U.S. military: Al-Zarqawi died of blast injuries  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Abu Musab al-Zarqawi lived for 52 minutes after a U.S. warplane bombed his hideout northeast of Baghdad, and he died of extensive internal injuries consistent with those caused by a bomb blast, the U.S. military said Monday.

The Coulter Conundrum  —  Is it time for the media to stop lavishing attention on Ann Coulter?  —  In her latest book attacking godless liberals, the conservative author trashes as "witches" some of the women whose husbands were killed at the World Trade Center — precisely the kind of ugly …

Terror Links to Saddam's Inner Circle  —  What was the relationship between Saddam Hussein's inner circle and Islamic terrorists?  A newly released document appears to provide evidence that in 1999 the Taliban welcomed "Islamic relations with Iraq" to mediate among the Taliban …

Moran: Democratic Majority Means More Money for 8th District  —  If Democrats win back control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November, U.S. Rep. Jim Moran said he would use his position in the majority to help funnel more funds to his Northern Virginia district.

Prisoners' Ruse Is Inquiry Focus at Guantánamo  —  WASHINGTON, June 11 — Three detainees at the United States military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, tried to conceal themselves in their cells — behind laundry and through other means — to prevent guards from seeing them commit suicide …

ACLU tries to stop warrantless wiretapping  —  DETROIT - Critics of the government's domestic surveillance program claim it violates the rights of free speech and privacy.  The Bush administration says it is necessary and legal.  Both sides were due in court Monday to argue the constitutionality of the program.

Democrats Are Winning... Except at the Polls  —  "This is just to cover Bush's (rear) so he doesn't have to answer questions" about things in Iraq, said Rep. Pete Stark, second ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.  "This insurgency is such a confused mess that one person …

Blending In, Moving Up  —  Beneath the surface of the immigration debate is a debate about shared values.  If we look at just three of those values — the English language, family and hard work — we see a higher level of Latino assimilation than is often presumed.

The Democrats, Keeping a Civil Tongue  —  House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is promising that things are going to change big time if the Democrats capture control of the House in November.  —  Former majority leader Tom DeLay 's resignation, she wrote last week in a piece …

John Kerry's Skimmer Scam  —  As the Kate Zernike front page Memorial Day weekend New York Times story indicates, a number of Kerry supporters were disappointed that Kerry had not vigorously defended himself against the charges of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the 2004 Presidential campaign.

Body Suit  —  She Grew in Her Career as a Dancer, Maybe Too Much.  Cue the Lawyers.  —  MIAMI  —  Alice Alyse is quite plainly a bombshell, a knockout: She's slim, leggy and gorgeous, with long, dark hair and a great set of cheekbones.  —  Also, she's stacked.  —  And that, she says, is why she's out of a job.

Fallen star blames self, GOP tactics  —  Jail term served in N.H. phone plot  —  WASHINGTON — For nearly a decade, Allen Raymond stood at the top ranks of Republican Party power.  —  He served as chief of staff to a cochairman of the Republican National Committee, supervised Republican contests …

Doctors call for 'fat tax' on Coca-Cola and Pepsi  —  Doctors will this week declare war on America's soft drinks industry by calling for a 'fat tax' to combat the nation's obesity epidemic.  —  Delegates at the powerful American Medical Association's annual conference will demand a levy …

DeLay Exits, Stage (Hard) Right  —  No one who's seen Tom DeLay operate over the years could have expected the Texas Republican to go gently: The Hammer always comes down hard.  But DeLay's farewell address on the House floor last week was nonetheless stunning for its sneering, belligerent partisanship.

At the U.N., Bluster Backfires  —  Last month President Bush issued a rare apology.  "Saying 'Bring it on,' kind of tough talk, you know, that sent the wrong signal," he confessed.  "I think in certain parts of the world it was misinterpreted."  —  Well done, Mr. President, you've understood that bluster can backfire.