White House, Joint Chiefs At Odds on Adding Troops  —  The Bush administration is split over the idea of a surge in troops to Iraq, with White House officials aggressively promoting the concept over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to U.S. officials familiar with the intense debate.

Mystery Surfaces Over Apartment of Kofi Annan  —  As Secretary-General Annan prepares to leave his post at the United Nations, a mystery is surfacing surrounding his apartment on Roosevelt Island, subsidized by New York taxpayers, which is still in use by the family of his brother, Kobina Annan.

Senator Removes His Block on Federal Court Nominee  —  Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, who blocked the confirmation of a woman to the federal bench because she attended a same-sex commitment ceremony for the daughter of her long-time neighbors, says he will now allow a vote on the nomination.

Dollar dropped in Iran asset move  —  Iran is to shift its foreign currency reserves from dollars to euros and use the euro for oil deals in response to US-led pressure on its economy.  —  In a widely expected move, Tehran said it would use the euro for all future commercial transactions overseas.

Libya sentences medics to death  —  A Libyan court has sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for knowingly infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV.  —  The medics have been in detention since 1999, during which time 52 of the 426 infected children have died of Aids.

Semper Fly: Marines in Space  —  A proposed suborbital space transport will put boots on the ground anywhere in the world in two hours or less.  But can it overcome huge technological—and political—hurdles?  —  As any battlefield commander will tell you, getting troops to the fight can be as difficult as winning it.

Please Let It Be Whale Vomit, Not Just Sea Junk  —  MONTAUK, N.Y. — In this season of strange presents from relatives, Dorothy Ferreira got a doozy the other day from her 82-year-old sister in Waterloo, Iowa.  It was ugly.  It weighed four pounds.  There was no receipt in the box.

Pelosi preparing new shackles for free speech  —  WASHINGTON - Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has cooked up with Public Citizen's Joan Claybrook a "lobbying reform" that actually protects rich special interests and activists millionaires while clamping new shackles on citizens …

U.S. Inquiry Falters on Civilians Accused of Abusing Detainees  —  A Justice Department team responsible for investigating accusations that civilian government employees had abused detainees has decided against prosecution in most of the nearly 20 cases referred in the last two years …

Hillary Clinton Says She Wouldn't Have Voted For Iraq War  —  ABC News' David Chalian Reports: As Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton continues to assess a possible presidential candidacy and the contours of a Democratic nomination fight, she has taken another step away from her 2002 vote authorizing President Bush …

Unabashed, Santorum soldiers on  —  TRIBUNE-REVIEW  —  Rick Santorum says he will remain a vocal advocate of America's war on terror — what he calls "the greatest problem ... a very grave threat to the future and security of our country" — despite losing his U.S. Senate seat.

Video: "Open Season"; Update: Video banned from honors at YouTube?  —  Anti-jihad nu metal.  I never thought I'd see the day.  —  The band is Stuck Mojo from Atlanta.  The lyrics are here; the guitarist posted some thoughts about the song on his fan site.  You will recognize, and appreciate, the sentiments.