Israel mounts fresh Lebanon raid  —  Israel carried out an overnight raid inside Lebanon aimed at disrupting an arms transfer, the Israeli army says.  —  One soldier died and two were injured in the Bekaa Valley operation, it said.  Lebanese sources earlier told Reuters agency that three militants also died.

Allen Flap May Give A Boost To Webb  —  RICHMOND — The nationwide fallout from controversial remarks Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) made last week has given Democrats new hope in a race many thought would be difficult to win in the historically conservative state.

Fight fear-mongering with fear-mongering?  —  Slate's John Dickerson offers Dems some advice in responding to Republicans' election-year fear-mongering: fight fire with fire.  With the GOP telling voters, "Vote for Democrats and more Americans will die," it's the only reasonable approach.

Experts Fault Reasoning in Surveillance Decision  —  Even legal experts who agreed with a federal judge's conclusion on Thursday that a National Security Agency surveillance program is unlawful were distancing themselves from the decision's reasoning and rhetoric yesterday.

Ruling Against Wiretaps Further Sharpens Partisan Divide  —  A federal judge's ruling that the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping is unconstitutional set off a flurry of political responses yesterday, as Republicans tried to keep control of the national security debate amid signs …

G.O.P. Deserts One of Its Own for Lieberman  —  Alan Schlesinger, in Hartford last month, has dismissed calls for him to exit the race.  One poll shows him with just 4 percent of the vote.  —  Facing Senator Joseph I. Lieberman's independent candidacy, Republican officials at the state …

In Nashville, Sounds of Political Uprising From the Left  —  A bar on Music Row in Nashville.  Democrats in the music industry are frustrated with country and western's reputation for being conservative.  —  NASHVILLE — Country music videos flashed on a television set at the Idle Hour …

At White House, Strange Silence Over Terror Probe Leak  —  The Bush administration hates leaks, especially when they involve classified information.  They and their allies have made that abundantly and forcefully clear (Plame affair aside).  Attorney General Al Gonzales has mounted …

Intelligence officials doubt Iran uranium claims, say Cheney receiving suspect briefings  —  The Bush administration continues to bypass standard intelligence channels and use what some believe to be propaganda tactics to create a compelling case for war with Iran, US foreign policy experts …

It's art, says the naked woman who'll hug a dead pig on stage  —  After pickled sheep, unmade beds and painting with elephant dung, some questioned where modern art could go next.  —  Kira O'Reilly will provide her own answer today by spending four hours naked, hugging a dead pig - at the taxpayer's expense.

Ahmadinejad roadshow seduces an adoring public  —  Eyewitness report: Iran's president arrives on a US-made helicopter - an evangelist from the sky  —  He arrives amid a hurricane of swirling brown dust and deafening noise.  A dense, rolling cloud of straw and dirt sweeps across the parched field …