The Terror Finance Flotilla  —  The Turkish organizers of the Gaza Strip-bound flotilla that was boarded this morning by Israeli commandos knew well in advance that their vessels would never reach Israeli waters.  That's because the organizers belong to a nonprofit that was banned …

Koppel son dies after a bender  —  The son of legendary TV newsman Ted Koppel was found dead in a Washington Heights apartment under mysterious circumstances yesterday morning after a daylong drinking binge with a man he had just met in a Midtown bar, law-enforcement sources said.

Al-Qaeda No. 3 Yazid reported killed by U.S. drone  —  Al-Qaeda's third-ranking operative, an Egyptian who was a founding member of the terrorist network and a key conduit to Osama bin Laden, has been killed in Pakistan, according to a statement Monday from al-Qaeda that U.S. intelligence officials believe is accurate.

Robert Leslie Hymers, III, Sort-Of “Reports” Me to the FBI  —  For your fisking/snarking pleasure.  First, the attorney's cover note: … Well, okay.  Are they true believers, or whores?  Just curious.  —  Young Robert Leslie Hymers apparently faxed this to his attorney …

Owners Stop Paying Mortgages, and Stop Fretting  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For Alex Pemberton and Susan Reboyras, foreclosure is becoming a way of life — something they did not want but are in no hurry to get out of.  —  Foreclosure has allowed them to stabilize the family business.

Obama administration moves to distance itself from BP on oil spill response  —  Struggling to convey command of the worsening Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the Obama administration is taking steps to distance itself from BP and is dispatching Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to the Gulf Coast to meet with federal and state prosecutors.

SQUEEZING BP: Obama moves toward more visible dominance — U.S. drone kills Al-Qaida #3 — 7th huge score for U.S. in 10 months — Netanyahu cancels — Koppel's son dies — 6/8 = Strasday  —  DRIVING THE DAY: After 40 days and 40 nights, the administration puts the bit in BP's mouth.

Soaring costs force Canada to reassess health model  —  TORONTO (Reuters) - Pressured by an aging population and the need to rein in budget deficits, Canada's provinces are taking tough measures to curb healthcare costs, a trend that could erode the principles of the popular state-funded system.

Did liberals get it wrong on crime?  —  This is a good news, bad news column.  The good news is that crime is again down across the nation — in big cities, small cities, flourishing cities and cities that are not for the timid.  Surprisingly, this has happened in the teeth of the Great Recession …

Our Epic Foolishness  —  If a bank is too big to fail, it's way too big to exist.  If an oil well is too far beneath the sea to be plugged when something goes wrong, it's too deep to be drilled in the first place.  —  When are we going to stop behaving so stupidly?

Close GOP race in Michigan  —  Rick Snyder's winning the Republican primary for Governor of Michigan...while running third among actual GOP voters.  That's because Michigan has open primaries and Snyder's up big with the independents planning to cast their votes on the Republican side.

Pelosi Says She Has a Duty to Pursue Policies in Keeping With The Values of Jesus, ‘The Word Made Flesh’  —  (CNSNews.com) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says she believes she must pursue public policies “in keeping with the values” of Jesus Christ, “The Word made Flesh.”

The Oil Plume  —  The failure of the top-kill technique in the Gulf of Mexico represents an interesting turning point on the Obama presidency.  It symbolizes the end of the period of lightning advance and the beginning of the period of nasty stasis.  —  President Obama swept …