Israel strikes come within 10 miles of Beirut  —  Prime minister says assaults over captured prisoners will be 'very painful'  —  Among the sites targeted by Israeli warplanes was the Qassmieh Bridge in southern Lebanon.  At least two civilians have died in the attacks.  —  FREE VIDEO

Kassam fired from Gaza, no damage  —  Palestinians fired a Kassam from northern Gaza Thursday morning.  No one was wounded and no damage was caused by the rocket which landed south of Ashkelon.  The IDF was responding with artillery fire from outside the Strip.

Beyond the Poll Numbers, Voter Doubts About Clinton  —  Anna Shelley, a mother of three from Utah, says she is ready for a female president, and she is sure that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has what it takes.  —  But Shelley, a Democrat, is not sure she could ever pull a lever for Clinton.

Can Someone Explain This to Me?  —  I really just do not understand the endorsement by NARAL and Planned Parenthood of Joe Lieberman.  From the NARAL website (screen shot above), one of the top three action items is — Improve health-care services for rape survivors: … Joe Lieberman:

Web Video Too Low Even for DemoRATS  —  The Democrats' landslide must not be working out as planned, because the DCCC has just unleashed the most appalling wed video since MoveOn.org's "Bush is Hitler" ads.  My guess is the backlash against this video will be so strong …

July Homicide Total Rises to 14 in District  —  'Crime Emergency' Declared By Ramsey Following Surge in Crime  —  D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey reacted yesterday to a recent surge in homicides by declaring a "crime emergency," a move that gives him the freedom to quickly adjust officers' schedules and restrict their days off.

Murtha compares cost of war and domestic expenses  —  A Report by Congressman John Murtha  —  (Washington D.C.)- We are spending $8 billion a month in Iraq.  That equates to $2 billion a week, or $267 million a day, or $11 million an hour.  —  The following are some comparisons between …

Novak: Rove was a source in outing Plame  —  WASHINGTON - Columnist Robert Novak said publicly for the first time Tuesday that White House political adviser Karl Rove was a source for his story outing the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame.  —  In a column, Novak also says his recollection …

Couric's Twin Cities visit a well-oiled machine  —  The hugely popular media star held a closed-to-the-media "listening session," then attended a fundraiser for a local charity.  —  It was a well-orchestrated media event that excluded the media, a private invitation-only meeting in the brand …

General Sees Need for More U.S. Forces in Baghdad  —  By PAUL von ZIELBAUER and DAVID S. CLOUD  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 12 — Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the senior American commander in Iraq, said today that "terrorists and death squads" were responsible for the surge in sectarian killings …

Katherine Harris's Campaign Staff To Resign  —  The high command of Rep. Katherine Harris's FL Senate bid plans to resign by the end of the week, two people familiar with the campaign tell the Hotline.  —  The departing staff includes Glen Hodas, Harris's campaign manager, her spokesperson …

Gorbachev: 'Americans Have a Severe Disease'  —  15 Years After Being Deposed From Power, Former Leader Discusses Russia, U.S.  —  July 12, 2006 — Mikhail Gorbachev is generally regarded as the man who broke down the "iron curtain" that separated the communist world from the West and thawed …

Battle Looms In Congress Over Military Tribunals  —  House Republicans signaled a coming clash with the Senate over the future of military tribunals yesterday when Armed Service Committee members indicated they were inclined to give the Bush administration largely what it wants in the conduct of terrorism trials.

Airwaves Again Safe for "South Park" Scientology Spoof  —  Comedy Central is finally respecting Cartman's authoritay.  —  One week after South Park's controversial "Trapped in the Closet" episode garnered an Emmy nomination, and nearly four months after it was abruptly pulled from rotation on the cable net …

Attacks retaliation for Gujarat riots?  —  [ 13 Jul, 2006 0036hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]  —  MUMBAI: Gujarat appears to loom large over the Mumbai blasts.  That's apparently why terrorists targeted only the Western Railway tracks and that too only first-class coaches.

Choosing baby's sex to be outlawed  —  Sex selection of babies for non-medical reasons is set to be outlawed in the UK under Government plans for a shake-up of embryology regulation.  —  Health Minister Caroline Flint told MPs she was minded to introduce a "clear and specific ban" …