Comedian George Carlin dies in Los Angeles at 71  —  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday, a spokesman said.  He was 71.

Lost in Translation: Alhurra—America's Troubled Effort to Win Middle East Hearts and Minds  —  An Arab-language television network and radio station, founded by the Bush administration to promote a positive image of the United States, has aired anti-American and anti-Israeli viewpoints …

Three women who might join the GOP ticket  —  While the vice presidential slot may be John McCain's best means of wooing those Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters who remain loath to embrace Barack Obama, the Republican party is a thin source of politically viable women, leaving McCain with few top-tier options.

Someone Else's Alex  —  The people at MoveOn.org have a new Iraq ad that is, if they do say so themselves, their most effective ever.  Then again, for the group that brought us the “General Petraeus or General Betray Us?” ad last September, that might not be saying much.

Reporters Say Networks Put Wars on Back Burner  —  Getting a story on the evening news isn't easy for any correspondent.  And for reporters in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is especially hard, according to Lara Logan, the chief foreign correspondent for CBS News.  So she has devised a solution when she is talking to the network.

Marines Recruiting Office Protest and Counter-Protest  —  Yes, they're at it again.  Supporters and detractors of the United States military battled it out in Berkeley for at least the sixth time this year: the latest in a relentless series of protests and counter-protests trying to seize …

Obama Moves To Reintroduce Himself to Voters  —  In the opening weeks of the general-election campaign, Sen. Barack Obama has moved aggressively to shape his campaign and offered a clear road map for the kind of candidate he is likely to become in the months ahead: an ambitious gamer of the electoral map …

Agreements Are Elusive at Oil Talks in Saudi Arabia  —  JIDDA, Saudi Arabia — A hastily convened global energy summit meeting led by Saudi Arabia ended largely in disagreement on Sunday, with only a modest pledge of increased production by the Saudis and no resolution on what other practical steps …

Gallup Daily: Election Preferences Are Stable  —  PRINCETON, NJ — National registered voters' preferences for the general election remain closely divided between Democrat Barack Obama (46%) and Republican John McCain (44%).  —  Gallup Poll Daily tracking for June 19-21 shows …

The State of Iraq: An Update  —  IRAQ remains a violent country plagued by high unemployment, raw wounds from sectarian conflict, extremist militias aided by Iran, more than four million people still displaced by violence, and very limited government capacity to meet the country's core needs.