Facing Down Iran  —  Our lives depend on it.  —  Most Westerners read the map of the world like a Broadway marquee: north is top of the bill—America, Britain, Europe, Russia—and the rest dribbles away into a mass of supporting players punctuated by occasional Star Guests: India, China, Australia.

With One Filing, Prosecutor Puts Bush in Spotlight  —  WASHINGTON, April 10 — From the early days of the C.I.A. leak investigation in 2003, the Bush White House has insisted there was no effort to discredit Joseph C. Wilson IV, the man who emerged as the most damaging critic of the administration's case …

Prodi Declares Victory in Italian Election  —  ROME - Italy's parliamentary election hung in the balance Tuesday as the country counted ballots cast by Italians living abroad, including in the United States, for six new Senate seats.  —  Near final returns showed opposition leader Romano …

Six in Ten Americans Critical of Bush on Leaks  —  But Bush job approval holds steady at 37%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The latest USA Today/Gallup poll finds more than 6 in 10 Americans critical of President George W. Bush on the leak controversy.  The more closely people are following the issue …

Gingrich at USD: Pull out of Iraq (video)  —  Ex-House speaker says U.S. should scale back  —  VERMILLION - Newt Gingrich, the former Republican Speaker of the House, told students and faculty at the University of South Dakota Monday that the United States should pull out of Iraq and leave …

Pressure, Frustration Mount  —  The immigrant demonstrators who flooded the streets of America's cities yesterday ratcheted up pressure on lawmakers to complete an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, while raising Republicans' frustration with President Bush for what they see as a muddled stand on the issue.

US economy's latest output: better jobs  —  Newest job numbers show that businesses are expanding opportunities in high-wage fields.  —  The US economy isn't just producing jobs these days, it's also producing good jobs.  Alongside the ads for jobs handling a cash register or a spatula are these new opportunities:

Iraq's Beauty Queen Resigns After Four Days  —  Pageant Winner Cites Threats by Religious Extremists  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 10, 2006 — Iraq's newly crowned beauty queen, Tamar Goregian, has decided to step down — just four days after her election, making this the shortest reign in the pageant's 60-year history.

Security lapse reveals secrets of Air Force One  —  Air Force One, the presidential jet, is a near-mythical symbol of US power, shrouded in so much secrecy that even foreign leaders invited on board are forbidden from seeing every corner.  But the aircraft just became rather less mysterious …

VIDEO/PHOTO ESSAY: VIVA LA RAZA IN D.C.  —  ***scroll for updates***  —  So, my Sony Handycam and I attended the illegal alien demonstration in D.C. yesterday.  Here are some of the more interesting moments captured on tape of what I saw at the revolucion:

Which side is the national media on?  —  Uncle Jimbo- Bestriding the internets like a colossus  —  Love this blog?  Hate it?  Want more info?  Add your comment to the Military Matters forum  —  Is the US military allowed to have an information warfare strategy?

Back to Iraq Part II - The Anatolian Deathmarch  —  This is the second installment of a Back to Iraq series.  Read the first installment here.  —  ANATOLIA, TURKEY - Sean and I woke at first light and headed south from Canakkale toward the ancient ruins of Troy.

Muhammed turned the other cheek?  UPDATED  —  UPDATE: JihadWatch isn't buying Ali's responses and responds at length.  Ali, in turn, takes and opportunity to clarify some points.  Let's get the dialogue on - next up at bat, Siggy addresses both Ali and Spencer in a broader context:

Death Toll Up to 40 in Pakistan Bombing  —  KARACHI, Pakistan - A bomb exploded during evening prayers at a park in this southern Pakistani city Tuesday, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens.  An angry mob burned cars and threw stones at police, who fired into the air to disperse the crowd, a witness said.

Christians Sue for Right Not to Tolerate Policies  —  Many codes intended to protect gays from harassment are illegal, conservatives argue.  —  ATLANTA — Ruth Malhotra went to court last month for the right to be intolerant.  —  Malhotra says her Christian faith compels her to speak out against homosexuality.

In Attics and Rubble, More Bodies and Questions  —  NEW ORLEANS, April 5 — When August Blanchard returned to New Orleans from Pennsylvania in late December, his mother was still missing.  Family members, scattered across the country, had been calling hospitals, the Red Cross and missing persons hot lines, hoping she had been rescued.