NATIONAL
Pelosi plane debate continues
On a day when the federal deficit and the Iraq war were the official business, Washington found itself caught up again yesterday in the question of whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should fly home to San Francisco in a big plane or a little one. pg 3A
Defense to start in Libby case
The government rested its perjury case yesterday against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, clearing the way for Libby's lawyers to launch their defense of the former vice presidential aide. pg 2A
MARYLAND
BDC strategy ruled against
Maryland's Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the Baltimore Development Corp. improperly tried to use quick take - a form of eminent domain - to seize a Charles North bar. The decision is sure to have implications for the BDC's strategy of assembling properties for private developers. pg 1A
Two Marylanders killed in Iraq
Two young Marylanders - a 20-year-old Marine from Harford County and a 21-year-old sailor from the Eastern Shore - died in separate incidents Wednesday in Iraq. pg 1B
SPORTS
Landis will not ride in France
American Floyd Landis will skip the Tour de France and all races in France this year as part of an agreement with French doping authorities in a case that could strip him of last year's tour title. pg 4C
Lack of ID protection criticized
Amid a spate of lost or stolen data, some organizations and industries have begun taking steps to better protect employee and customer information, yet far too many have not, privacy advocates say. Many still leave sensitive information uncoded or hand it off to sometimes-careless employees or third parties. pg 1A
WORLD
The rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah announced yesterday that they have agreed in principle to share power in hopes of easing months of deadly factional fighting and breaking a damaging international aid embargo. pg 8A
Pentagon work declared legal
Some of the Pentagon's prewar intelligence work, including a contention that the CIA underplayed the likelihood of al-Qaida connections to Saddam Hussein, was inappropriate but not illegal, a Defense Department investigation concluded. pg 8A
TODAY
'Venus' takes on youth and age
Peter O'Toole stars in Venus, a movie that follows a May-December - make that March-December - semi-romance with an observant and unruly wit that overflows with insight about growing up and growing old. pg 1F
'Norbit' is far from dreamy
Dreamgirls showed Eddie Murphy can be a sensational actor. Unfortunately, his latest movie, Norbit, provides no evidence of that. pg 1F