THE REDIRECTION  —  A STRATEGIC SHIFT  —  In the past few months, as the situation in Iraq has deteriorated, the Bush Administration, in both its public diplomacy and its covert operations, has significantly shifted its Middle East strategy.  The "redirection," as some inside the White House …

Murtha Stumbles on Iraq Funding Curbs  —  Democrats Were Ill-Prepared for Unplanned Disclosure, Republican Attacks  —  The plan was bold: By tying President Bush's $100 billion war request to strict standards of troop safety and readiness, Democrats believed they could grab hold of Iraq war policy …

Blast Kills 40 as Cleric Assails Baghdad Plan  —  A suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives and ball bearings blew himself up at a Baghdad university today, killing at least 40 people and strewing fingers, pens, purses and bloody textbooks all over the ground.

Should News Entertain Or Inform — Or Both?  —  INDIO, California — It is the buzz up here at the Riverside County Fair, where I have been performing three shows a day in my other incarnation since Feb. 16.  It's the subject of conversation among entertainers, some of the people who have booths …

Report: 3 Gulf states agree to IAF overflights en route to Iran  —  Three Arab states in the Persian Gulf would be willing to allow the Israel Air force to enter their airspace in order to reach Iran in case of an attack on its nuclear facilities, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyasa reported on Sunday.

ANGELINA A BABE AMID BRAINIACS  —  The prestigious Council on Foreign Relations is about to get a jolt of sex appeal.  —  The exclusive, Manhattan-based foreign-policy group has decided to admit actress Angelina Jolie, a U.N. goodwill ambassador who has taken more than 30 trips worldwide …

Forgotten Heroes  —  A Long Recovery: Gunnery Sgt. Kenneth Sargent with his wife Tonia and daughter Alishia at camp Pendleton, Calif. Sargent was shot in the head by a sniper in Najaf in 2004.  The family often walks on the beach, where they pass Marines training.

In Big Buyout, Utility to Limit New Coal Plants  —  Under a proposed $45 billion buyout by a team of private equity firms, the TXU Corporation, a Texas utility that has long been the bane of environmental groups, will abandon plans to build 8 of 11 coal plants and commit to a broad menu …

Obama on Iraq in 2002  —  He was right.  I was wrong.  This clip is impressive.

Clinton-Obama Spat 'Sad,' Edwards Tells ABC  —  Former Vice Presidential Candidate Tells 'Nightline' He's Confident He Can Compete with Rivals for Funds  —  Last week, while the 2008 presidential campaigns of frontrunners Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. …

A Secret History  —  For Muslims and non-Muslims alike, the stock image of an Islamic scholar is a gray-bearded man.  Women tend to be seen as the subjects of Islamic law rather than its shapers.  And while some opportunities for religious education do exist for women …

Sacramento lawyer's ascent takes a turn  —  The timing of her resignation from the U.S. Justice Department is being linked to the Abramoff corruption scandal.  —  Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A4  —  Sue Ellen Wooldridge received a hero's send-off from her partners …