Hussein's Prewar Ties To Al-Qaeda Discounted  —  Pentagon Report Says Contacts Were Limited  —  Captured Iraqi documents and intelligence interrogations of Saddam Hussein and two former aides "all confirmed" that Hussein's regime was not directly cooperating with al-Qaeda before the U.S. invasion of Iraq …

Britain's Humiliation — and Europe's  —  Iran has pulled off a tidy little success with its seizure and release of those 15 British sailors and marines: a pointed humiliation of Britain, with a bonus demonstration of Iran's intention to push back against coalition challenges to its assets in Iraq.

Justice Department In New Fight Over Papers on Firings  —  The Justice Department is refusing to release hundreds of pages of additional documents related to the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, setting up a fresh clash with Capitol Hill in a controversy that continues to threaten Attorney …

Democrats at War  —  Prime Minister Pelosi and Secretary of State Lantos undermine U.S. foreign policy—and maybe their own party.  —  Democrats took Congress last fall in part by opposing the war in Iraq, but it is becoming clear that they view their election as a mandate for something far more ambitious …

Answers To the Atheists  —  This weekend, many of the world's estimated 2 billion Christians will remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  —  While some Christians harbor doubts about Christ's actual physical resurrection, hundreds of millions believe devoutly …

Bloggers to Blame for Rudy's Bad Week?  —  Roger Simon reports: … Is Rudy blaming bloggers for his recent bad publicity?  —  Rudy's recent problems have arisen from interviews he granted or speeches he gave.  —  The most damning information has come from YouTube videos …

An Administration's Epic Collapse  —  The first three months of the new Democratic Congress have been neither terrible nor transcendent.  A Pew poll had it about right: a substantial majority of the public remains happy the Democrats won in 2006, but neither Nancy Pelosi nor Harry Reid …

Federal Official in Student Loans Held Loan Stock  —  A senior official at the federal Education Department sold more than $100,000 in shares in a student loan company even as he was helping oversee lenders in the federal student loan program.  —  The official, Matteo Fontana …

And Iraq's big oil contracts go to ...  Companies from China, India and other Asian nations are seen getting the first contracts.  But don't write off Big Oil just yet.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Despite claims by some critics that the Bush administration invaded Iraq to take control of its oil …

Kerry, Gingrich announce climate showdown  —  Former House Speaker and possible presidential candidate Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and 2004 Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) are set to square off on climate change next week, their staffs announced Thursday.

How the web became a sexists' paradise  —  Everyone receives abuse online but the sheer hatred thrown at women bloggers has left some in fear for their lives.  Jessica Valenti, editor of Feministing.com, reports  —  Last week, Kathy Sierra, a well-known software programmer and Java expert …