The frenzied battle to be valedictorian is giving some administrators pause.

The Joy of Graduating

Shoppers seeking a fewer-tears alternative to a midsize S.U.V. are likely to like what they see in the Murano.

A City Slicker’s Urbane Makeover

After Zimbabwe’s widely denounced presidential runoff, President Bush announced new steps aimed at what he called an “illegitimate government.”

Zimbabwe Faces Wider Sanctions Under Bush Plan

A public reading of the Declaration of Independence went from a gesture of remembrance to an annual event.

Renewing the Declaration, for Friend and Country

As his sons prepare to graduate, a father recalls how they have made him a smarter and humbler parent.

So Ready to Send the Kids Off to College

The rental market in New York City usually gets stronger when co-op and condo sales slow down. But this year, some landlords of high-end buildings are feeling the need to offer free rent and other enticements.

Luring Affluent Renters in Manhattan

Long, hot summers have been a crucible for the evolution of the nation’s identity from the very beginning.

Summer and Smoke, an American Cauldron

Leave it to the Hamptons to furnish the level of tender loving care necessary to grant celebrity status to not just one but two of its ocean beaches.

In Hamptons, a Recipe for Prize-Winning Beaches

The city has hundreds of gardens, many of them out-of-the-way corners of tranquil beauty. Finding them is half the fun.

Hidden Gardens of Paris

In an attempt to win another Olympic gold medal and set the world record at 400 meters, Jeremy Wariner made two dramatic moves this year.

Breaking In a New Coach and New Shoes

Officially, Iraqis are in control. But critics suspect that Americans pull the strings.

For Iraq’s Oil Contracts, a Question of Motive

This long-needed collection fair-mindedly presents Frank O’Hara’s unapologetic narcissism and often blissfully trivial verse.

Urban Poet

E-mails attached to the Massachusetts complaint against UBS accusing it of defrauding investors support accusations in stunning black and white.

E-Mail That Investors Might Like to Read

Johan Santana was outdueled over six innings by another left-handed pitcher, Andy Pettitte, who carried a 19-inning scoreless streak into his start.

Good Enough to Lose

Some administrators are beginning to question the valedictorian tradition as competition intensifies.

The Frenzied Battle to Be Valedictorian

Congress’s rescue package for homeowners may only touch a fraction of those in trouble, analysts say.

As Housing Bill Evolves, Crisis Grows Deeper

Glossy magazines and their advertisers enjoy cozy, often tangled relationships, but Harper’s Bazaar seems to have developed a new way of embracing a major sponsor.

A Cover, 40 Pages, 4 Faces and One Perfume

Driven by financial incentives, many doctors are adopting CT scans, but there is scant evidence they benefit most patients.

Weighing the Costs of a CT Scan’s Look Inside the Heart

Some data says more firearms mean more killings; some data says the opposite.

Gun Laws and Crime: A Complex Relationship

An empire of American Girl dolls, books and now films has varied messages for its devoted following.

A Girl’s Life

Dan Hendrick and his partner, Jimmy Van Bramer, found a house with a secret garden in the back.

Hidden Away in Frenetic Queens

In the 2008 election, the most attention-grabbing attacks are often coming from people outside professional politics.

Political Freelancers Use Web to Join the Attack

A program in Yonkers aims to achieve higher graduation rates and help high school students individually.

Bringing Potential Dropouts Back From the Brink

It’s undeniable that the crossover Toyota Matrix and its sister ship, the Pontiac Vibe, have a following.

Separated at Birth: Another Litter of Crossovers From an Odd Couple

Venus Williams joined her sister Serena in advancing to the fourth round on Saturday with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over María José Martínez Sánchez.

June 29, 2008

Headlines from June 29, 2008

The Joy of Graduating

A City Slicker’s Urbane Makeover

Zimbabwe Faces Wider Sanctions Under Bush Plan

Renewing the Declaration, for Friend and Country

So Ready to Send the Kids Off to College

Billboard 200

Tha Carter III

Definition Of Real

NOW 28

Indestructible

Here I Stand

Historical Context for June 29, 2008