News

An appeals court Wednesday upheld a judge’s ruling throwing out a conspiracy charge against former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

There always seemed to be an FBI investigation of some sitting Democrat either announced or leaked to the press. Now it's Rove's turn.

AFGHANISTAN: A Forgotten Nation On The Brink

Robert Scheer writes that Bush's nutty nuclear braggadocio on Iran is a sign of weakness, not strength, proof that his five-year Administration is an abysmal failure.

The NBA really has to do something about its playoff seeding system.

The Los Angeles Clippers, losers to the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night in a bizarro-world "showdown" for fifth place in the Western Conference Tuesday night, are the latest example of a team backing and filling down the stretch, not trying to lose, exactly, but hoping to gracefully plop into the more desirable sixth seed for the playoffs.

There are bigger problems in the world, I suppose -- poverty, hunger, all those foul shots and timeouts and the end of close games -- but this one's fixable.

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In the White House,  power is a zero sum game. Josh Bolten has demonstrated his clout by taking some away from the Empire of Karl Rove. The new chief of staff showed that he can be effective, that he can influence events. I'm not sure the same can be said about his boss. By Howard Fineman.

Clinging to Rumsfeld as generals lead an unprecedented revolt, Bush reveals his weakness and his disdain for the lessons of history.

Morning Briefing:
Katie Holmes finally gives birth: After months of a media-scrutinized pregnancy and what we can only imagine as hours of muffled labor, Katie Holmes gave birth to a girl on Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital. Holmes and baby-daddy Tom Cruise "joyously welcomed the arrival of a baby girl, Suri, today," according to a statement from Cruise's rep. The little one weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 20 inches long. The statement went on: "The name Suri has its origins in Hebrew meaning 'princess,' or in Persian meaning 'red rose.'" (Fox 411 notes that Suri is actually Kabbalah's derivation of Sarah, which is Hebrew for "princess," while Gawker points out that the name means "Lord Krishna" in Hindu.) In New York, the news was greeted with typical enthusiasm. From Overheard in New York, a conversation on Sixth Avenue and West Fourth Street: Girl #1: Oh my god! I just heard that Katie Holmes had her baby! Katie Holmes had her baby, everyone!
Girl #2: Xenu commands you to shut the fuck up while I'm on the phone with my dealer.

(People, Fox 411, Overheard in New York)

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NBC News, The New York Times and Time Inc. on Tuesday accused former White House aide Scooter Libby of threatening the integrity of their news gathering operations by seeking access to documents in the CIA leak case.

Driven by an eerie personal connection, Sebastian Junger plunged into the Boston Strangler case -- only to discover that it was a perfect storm of ambiguity.

Ryan Nerz spent a year on the competitive eating circuit -- land of therapeutic vomiting, esophagus control and "meat sweats."

When even we uptight Midwesterners feel the urge to skip town with a cocktail waitress named Amber, it must be springtime.

I recently read this in the newspaper...

I've uprooted myself over and over again in a short time. Now I don't know where I belong.

Imperial and imperious, the Bush administration's containment strategy for China may herald the next cold war.

Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday he hasn’t considered resigning despite calls for him to do so by a half dozen retired generals.

Journalist Michael Pollan talks about fixing our industrial food system, what being a conscientious carnivore means, and how we can really eat healthily.

A glimpse at the Youth Activists of Austin provides insight into innovative counter-recruitment campaigns nationwide.

John Nichols writes that McClellan's out, Rove is sidelined, Snow's future is iffy: What next for Team Bush?

President Bush on Tuesday nominated Trade Representative Rob Portman as the White House budget director, turning to a Washington insider and longtime friend as part of an effort to re-energize the administration and boost the president’s record-low approval ratings.