The NYT fronts a shift in Bush administration strategy—or is it a tactic?—in the Pakistani tribal region teeming with al-Qaida and Taliban militants and sympathizers. In July, reports the Times, Bush gave the approval for special-forces raids into Pakistan. Facing fierce political resistance from the Pakistani government, Bush has now reversed course and is curbing land raids.

Instead, the administration is relying on unmanned drones operated by the CIA. There have been at least 18 predator attacks since early August, compared with just five strikes in the seven months prior.

The Post runs a front-page look at the FBI's anthrax case against scientist Bruce E. Ivins, who took his own life. The FBI desperately wants to convict Ivins in the court of public opinion. But color TP unimpressed by what the bureau leaked to the Post. Then again, what does TP know about anthrax science?

The LAT is talking kitchen-table politics of a different kind. Already, at least 40 percent of voters in California have requested that ballots be mailed to them. Many more requests are expected before the request deadline of Tuesday—and the front-page publicity won't hurt those numbers. One Californian explains the motivation for mailing a vote in early: "Now I don't have to pay attention to the flood of ads and last-minute attacks. I can tune the election out." Good luck with that.

And the Philadelphia Phillies finally figured out a way to plate runs in pounding the Tampa Bay Rays to take a three-games-to-one lead: Keep runners out of scoring position and just knock the ball out of the park.