Iraqi: U.S. Bodies Showed Signs of Torture  —  An Iraqi military official said Tuesday that the bodies of two missing U.S. soldiers showed signs of torture, and that men appeared to have been killed "in a barbaric way."  Also, the umbrella group for Iraqi insurgents claimed responsibility for the soldiers' deaths.

North Korea's Non-Threat  —  Can North Korea save the day and change the subject for the Bush administration?  —  Amidst an Iraq withdrawal debate and an Iran nuclear crisis, amidst a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan and a grave threat to the Kabul government, amidst growing recognition …

The Shadow War, In a Surprising New Light  —  a Washington Post staff writer who reports on intelligence and national security … Simon & Schuster.  368 pp.  $27  —  This is an important book, filled with the surest sign of great reporting: the unexpected.

Kerry extends troop withdrawal date  —  Pushes 2007 deadline in proposal to remove US soldiers from Iraq  —  WASHINGTON — Senator John F. Kerry is pushing back by six months the deadline he wants to set for removing combat troops from Iraq, as he seeks to build support in the Senate for his plan for troop withdrawal.

THE SAUDI 9/11 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM  —  This is not a joke: Saudis Offered Scholarships for Aviation Courses in US. … Do they get summer internships with the Air Marshals program, too?  —  Flashback from March 2006...Thank President Bush: … And don't forget The Diversity, The Diversity!

Revived Taliban waging 'full-blown insurgency'  —  PANJWAI DISTRICT, Afghanistan — In their biggest show of strength in nearly five years, pro-Taliban fighters are terrorizing southern Afghanistan — ambushing military patrols, assassinating opponents and even enforcing the law in remote villages where they operate with near impunity.

Safavian Trial: Guilty Verdict Was Expected, But Announcement a Surprise  —  The jury in the Safavian trial woke up this morning and decided to make life hard for us reporters.  And to send David Safavian to jail.  —  After five days of deliberations that seemed to be as stop …

AQI Top 5 Terrorist Killed (Update: Confirmed, Perhaps Plus Another AQI Leader Captured)  —  CENTCOM announced minutes ago that one of the men expected to take the place of the now-room temperature Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has also reached thermal equilibrium near Baghdad.

The 20th Of The Month = $$ Time For Parties  —  It's the 20th of the month, which means it's time for a check-up of national campaign committee finances.  —  The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $4.3 million and spent nearly the same, ending the month with $18 million on hand.

GOP leaders: No immigration bill this year  —  WASHINGTON - In a defeat for President Bush, Republican congressional leaders said Tuesday that broad immigration legislation is all but doomed for the year, a victim of election-year concerns in the House and conservatives' implacable opposition …

TruthNot Explains All  —  TruthNot, having promised "a more comprehensive accounting" of their "Rove Indicted" debacle from last May 13, delivers a compelling graphic explaining why Special Counsel Fitzgerald can't be stopped in his pursuit of the Evildoers.

High Infidelity  —  What if three admitted adulterers run for president and no one cares?  —  Last month, The New York Times published a 2,000-word, front-page dissection of Bill and Hillary Clinton's marriage.  It contained no real news, few named sources, and plenty of gossip masquerading as political coverage.

Dan Rather Signs Off  —  Veteran Newsman Exits CBS After 44 Years With Tiffany Network  —  (CBS) Dan Rather is leaving CBS after 44 years with the Tiffany Network.  —  Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports, made the announcement.  —  "Of all the famous names associated with CBS News …

Remarks by the President at the 2006 President's Dinner  —  Washington, D.C.  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much.  (Applause.)  Thank you, please be seated.  Thanks for the warm welcome.  (Applause.)  —  Jim, thanks very much for your introduction.  Thanks for your leadership for this incredibly successful dinner.

The Race for Iran  —  AS the world watches the political maneuvering over restarting nuclear talks with Iran — this time with American participation — few are paying attention to a broader strategic competition that has started between the United States, Russia and China.

AP: Police got phone data from brokers  —  WASHINGTON - Numerous federal and local law enforcement agencies have bypassed subpoenas and warrants designed to protect civil liberties and gathered Americans' personal telephone records from private-sector data brokers.