Ned Lamont on the Colbert Report  —  Stephen Colbert interviewed Ned Lamont tonight about the upcoming Connecticut primary.  —  Some rough transcript quotes from Ned: … Ned did an outstanding job at handling the tough interviews Stephen Colbert gives.  He was quick with the responses and presented his platform very well.

Key Republican breaks with Bush on Mideast  —  Nebraska's Sen. Hagel calls for immediate cease-fire  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Urging President Bush to turn all U.S. efforts toward "ending this madness," a leading Republican senator Monday broke with the Bush administration and called for an immediate cease-fire in the Mideast.

Castro relinquishes power before surgery  —  HAVANA - Fidel Castro temporarily relinquished his presidential powers to his brother Raul on Monday night and told Cubans he underwent surgery.  —  The Cuban leader said he had suffered gastrointestinal bleeding, apparently due to stress …

Stop the Band-Aid Treatment  —  We Need Policies for a Real, Lasting Middle East Peace  —  The Middle East is a tinderbox, with some key players on all sides waiting for every opportunity to destroy their enemies with bullets, bombs and missiles.  One of the special vulnerabilities of Israel …

Israel Pushes On Despite Agreeing to Airstrike Lull  —  A Gaza home destroyed by Israel Monday.  The Israeli Army called the homeowner to warn him about the attack, and his family was evacuated.  —  As Israel poured soldiers and artillery shells into southern Lebanon …

Tax Cheats Called Out of Control  —  So many superrich Americans evade taxes using offshore accounts that law enforcement cannot control the growing misconduct, according to a Senate report that provides the most detailed look ever at high-level tax schemes.

Evolution's Backers in Kansas Start Counterattack  —  God and Charles Darwin are not on the primary ballot in Kansas on Tuesday, but once again a contentious schools election has religion and science at odds in a state that has restaged a three-quarter-century battle over the teaching of evolution.

Democrats Unite on Iraq Withdrawal Demands  —  Twelve Democratic leaders of the House and Senate have urged President Bush in a strongly worded letter to begin withdrawing the 130,000 U.S. troops from Iraq by year's end, a sign that Democrats may be uniting on a key election-year issue that has divided the party.

A Skeptic on 9/11 Prompts Questions on Academic Freedom  —  Sipping on a bottle of water and holding a book about the history and future of Islam, Kevin Barrett ticked off a few examples of what he saw as evidence that the Sept. 11 attacks had been an "inside job."

Betting on Democracy  —  Reversals for Fragile New Governments Mean Hard Choices for Bush  —  A year ago the jewels of President Bush's democracy policy were the Cedar and Orange revolutions of Lebanon and Ukraine, which had ousted autocratic regimes backed by Russia and Syria and seemingly ushered in pro-Western democracies.

Bus filled with Iraqi soldiers bombed  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Bombings and shootings across Iraq killed at least 52 people Tuesday, including 24 people in a bus destroyed by a roadside bomb.  The attacks further damage the U.S.-backed government's efforts to establish control over the country.