Tim Porter notes that enticing readers with day-old news on Page One "is an ongoing challenge for newspapers and a hurdle that must be cleared if they are to fashion a new, relevant role in a world of instant headlines." He points approvingly to Wednesday's San Francisco Chronicle treatment of the Abramoff deal.

I like it. I would have added another category - What it Means - and invited readers to participate online, but it's a good effort and a sign that the sacrosanct rules of how newspapers That Aren't The Times should play Page 1 news are finally changing.

I think he's right. This was the first exposure a lot of people were going to have to what could be the political story of the year. This treatment invites them in, gives them the basic facts and tells them where to go for more. More like this, please. Especially for those turn-of-the-screw process stories that are traditionally three paragraphs of news and 20 inches of boilerplate.