a new intelligence law that critics said would have forced citizens to spy on one another while moving the country toward a police state. During his… Federer Is No Match for Nadal at His Best
BY TOM PERROTTA
In the four years since he became the no. 1 player in the world, Roger Federer has rarely lost a match, and when he has, he has usually done so by the slimmest of margins. Marat Safin had to save match point before beating Federer at the 2005… Big Brown's Loss Staves Off Naysayers
BY MAX WATMAN
At the start of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, I expected to see Da' Tara out front, but that was the last thing that unfolded according to plan. I did not expect to see him in front at the wire (and at the longest odds on the board, it's a… With Triple Crown Over, Attention Turns to Slots
BY EVAN WEINER
In a good many ways, what happens in the days after the Belmont Stakes is far more important to the future of the thoroughbred horse racing industry in New York than whether Big Brown won the Triple Crown. These are busy times for the New York Racing… Knicks Best Bet in NBA Draft Is To Trade Down
BY JOHN HOLLINGER
While the Celtics and Lakers are busy reliving the NBA's glory days in the 1980s, the local teams have pressing matters to deal with as well. The NBA Draft is just around the corner, and almost immediately after that the free agent feeding frenzy… Braves Relying on Makeshift Rotation
BY MARC NORMANDIN
Though it little resembles their blueprint for opening day, the Braves' patchwork rotation has been one of their strengths in the 2008 season. What was supposed to be a veteran-heavy cadre of starters has instead turned into Tim Hudson, Tom Glavine… Chamberlain Makes Strides in Second Start
BY Associated Press
Joba Chamberlain mixed in some curveballs and changeups and moved one step closer to getting past the pitch-count limits that have held him back in his first two starts. All Dan Giese got yesterdaywas the lineup card and a souvenir ball from a game… Source: Hasek To Retire
BY Associated Press
DETROIT — Dominik Hasek is expected to announce his retirement, a person in the NHL told the Associated Press last night. The Detroit Red Wings scheduled a news conference for Monday morning without revealing details. A person within the league… Leonard Wins St. Jude in Playoff
BY Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Justin Leonard thought he won on the final hole of regulation only to see his ball go left of the cup. Then he was a foot away from victory on the first playoff hole. Luckily, his ball rolled one last turn into the cup on the next… Podolski Scores Twice for German Win
BY Associated Press
KLAGENFURT, Austria — Beating the land where he was born was rewarding for Lukas Podolski. He simply refused to gloat about it. Lukas Podolski scored both goals last night to give three-time champion Germany a brilliant start at the European… When Artists Look Down the Track
Railway Imagery Is Explored At Two Museums
BY CHARLOTTE COWLES - Staff Reporter of the Sun
The mystique of the railways has attracted artists since the mid-1800s. The advent of sprawling new connections between cities, coasts, and populations provided a common subject for artists looking to capture modernity. Trains have steamed across… 'August' Director Poised to Join Broadway's Most Exclusive Club
Theater
BY JOY GOODWIN
In the 61 years since the Tony Awards began, only four women have won Best Director honors: Julie Taymor ("The Lion King") and Garry Hynes ("The Beauty Queen of Leenane") in 1998, Susan Stroman ("The Producers") in 2001, and Mary Zimmerman… A Pair of Hit-Makers, Moving to the 'West Side'
Theater
BY KATE TAYLOR
No matter what happens at next Sunday's Tony Awards, you can bet that Kevin McCollum and Jeffrey Seller will be back at work on Monday morning. They are among the busiest and most successful theatrical producers, with a knack for finding musicals that… Shen Wei's Olympic Moves
Dance
BY MARY STAUB
When choreographer Shen Wei first arrived in New York from China 13 years ago, he had had limited exposure to the international culture of modern dance. At the time, the only modern dance company that existed in his homeland was his own, the Guangdong… Russian, Asian Buyers Boost Basel
Art Fairs
BY Bloomberg News
Collectors from Russia, Asia, and the Middle East are splashing out at Switzerland's Art Basel, making up for reduced demand from American visitors, exhibiting dealers said. Sales are running at levels similar to last year, they said on the third… Angkor Temple Gets State Dept. Grant
Architecture
BY Bloomberg News
A sacred temple in the historic Cambodian city of Angkor has received a $978,700 American grant to undergo the second phase of a restoration project. The World Monuments Fund received the grant from the U.S. State Department and will use the money… Charles Wuorinen Takes On 'Brokeback'
Opera
BY Staff Reporter of the Sun
Gérard Mortier, the incoming general manager and artistic director of the New York City Opera, has commissioned composer Charles Wuorinen to create an opera based on "Brokeback Mountain," Annie Proulx's short story, first published in the New Yorker… AFTRA Brass Approve Contract
Television
BY Associated Press
Leaders of Hollywood's second-largest actors union approved a new contract with studios that grants actors more money for Internet work — an issue that sparked a crippling writers strike this year. The board of the American Federation of Television… 'Macbeth' Pays Off, Big-Time
Theater
BY Bloomberg News
Playing just 63 performances on Broadway, an acclaimed, brutal production of "Macbeth" starring Patrick Stewart earned its producers a cauldron full of money. "Macbeth" made a profit between about $350,000 and $450,000 on an initial investment of $1… Albee's 'Occupant': A Portrait of the Artist by an Old Friend
Theater
BY JOY GOODWIN
In their day, estimable portrait photographers such as Richard Avedon, Arnold Newman, and Robert Mapplethorpe all tried to capture the elusive Louise Nevelson on film. Now Edward Albee, a friend of Nevelson's for 25 years, takes his shot at… Cassandra Wilson Sets Brooklyn Ablaze
Jazz
BY WILL FRIEDWALD
E.J. Strickland starts by laying down a funk beat on his drums, into which the percussionist Lekan Babalola interweaves a combination of bongos, congas, cowbells, an African rhythm box, and other implements from all over the world. Meanwhile, bassist… Flights of Angels
Books
BY LAURA COLLINS-HUGHES
The publication date is a misfire, but it's understandable. Common sense would dictate that a new novel from one of America's most esteemed playwrights, whose best-known work is resolutely masculine, ought to come out just ahead of Father's Day… A Russian Soirée
Classical Music
BY JAY NORDLINGER
Last week, the Russian Chamber Chorus of New York gave a concert in Weill Recital Hall. Founded in 1984, the RCCNY is billed as "America's preeminent Russian vocal ensemble." To borrow Bill Buckley's formulation, is that like "celebrating the tallest… Mozart's Wickedly Symmetrical Sexagon
Classical Music
BY FRED KIRSHNIT
'Cosi fan tutte," Mozart's wickedly symmetrical sexagon with the untranslatable title — it has been known as "The School for Lovers," "Women Are Like That," "All for Love," and even "As You Like It" — was presented Friday evening at the Amato Opera… Explorers Club Shares Its Adventures With New Yorkers
Movies
BY S. JAMES SNYDER
The setting is the story at the Explorers Club Film Festival, which kicks off its sixth edition on Friday evening at the organization's New York headquarters with a revival of George Lowe's classic 1953 adventure documentary "The Conquest of Everest."… Supersized at Art Basel
Art Fairs
BY MERITXELL MIR
BASEL, Switzerland — A 98-foot surveillance tower, a reassembled Chinese train wagon with political videos projected onto the windowpanes, a 16-foot chunky self-portrait sculpture, even a hotel with 15 rooms. All of these gigantic pieces were housed… Top-Notch Medical Centers Spread Well Beyond Northeast
BY E.B. SOLOMONT - Staff Reporter of the Sun
The decision by Senator Kennedy to undergo brain surgery at Duke University Medical Center is illustrative of the strides some medical centers in the South have made in competing with hospitals in the Northeast as centers of excellence. The… Summer (Boot) Camp
Fit to Be Tried
BY GABRIELLE BIRKNER
New Yorkers seeking to shed pounds and inches in time for a beachside getaway can get some tough love at any number of fitness boot camps in the city. A bevy of these military-inspired exercise programs have sprung up in recent years, with some… A New Model for the Care of Premature Babies
BY RACHEL SHANNON-SOLOMON - Special to the Sun
Stephanie Sorrentino developed a close relationship with her neonatologist following the birth of her son, Nicholas, who was born after only 25 weeks' gestation. She came to count on Dr. Edith McCarthy's attentiveness and compassion during her baby's… Search Is On for New Diseases — and Their Cures
BY JAY AKASIE - Special to the Sun
Patients who have had scores of tests for unexplained conditions that doctors have so far been unable to diagnose may yet have treatment options under a new National Institutes of Health initiative. A director of the Undiagnosed Diseases Program… On Health
BY E.B. SOLOMONT - Staff Reporter of the Sun
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University plans to open its new $200 million research pavilion on Thursday. The five-story Michael F. Price Center for Genetic and Translational Medicine/Harold and Muriel Block Research Pavilion… Political Viagra
BY MARK STEYN
The short version of the Democratic Party primary campaign is that the media fell in love with Barack Obama but the Democratic electorate declined to. "I felt this thrill going up my leg," said MSNBC's Chris Matthews after one of the Senator's… This Year's Battleground States
BY MICHAEL BARONE
Almost precisely at the midpoint between the Iowa caucuses on January 3 and the general election on November 4, the general election campaign is on. Neither party's nominee swept the primaries. John McCain's narrow popular vote margins in New… Clinton's Real Victory
BY MARIE WILSON
"I am here because of Hillary Clinton." Over the past few months, that phrase has been repeated to me by hundreds of women you've never met but whose names you may one day recognize. They are this country's next generation of female leaders — women… Cap That Bottle Scare
BY NANCY McDERMOTT
Is your baby's bottle half empty or half full? Or is it leeching potentially dangerous levels of estrogen-like chemicals into his milk? On May 28, an Arkansas woman filed a federal lawsuit against Playtex Products Inc. accusing the company of… Letters to the Editor
'Scalia Decries Drift of Court Over Religion' Regarding "Scalia Decries Drift of Court Over Religion," over the past 100 years, the Supreme Court has been slowly but painfully attempting to establish a clear standard to determine whether an action… Five Minutes That Saved France
BY CONRAD BLACK
There has been an outpouring of sentimental celebration in French and other European intellectual circles over the 40th anniversary of the general strike and student uprising in France in 1968. This is a nostalgic reenactment of the leftist ritual of… | 
