U.S. Prepares for 'Day Without Immigrants'  —  Thousands of illegal immigrants and their allies across the country plan a show of force Monday to illustrate how much immigrants matter in the U.S. economy.  —  Some will skip work, others will protest at lunch breaks, school walkouts or at rallies after work.

Why Al Qaeda Is Retreating From Iraq  —  April 30, 2006: Despite the many brickbats of the media, al Qaeda has been defeated in Iraq, and is now retreating to lick its wounds where it can.  If it can.  Just over four and a half years, al Qaeda has gone from being the dominant terrorist group …

Bush Hails a 'Turning Point' in Iraq  —  President Bush today called the formation of a new Iraqi government "a turning point," after hearing from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld about their weekend meeting with that country's prime minister designate.

Sharp Reaction to G.O.P. Plan on Gas Rebate  —  WASHINGTON, April 30 — The Senate Republican plan to mail $100 checks to voters to ease the burden of high gasoline prices is eliciting more scorn than gratitude from the very people it was intended to help.  —  Aides for several Republican …

Pesticides may affect penis size  —  A renowned U.S. scientist supports a ban on the chemicals for cosmetic purposes.  —  A renowned U.S. scientist who has documented fertility and sex changes — including decreasing penis size — due to environmental contamination says he wouldn't apply pesticides on his own lawn.

At Annual Correspondents' Dinner, a Set of Bush Twins Steal the Show  —  It was love at first sight.  When President Bush met Steve Bridges, a Bush impersonator, three years ago in the Oval Office, he immediately thought that he and his doppelganger could gang up at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

Blog Readers Unmasked  —  Think the people who while away their hours reading and commenting on political blogs are slovenly twenty-somethings with nothing better to do?  —  Think again, said a survey last week by Blogads, a company that many leading political blogs have used for ad placements.

Films of Infamy  —  IN the week or so before the film "United 93" opened, there were fretful questions being asked, like "Is America ready?" and "Is such a movie a form of exploitation?"  —  Now that it has opened — and Paul Greengrass's film is a good one — a small wave of self-congratulation has begun to break across the country.

A Sage in Christendom  —  A personal tribute to Bernard Lewis.  —  Bernard Lewis came to the New World in the nick of time.  Fate—or, more appropriately, history—decreed his American journey and the direction it would take.  The historian, who will turn 90 in a handful of days …

UN is like the Twilight Zone, says Bolton  —  In his first interview with a British newspaper, America's ambassador to the United Nations tells Alec Russell why it is in dire need of reform  —  John Bolton was in his element.  America's famously blunt UN ambassador and hundreds …

Votes Counted.  Deals Made.  Chaos Wins.  —  TENT CITY The number of Shiite families in refugee camps is growing.  About 14,000 families have been displaced.  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq  —  THE country's new leaders were only five days into their jobs Thursday morning, when a BMW filled …

Alito May Tilt Vote in Reargued Cases  —  The Supreme Court's newest justice, Samuel A. Alito Jr., has yet to write a signed opinion — majority, concurring or dissenting.  His vote has been recorded in only two cases so far.  —  But it won't be long before Alito makes his mark.