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Israel strikes Beirut airport, blocks ports — BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) — Israeli aircraft bombed Beirut International Airport on Thursday before blocking naval traffic in Lebanese waters as Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah guerrillas who kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.
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Hizbullah: Bomb Beirut, we'll hit Haifa — Hizbullah warned Israel Thursday afternoon that if the IDF attacked southern Beirut, where the organization's leadership is based, they would target Haifa. — "The Islamic resistance warns against targeting civilians and the infrastructure," a statement read on Hezbollah TV said.

Israel: Hezbollah plans to move abducted IDF soldiers to Iran — Israel has concrete evidence that Hezbollah plans to transfer the two Israel Defense Forces soldiers abducted Wednesday to Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Thursday. — "We have concrete evidence that Hezbollah plans …


Israeli warplanes attack Beirut airport — BEIRUT, Lebanon - Israel intensified its attacks against Lebanon on Thursday, blasting Beirut's international airport and the southern part of the country in its heaviest air campaign against its neighbor in 24 years. Nearly three dozen civilians were killed, officials said.


Hezbollah Raid Opens 2nd Front for Israel — Israel Targets Lebanese Military Base, Beirut Airport in Response — BEIRUT, July 13 — Israel bombed Beirut's airport, a Hezbollah television station and other targets in Lebanon Thursday and imposed a blockade on Lebanon's ports and airspace …

Israel Wages War on Hezbollah as Jets Strike Airbase — BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israeli warplanes attacked a Lebanese army air base near the Syrian border, the first strike on the Lebanese army in Israel's fight with Hezbollah guerrillas. The attack followed an intense strike on Lebanon's airport …
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Reuters, Captain's Quarters, The Dumb Ox, Conservative Thinking, The RCP Blog, Kesher Talk and Florida Cracker

Al-Aqsa leader: West Bank rocket war is on
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Associated Press, Mere Rhetoric, Liberty and Justice, Haaretz, Yourish.com and Blogs of War

Sign That Crisis Is Regional, Not Just Israel vs. Palestinians
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Haaretz, A Blog For All, Mere Rhetoric, Blue Crab Boulevard, Hyscience and Right Side of the Rainbow


Democrats Link Fortunes to Rise in Minimum Wage — WASHINGTON, July 12 — Democrats, seeking to energize voters over economic issues in much the way that Republicans have rallied conservatives with efforts to ban same-sex marriage, have begun a broad campaign to raise the minimum wage and focus attention on income inequality.
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Eyeing '08, Warner woos his party with $860,500
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Below The Beltway


Specter touts deal on eavesdropping review — WASHINGTON - The White House has conditionally agreed to a court review of its controversial eavesdropping program, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter said Thursday. — Specter said President Bush has agreed to sign legislation …
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Blogs for Bush
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Breaking: Bush agrees to submit NSA wiretaps to FISA courts (Update: McCain says Gitmo gang will get courts-martial) — Announced by Arlen Specter, reported by CNN and Fox. Hasn't hit the wires yet but I should have a link soon. Specter called the negotiations with the White House "torturous."


Not so SWIFT — WHY THE TIMES SHOULDN'T HAVE PUBLISHED ITS STORY. — In the latest battle between the press and the White House, opinions have tended to break along predictable lines. The ACLU, most Democrats in Congress, and Frank Rich contend that the New York Times did the right thing …
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BuzzMachine, Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Glittering Eye, PostWatch, First Draft, Villainous Company and Poynter Online

Rell Urges Schlesinger To Reconsider Candidacy — Gov. M. Jodi Rell and GOP State Chairman George Gallo publicly urged fellow Republican Alan Schlesinger to reconsider his candidacy for U.S. Senate after learning Wednesday that he gambled at the Foxwoods Resorts Casino under an assumed name while an elected official in the 1990s.

Cunningham to be honored — The U.S. Capitol Historical Society will hold a reception next week to honor a select group of lawmakers "for their hard work, service, time and the sacrifices made in upholding the office with which they were entrusted." — One of the people slated to receive …

GQ: Reed, Abramoff Discussed "Mortgaging Old Black People" — Ralph Reed's primary is only a week away and things are heating up. — In advance of its August publication date, GQ has released a big piece on Ralph Reed today, with one gem in particular: a plan hatched by Reed and Jack Abramoff …


Rep. King Designs Electrified Fence For Southern Border: 'We Do This With Livestock All The Time' — Rep. Steve King (R-IA) went on the House floor on Tuesday to discuss a fence that he "designed" for the southern boarder. (King constructed a model of the fence as he was speaking.)

CNN LARRY KING LIVE — Interview with Dan Rather — THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. — LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, exclusive, Dan Rather, what happened? His first live in-depth interview on his life after CBS.