Israel prepared to move into Gaza today in an effort to rescue a wounded Israeli soldier kidnapped Sunday by Palestinian militants linked to Hamas. The militants have demanded that Israel free Palestinian children and women held in Israeli jails in exchange for information about the soldier. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas had been attempting to locate the missing soldier in order to prevent an Israeli incursion.

Democrats on the Sunday talk shows “reacted angrily” to news that the top U.S. general in Iraq has proposed withdrawing troops in a manner similar to a proposal put forward by Democrats in the Senate last week and then rejected by Republicans.

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll finds that 47 percent of respondents support setting a deadline for a withdraw of U.S. forces, while 51 percent are against a deadline, a drop from 60 percent a few months ago.

At 4:00 P.M. the Senate will begin debating the Flag Desecration Amendment. Supporters are within one vote needed to pass the amendment.

Today begins the final week of the Supreme Court’s term and the several important decisions are set to be released. So far today the Court has struck down a Vermont campaign finance law on the grounds that it restricts candidates’ free speech rights and upheld Kansas’ death penalty law as constitutional. The Court also announced that it will hear a case next term on whether or not the Bush administration must regulate carbon-dioxide.

In Iraq, as the “power fizzles,” “Baghdad sizzles” in 120 degree heat and no air conditioning. For the first time in a year, Iraq was on target this month to meet its electricity generating goal, but Baghdad still suffers because of over demand and under supply compared to the rest of the country.

Capital allocation genius Warren Buffett will donate 85 percent of his stock in Berkshire Hathaway to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and several other charities over a period of years, making it one of the largest donations ever.