Trimming the Times: 9/11 Guidelines; Qaddafi Loyalists Speak

A guide to what's in The New York Times for those worried about hitting its pay wall

The home page leads with news of the newly issued White House guidelines for observing the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. And as the Northeast sorts itself out after Irene, the damage in the inland and northern areas from New Jersey through Vermont is pretty substantial. And don't miss the report from Tripoli, where some Qaddafi loyalists explain why they chose his side.

World: Of course catch the fascinating report from a Libyan hospital, where loyalist soldiers explained to David Kirkpatrick why they fought on Qaddafi's side during the recent uprising. Also check out the report on Beijing's demolition of officially illegal schools, which many there say is a way to push out immigrants from China's rural areas.

U.S.: More flood coverage dominates the section, including a clickworthy story on the hard-hit Catskill mountains in New York. And the report from Primm, Nev., which is styling itself as a Latino-oriented casino town, is also worth a read.

Business: Check out the interview with Wilma Liebman, the outgoing chairwoman of the National Labor Relations Board, who defends her oft-criticized agency as misunderstood. And the story on a new Russian airplane manufacturer, Sukhoi, gives good insight into an industry frequently obscured by lots of red tape.

Science: The lead report--an update from Germany after the government there turned off eight nuclear power stations after the Fukushima earthquake--is worth a click. Also, check out the report on the "new generation of microbe hunters," along with the more archaeological story on scientists searching for the agent of the medieval Black Death in a London graveyard.

Health: Researchers think they've found the culprit causing Lou Gehrig's disease--an accumulation of neural proteins.

Sports: You should read the opening report on the U.S. Open, all about Venus Williams knocking the rust off. But also don't miss the skeptical story on the growing number of "fans" crowding players' guest boxes as tournament purses grow.

Opinion: Brian Morton, graduate director at Sarah Lawrence College, has the lead op-ed, taking to task those who misquote.

Arts: Check out A.O. Scott's review of The Debt, "a compact, reasonably clever and sometimes piquant entertainment" that could have been more.