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NATIONAL
Solemn ceremony at Va. Tech
From a distance, they looked like any other family members at a graduation. But these families were different. They came to Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium yesterday to collect diplomas in the names of their dead children. pg 3A
U.S. unimpressed, poll says
Americans think the Democratic-led Congress is doing just as dreary a job as President Bush is after four months of political standoffs and little progress on Iraq and a host of domestic issues, according to a new poll. pg 4A
WORLD
Not enough troops, general says
With the final troops in President Bush's buildup flowing into Iraq, the U.S. military commander overseeing much of the north-central part of the country said that he doesn't have enough troops for the mission in restive Diyala province. pg 8A
A play for prime minister's seat
Gordon Brown launched yesterday his drive to become Britain's next prime minister, conceding that mistakes have been made in the war in Iraq and predicting that the emphasis will shift over the next several months. pg 8A
SPORTS
Mickelson leads; Woods 9 back
Phil Mickelson shot an even-par 72 and was at 5-under through two rounds to take a one-shot lead over Nathan Green at The Players Championship. Tiger Woods struggled to shoot a 73, leaving him at 4-over to make the cut by one stroke. pg 4C
MARYLAND
Cleared man makes final plea
Two groups, equally fervent in their beliefs, gathered again yesterday in Baltimore Circuit Court as Walter Lomax made a new plea. Lomax, who was wrongly convicted in a murder case and spent 39 years behind bars, asked the judge who ordered his release five months ago to end his unsupervised probation, his final tether to the criminal justice system. pg 1A
School arrests prompt probes
Police officers assigned to a small Eastern Shore high school arrested more than a dozen students in recent months for what critics say was simply misbehavior, prompting investigations by the NAACP and the Maryland attorney general's office. pg 1B
TODAY
The top of the Tiki
In the latest installment of The Sun's "Finds" series, an exploration of Tiki, or Polynesian pop, culture, with hula dancers, loud shirts, deities carved from wood and a limited-edition severed-head replica mug for $65. pg 1D
Pomp and circumstance
While the particulars of the college graduation ceremony vary, columnist Rob Kasper says, the experience of watching your robed offspring marching across a stage elicits many common emotions. pg 1D