NYT > Home Page On Economy, Democrats Face a Lack of Unity and Time Democrats have yet to find a unifying message to address the lackluster economy and are scrambling to come up with job-creating remedies before voters go to the polls. Alaska Winner, Lover of Privacy, Loses His Own Joe Miller, who upset Senator Lisa Murkowski in the Republican primary, has devoted much of his life to institutions and isolation. Blackwater Won Contracts Through a Web of Companies The security firm created shell companies to obtain U.S. contracts after it was criticized for its conduct in Iraq, investigators said. U.S. Military Bands: Lighter and Faster The bands’ new mission matches current military doctrine: the creation of small, self-contained forces. The Saturday Profile: At First She Didn’t Succeed, but She Tried and Tried Again (960 Times) Cha Sa-soon, 69, has become a national symbol for perseverance in South Korea — and she can legally hit the road. U.N. Raises Concerns as Global Food Prices Jump Recent food riots in poor countries prompted United Nations officials to call for a careful watch on prices. Zoning Law Aside, Mosque Projects Face Battles Despite the advantage a 2000 law gives to religious institutions, disputes over mosque construction spread. Spotlight Shifts to Shallow-Water Wells A platform fire this week brings new scrutiny to the more than 3,000 shallow-water platforms operating in the gulf. Accepted Notion of Mars as Lifeless Is Challenged Some scientists suggest carbon-based molecules may have been destroyed before the Viking landers could find them. With Eye Offshore, Storm Diminishes Nothing like the full-throated hurricane that was feared, Earl moved past the New York and Massachusetts coasts early Saturday as little more than a routine storm. 7.1 Earthquake Hits New Zealand A major earthquake hit west of Christchurch early Saturday morning, causing no immediate reports of casualties but widespread damage, authorities said. Syria’s Solidarity With Islamists Ends at Home The country, which had sought to allow religious figures a greater role in public life, has reversed course. Texas Probes Google on Ranking of Search Results The Texas attorney general has opened an antitrust investigation into how Google ranks search results, striking at the heart of its main search business. Landis Said to File Suit Against Cycling Team Floyd Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for doping, is claiming that Lance Armstrong’s former team defrauded the government. Nadal Falters but Advances in a Tough Victory Rafael Nadal, the United States Open’s No. 1 seed, beat Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, 6-2, 7-6 (5), 7-5, in a tough second-round match.