Reward for the Hereditary Elite . . .  It doesn't matter if you are liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican.  There is no possible excuse for doing what Congress is poised to do this week: Abolish the estate tax.  —  The federal government faces a future of expanding deficits.

Canadian Border Proves Difficult to Secure  —  Tighter border controls between the United States and Canada are likely to be less useful than better domestic intelligence and information-sharing in detecting homegrown terrorist plots in North America, terrorism experts said yesterday.

Politics of the Altar  —  GOP leaders are putting gay marriage back on the agenda.  Will voters respond?  —  June 12, 2006 issue - Back in 2004, suburban Seattle pastor Alec Rowlands watched with dismay as gay couples in Massachusetts flocked to courthouses and churches, exchanged vows and walked away legally wed.

Uncovering Iraq's Horrors in Desert Graves  —  ON THE EDGE OF THE ASH SHAM DESERT, Iraq, June 3 — Among experts on the American-led team investigating Iraq's mass graves, the skeletal remains lying face-up at the rear of the tangled grave here have been given a name — the Blue Man …

Gunmen seize at least 50 at Iraq bus stops  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen in police uniforms raided bus stations Monday in central Baghdad, seizing at least 50 people, including drivers and passengers preparing to travel outside Iraq, an Interior Ministry official said.

The Truth, John Kerry, and The New York Times  —  Kate Zernike's story on the front page of the Memorial Day Sunday New York Times, "Kerry Pressing Swift Boat Case Long After Loss," is an unfortunate reminder of the Times's embarrassingly poor coverage of Kerry in the face of the Swift Boat Veterans …

Army Manual to Skip Geneva Detainee Rule  —  The Pentagon's move to omit a ban on prisoner humiliation from the basic guide to soldier conduct faces strong State Dept. opposition.  —  WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has decided to omit from new detainee policies a key tenet of the Geneva Convention …

Paul Bass  —  Seasonal Memory Lapses  —  Medical researchers have identified a host of causes for amnesia, from encephalitis to traumatic brain injury.  —  I've discovered another cause: political campaigns.  —  Exhibit A: The current campaign in Connecticut for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination.

Medical Privacy Law Nets No Fines  —  Lax Enforcement Puts Patients' Files At Risk, Critics Say  —  In the three years since Americans gained federal protection for their private medical information, the Bush administration has received thousands of complaints alleging violations …

In State Races, Tough Questions About Abortion  —  IOWA CITY, June 2 — Even in a room of sixth graders sitting cross-legged on the floor, usually the safest of venues for political candidates, the question emerged from one sweet face: What is your position on abortion?

Pluribus Sine Unum  —  Will the Senate impose race-based government on Hawaii?  —  America's motto is "E pluribus unum," Latin for "Out of many, one."  Some U.S. senators seem to be reading it backward.  This week the Senate will consider legislation that would create an independent, race-based government for Native Hawaiians.

For Deals, Jefferson Built Web Of Firms  —  On May 12, 2005, over dinner with business partner and FBI informant Lori Mody, Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) furtively scrawled the letter "c" on a sheet of paper, and next to it wrote some numbers indicating that he was demanding …

Potentially Presidential Pols Pass in A Va. Night  —  RICHMOND — Two ex-governors with presidential dreams.  A constellation of groupies for each.  One hotel ballroom.  —  The orbits of former governor Mark R. Warner (D) and U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) collided Saturday …

Police chief pleads for calm  —  Toronto police Chief Bill Blair called on Muslims and non-Muslims alike to let cooler heads prevail Sunday after 17 people were arrested in connection with what authorities say was a plan to stage a massive terrorist attack.  —  The 17 suspects …

Bush Knows His History  —  Two weeks ago, I pointed out that we live in something close to the best of times, with record worldwide economic growth and at a low point in armed conflict in the world.  Yet Americans are in a sour mood, a mood that may be explained by the lack of a sense of history.