Has Israel lost the spirit of '76?  —  THIRTY YEARS AGO this week, on July 4, 1976, Israel carried out one of the most spectacular rescue missions in history — the raid on Entebbe airport in Uganda that freed more than 100 Jewish hostages being held by Arab and German terrorists.

The Power of Hillary  —  "Hillary Clinton really is one of the weakest . . . nominees with whom the Democrats could be saddled."  —  "Democrats are worried sick about her chances."  —  "Just give someone else a chance, so we in the Democratic Party can elect a Democrat."  —  "She cannot possibly, possibly win."

LAST STAND  —  On May 31st, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced what appeared to be a major change in U.S. foreign policy.  The Bush Administration, she said, would be willing to join Russia, China, and its European allies in direct talks with Iran about its nuclear program.

Secrecy, Security, the President and the Press  —  THE Bush administration's unusually harsh attacks on The New York Times for exposing a secret banking-data surveillance program have turned a glaring spotlight on the paper's decision to publish the article.

Maryland Senate Race May Hinge On Ethnicity  —  Mfume Leads Cardin In Sharply Divided Primary, Poll Shows  —  Former NAACP president Kweisi Mfume leads U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin in what is shaping up to be a racially polarized Democratic Senate primary in Maryland, even as roughly a third …

Hiring Federal Lobbyists, Towns Learn Money Talks  —  TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — Rebuffed on several requests for state and federal financing to help rebuild its crumbling bridge, this small resort town was all but resigned to raising the money by doubling the 50-cent bridge toll, increasing property taxes and issuing bonds.

Farm Program Pays $1.3 Billion to People Who Don't Farm  —  EL CAMPO, Tex. — Even though Donald R. Matthews put his sprawling new residence in the heart of rice country, he is no farmer.  He is a 67-year-old asphalt contractor who wanted to build a dream house for his wife of 40 years.

CNN RELIABLE SOURCES  —  Is White House Scapegoating "New York Times"?  ; Bloggers Respond to Recent Political Developments; Why the Media Hoopla Over Star Jones Departure?  —  THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.  THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.  —  HOWARD KURTZ, HOST (voice-over): Targeting the "Times."

Cheney makes grand entrance at NASCAR race  —  DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The stock cars weren't the only things buzzing the track at Daytona Saturday — Vice President Dick Cheney made his grand entrance when Air Force II flew in low over the crowd gathering for the start of the NASCAR race.

Designer who rescued 406 Jews in Nazi-occupied Netherlands dies  —  Jaap Penraat, an architect and industrial designer who helped 406 Jews sneak out of Nazi-occupied Netherlands and withstood torture to protect fellow members of the resistance, has died, his daughter said.

Roberts Is at Court's Helm, but He Isn't Yet in Control  —  WASHINGTON, July 1 — As the dust settled on a consequential Supreme Court term, the first in 11 years with a change in membership and the first in two decades with a new chief justice, one question that lingered was whether …