Israel strike hits Palestinian PM's office  —  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israeli aircraft fired missiles at the Palestinian prime minister's office early Sunday, just hours after a Palestinian official said the soldier whose abduction sent Israeli troops into Gaza is alive and in stable condition.

The Power of Hillary  —  "Hillary Clinton really is one of the weakest . . . nominees with whom the Democrats could be saddled."  —  "Democrats are worried sick about her chances."  —  "Just give someone else a chance, so we in the Democratic Party can elect a Democrat."  —  "She cannot possibly, possibly win."

Secrecy, Security, the President and the Press  —  THE Bush administration's unusually harsh attacks on The New York Times for exposing a secret banking-data surveillance program have turned a glaring spotlight on the paper's decision to publish the article.

Farm Program Pays $1.3 Billion to People Who Don't Farm  —  EL CAMPO, Tex. — Even though Donald R. Matthews put his sprawling new residence in the heart of rice country, he is no farmer.  He is a 67-year-old asphalt contractor who wanted to build a dream house for his wife of 40 years.

Hiring Federal Lobbyists, Towns Learn Money Talks  —  TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — Rebuffed on several requests for state and federal financing to help rebuild its crumbling bridge, this small resort town was all but resigned to raising the money by doubling the 50-cent bridge toll, increasing property taxes and issuing bonds.

Designer who rescued 406 Jews in Nazi-occupied Netherlands dies  —  Jaap Penraat, an architect and industrial designer who helped 406 Jews sneak out of Nazi-occupied Netherlands and withstood torture to protect fellow members of the resistance, has died, his daughter said.

Roberts Is at Court's Helm, but He Isn't Yet in Control  —  WASHINGTON, July 1 — As the dust settled on a consequential Supreme Court term, the first in 11 years with a change in membership and the first in two decades with a new chief justice, one question that lingered was whether …

Defiant Blair hits back at his critics  —  LONDON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair, struggling to keep his hold on power after months of questions about when he intends to resign, snapped back at critics Saturday with a defiant declaration that "this is the time to hold firm."

Journalists and 'leakers' feel heat  —  NEW YORK - Headline by headline, a trickle of news leaks on Iraq and the antiterror campaign has grown into a steady stream of revelations, and from Pennsylvania Avenue to Downing Street, Copenhagen to Canberra, governments are responding with pressure and prosecutions.

Brown revives plan to hold terror suspects for 90 days  —  GORDON BROWN is to revive controversial government plans to hold terrorism suspects for 90 days without charge as one of his "early pledges" in advance of becoming prime minister.  —  In the week of the anniversary of the July 7 attacks on London …

Discontent over Iraq may cost Republicans control of Congress, poll says  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush's job approval rating is up slightly, but discontent over the Iraq war, especially among women, is continuing to boost Democratic prospects in the struggle for control of Congress, a Times/Bloomberg poll has found.

Spy Agency Sought U.S. Call Records Before 9/11, Lawyers Say  —  June 30 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. National Security Agency asked AT&T Inc. to help it set up a domestic call monitoring site seven months before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, lawyers claimed June 23 in court papers filed in New York federal court.

The sound of one hand slapping a forehead  —  Okay, I think I've figured it out: Ana Marie Cox is the female David Brooks.  Actually, that's not quite fair to David Brooks, who's positively insightful by comparison.  Reading Ana Marie's review of Katha Pollitt's new book is more like reading Britney Spears' thoughts on Noam Chomsky.