Daily Briefing: On With It
•White House readies for possible indictments asFitzgeraldmay report to the grand jury today; the FBI conducted interviews yesterday withValerie Plame's neighbors, who had no knowledge of her CIA job. Administration official: "Everybody just wants this week over." [ WP , FT , NYT , WSJ ]
•Republican senators seem skeptical ofMiers' chances;Lottsays Republicans may vote against her. The White House may haveMiersspeak publicly to gain supporters ahead of confirmation hearings. [ NYT , WP , USAT ]
•U.S. death toll in Iraq tops 2,000.Bush: "Each loss of life is heartbreaking. . . This war will require more sacrifice, more time and more resolve." [ WP , WP , NYT , USAT ]
• Bush's approval rating rises slightly to 42% in Gallup Poll; 54% prefer congressional candidates who oppose him; 57% say war in Iraq is going badly. [ USAT ]
• Fitzgerald"has delved deeply into conversations that government officials and reporters had every reason to believe would remain confidential." [ NYT ]
•House version of Patriot Act reauthorization would transform the federal death penalty structure. [ WP , NYT ]
•Intelligence officials sayBushexaggerated claim that U.S. foiled 10 al-Qaeda plots; at least six of the 10 plots were "preliminary ideas," not "terrorist operations." [ USAT ]
•Republicans look to trim funding from student loans, health care, food stamps, and foster care.Rep. John Boehner(R-Ohio): "Listen, we're broke. Let's face it." [ WP , WSJ , WT ]
•SpeechesMiersgave in the 1990s "offer some of the clearest insights yet into [her] thinking on volatile social issues that can make their way to the high court." [ WP ]
•House Republicans want oil companies to give back.Hastert: "It is time to invest in America." [ NYT , WSJ , LAT ]
•Republican senators attempt unity on immigration legislation. [ LAT , WT ]
• Dorgan(D-N.D.) questions why journalists are issued temporary access to classified information. [ NYT ]
• Bushbrings in millions for the RNC. [ LAT ]
•BeforeBush,Miersadmired U.S. District Judge. [ LAT ]
• Michael Brownwas days away from resigning as the head of FEMA when Katrina struck. [ WP ]
•Democrats attack nominee to lead the State Department's refugee program as another crony political pick. [ WP , USAT ]