Cols 2-5: The grievances about President Hamid Karzai -- from the corruption that infests his Afghan government to the rising insecurity accompanying a revived Taliban insurgency -- have turned an election that was supposed to see Karzai coast to a second five-year term into a tight race. 1,065 words, by Laura King (Times) (AFGHAN, moved. With one photo). Col 6: By dropping his insistence on a public health insurance option, President Barack Obama angers some liberals but takes a big step toward winning swing votes among moderate Democrats -- a trade-off that improves the odds on eventual passage of an overhaul of the nation's health-care system. 790 words, by Peter Nicholas and Janet Hook (Times) (HEALTH-ANALYSIS, moved). Above the fold: Col 5: Local child protective services story. Bottom of the page: Cols 1-2: Vice President Joe Biden has not lost his penchant for verbal gaffes but still appears to be solidifying his relationship with his boss and accumulating more assignments central to the administration's agenda. 1,235 words, by Peter Nicholas and Paul Richter (Times) (BIDEN, moving Tuesday). Cols 3-4: The unprecedented overseas box-office success of 'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs' -- the digitally animated adventures of a woolly mammoth, a wise-cracking sloth and a saber-toothed squirrel -- has people throughout the film industry shaking their heads. 1,050 words, by Claudia Eller (Times) (BOXOFFICE-ICEAGE, moved). Sent: 11:15 p.m. EDT. For questions, call (213) 237-7832. 