Largest Iraq Air Assault Since '03 Begins  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — U.S. forces, joined by Iraqi troops, on Thursday launched the largest airborne assault since the U.S.-led invasion, targeting insurgent strongholds north of the capital, the military said.  —  The military said the operation …

House rejects spending for birth control  —  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - An attempt to resume state spending on birth control got shot down Wednesday by House members who argued it would have amounted to an endorsement of promiscuous lifestyles.  —  Missouri stopped providing money for family planning …

JUSTICE GINSBURG THROWS DOWN THE GAUNTLET  —  Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg gave a speech in South Africa last month, which, for some reason, is just now being publicized.  Ginsburg's speech was titled "A Decent Respect for the Opinions of [Human]kind."

Bush: Iran poses biggest challenge  —  President restates first-strike war doctrine  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush reaffirmed his strike-first policy against terrorists and enemy nations on Thursday and said Iran may pose the biggest challenge for the United States.

The lesson, my friends...  ...is that no matter what you do, Rush Limbaugh is going to crow about it, Ken Mehlman is going to do a mass-mailing about it, and the American Family Association will launch a boycott over it.  —  And even if you choose to do nothing, all of them will still attack you …

Researcher Will Face Charges in Steele Case  —  Federal prosecutors have decided to bring charges against a Democratic researcher accused of fraudulently obtaining a credit report on Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

I'm Blue  —  I have uncovered a sinister plot.  —  As I've mentioned, I was in Austin this week.  Cool city— one of those great, Southern college towns where be-baseball-capped frat guys and be-dreaded hippies mostly-happily coexist, though usually at different bars.

Hey, Big Spender  —  Should we have known that President Bush would bust the budget?  —  This week's column is a question, a brief one addressed with honest curiosity to Republicans.  It is: When George W. Bush first came on the scene in 2000, did you understand him to be a liberal in terms of spending?

Chafee refuses to rule out voting to censure Bush  —  Like the Democratic senator who initiated the proposal, the Rhode Island Republian believes the president's decision to initiate wiretaps without court orders was illegal and says he looks forward to the debate on the program that will likely ensue.

Senate Bill Would Override State Health Coverage Rules  —  GOP backers see the legislation as a way for insurers to offer more affordable plans.  Critics say it would undermine treatment protections.  —  WASHINGTON — The battle over healthcare moved to a new front Wednesday …

'Temporarily Relieved'  —  Yale suspends the anonymous emailer who blasted Taliban critics.  —  Yale University still isn't talking about why it admitted a former top Taliban official as a student, but yesterday the Yale Law School issued an apology to two alumni whom one of its officials …

FEC raises the stakes for blog bill  —  The Federal Election Commission (FEC) yesterday postponed a controversial decision on subjecting Internet political speech to campaign-finance regulations, raising the stakes for today's scheduled House vote on a bill that exempts all blogs, Web ads and other online communications.

THE FALLING MAN REVISITED  —  Some images leave an indelible mark on your heart and soul.  —  Like "The Falling Man" on 9/11:  —  Credit: Richard Drew, AP  —  His identity has not been confirmed, though many have speculated over the last 4 1/2 years.  Tom Junod wrote an extraordinary piece …