Court refuses to hear Padilla appeal  —  The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear the appeal of Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held in a military jail for more than three years as an "enemy combatant."  The Court, however, declined to dismiss the case as moot, as the Bush Administration had urged.

Ivory Tower Stonewall  —  A 9/11 survivor asks Yale to explain why it admitted the Taliban Man.  —  Katherine Bailey and her sister, Margaret Pothier, have a bone to pick with Yale President Richard Levin over his university's admission of a former Taliban official as a student.

Carroll Reunites With Family  —  After 82 Days as a Hostage in Iraq, Freed Journalist Is Home  —  BOSTON, April 2 — Journalist Jill Carroll was back on U.S. soil Sunday, tearfully embracing her parents and twin sister after 82 days as a hostage in Iraq that she said gave her a deep appreciation for the myriad simple joys of freedom.

Cynthia McKinney: The New Face of the Left?  —  Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia made news last week when she allegedly, as WXIA-TV in Atlanta reported, "punched a Capitol police officer on Wednesday afternoon after he mistakenly pursued her for failing to pass through a metal detector."

White House shake-up to continue?  —  Sources: Press spokesman, treasury chief may be next  —  CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) — Presidential press secretary Scott McClellan and Treasury Secretary John Snow could be next in a shake-up in the Bush administration, according to White House and GOP sources.

Frist Is Treading a Perilous Path Leading to 2008  —  WASHINGTON, April 2 — History does not bode well for Bill Frist, and he knows it.  —  "Coming into this job, everybody said if you, in your future, ever want to consider running for president of the United States, people said, 'Do not do it …

2005 Koufax Awards —The Winners  —  I apologize for the delay in posting the winners.  We had a big turn out both in comments and in emails and a number of the categories had excruciatingly close races (one category had an exact tie, more on that below).  The voting was roughly evenly split between comments and email.

Iraq's Premier Is Asked to Quit as Shiites Split  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 2 — Iraq's dominant Shiite political bloc fractured Sunday when its most powerful faction publicly demanded that the incumbent Shiite prime minister resign over his inability to form a unified government.

U.S. Plan to Build Iraq Clinics Falters  —  Contractor Will Try to Finish 20 of 142 Sites  —  BAGHDAD — A reconstruction contract for the building of 142 primary health centers across Iraq is running out of money, after two years and roughly $200 million, with no more than 20 clinics …

Prosecution of Midwife Casts Light on Home Births  —  BLOOMINGTON, Ind., March 29 — Angela Hendrix-Petry gave birth to her daughter Chloe by candlelight in her bedroom here in the early morning of March 12, with a thunderstorm raging outside and her family and midwife huddled around her.

Iraq Violence Kills at Least 50; 6 U.S. Personnel Reported Dead  —  BAGHDAD, April 2 — At least 50 people were killed Sunday in Iraq in a catalogue of violence that included a mortar attack, military firefights, roadside bombings and other explosions.  —  In addition, the U.S. military reported …

Iran Says It Test-Fired Underwater Missile  —  TEHRAN, April 2 — Iran said Sunday that it had test-fired what it described as a sonar-evading underwater missile just two days after it announced that it had fired a new missile that could carry multiple warheads and evade radar systems.

Sectarian Strife Fuels Gun Sales in Baghdad  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 29 — With chipped, painted fingernails, Nahrawan al-Janabi picked up a cartridge and slid it into the chamber.  —  "Like this," she said, loading her new Glock pistol with a loud, satisfying click.  "You see, like this."

Democrats' Narrow Vision  —  You can look at the Democrats' national security plan, released last week, as simply a political shield, akin to the upgraded body armor they promise for U.S. troops.  —  The party remains traumatized by the failure of biography to protect Vietnam veterans Max Cleland …

Y is for Yahoo  —  THE HOUSE CAUCUS TO RETURN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO MINORITY STATUS—also known as the House Immigration Reform Caucus—held a press conference Thursday.  The GOP solons were upset.  The Senate Judiciary Committee had not followed the lead of the House in adopting an "enforcement only" immigration bill.