Clinton Bloc Becomes the Prize for Election Day  —  With Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton ending her campaign, the Democratic and Republican nominees hope to claim the women voters faithful to her.

The Sleazy GOP Attack Machine Kicks Into High Gear: Welcome to “F**K Whitey” and “RadicalVille”  —  It's only been three days since Sen. Barack Obama historically won the Democratic nomination for president of the United States.  But the Republican venom against the candidate and his wife Michelle is starting to spew.

Voting for Commander in Chief  —  There can only be one.  —  It would be hard to design a better test for the job of commander in chief than the real-life test senators John McCain and Barack Obama have undergone in the last two years.  As the situation in Iraq deteriorated during 2006 …

Record Oil Spike, High Jobless Rate Sink Stock Market  —  A soaring jobless rate, an unprecedented jump in oil prices and a sliding dollar sent tremors through financial markets yesterday and cast fresh doubt on how soon the U.S. economy would be able to break out of a pattern of feeble growth and financial instability.

CNN Poll: McCain and Obama locked in a dead heat  —  (Above: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama talk backstage at AIPAC in Washington Wednesday.  Photo credit: Callie Shell/Aurora for TIME)  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - The general election season opens with a neck-and-neck race between Barack …

As Ills Persist, Afghan Leader Is Losing Luster  —  WASHINGTON — After six years in which Hamid Karzai has been the darling of the United States and its allies, his luster may be fading.  —  Next week, Mr. Karzai, the Afghan president, is to arrive in Paris for a donors conference with attendees from 80 countries and organizations.

City's Top Crane Inspector Is Arrested  —  The city's chief crane inspector was arrested on Friday and charged with taking bribes to approve cranes under his review and for taking money from crane operators who sought to ensure that they would pass the required licensing exam, an official involved in the case said.

Oil Prices Take a Nerve-Rattling Jump Past $138  —  The rise in oil prices turned into a stampede on Friday with futures jumping a staggering $11 a barrel to set a record above $138 a barrel.  The unprecedented surge came as the dollar fell sharply against the euro and a senior Israeli …

Nelson bill would abolish Electoral College  —  Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College on Friday, less than a week after the Democrats settled on how to handle delegates from Florida at their national convention.

South Carolina to Offer Cross on Car Plates  —  South Carolina drivers will be the first in the nation to be offered license plates that carry the phrase “I Believe” and a Christian cross over a stained-glass window under a law that took effect on Thursday.  —  Critics have threatened …