Lieberman To Start Petition Drive  —  Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman is to announce today he will petition for a place on the November ballot as an "independent Democrat," giving him a chance to stay alive politically should he lose an Aug. 8 primary for the Democratic nomination.

Bush Directed Cheney To Counter War Critic  —  President Bush told the special prosecutor in the CIA leak case that he directed Vice President Dick Cheney to personally lead an effort to counter allegations made by former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV that his administration …

What is left of Malkin, Hinderaker and Horowitz's credibility?  —  (updated below - updated again with Secret Service confirmation)  —  As I documented at length this weekend, Michelle Malkin, John Hinderaker, Red State, David Horowitz and many others of that sort spent the weekend engaged …

DISSENT IS PATRIOTIC, II  —  It was a small, but stalwart crowd outside the D.C. offices of the NY Times this afternoon.  Free Republic co-organizer Kristinn Taylor told me he wasn't aware of any Times reporters or photographers covering the event outside their doorstep.

Details Emerge in Alleged Army Rape, Killings  —  BAGHDAD, July 2 — Fifteen-year-old Abeer Qasim Hamza was afraid, her mother confided in a neighbor.  —  As pretty as she was young, the girl had attracted the unwelcome attention of U.S. soldiers manning a checkpoint that the girl …

Israel rejects militants' ultimatum on prisoner exchange  —  The bureau of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that Israel rejected an ultimatum issued earlier in the day by Palestinian militants holding an Israel Defense Forces soldier, saying that Israel would not give in to blackmail.

Liberal Contortions To Avoid Blame  —  The Libs are besides themselves trying to explain why their partisan Jihad against Bush has not culminated in exposing all Americans to heightened risk of a terrorist attack.  All of this surrounds the blatant decision by the NY Times …

We Need Fewer Secrets  —  The U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) turns 40 tomorrow, the day we celebrate our independence.  But this anniversary will not be a day of celebration for the right to information in our country.  Our government leaders have become increasingly obsessed with secrecy.

Britons tire of cruel, vulgar US: poll  —  LONDON (AFP) - People in Britain view the United States as a vulgar, crime-ridden society obsessed with money and led by an incompetent president whose Iraq policy is failing, according to a newspaper poll.  —  The United States is no longer a symbol …

Crack Is Found in Shuttle's Foam Insulation  —  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., July 3 —Inspectors found a crack in the foam insulation of the space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank early today.  NASA managers are meeting to determine whether it will affect a planned liftoff Tuesday afternoon, according to the space agency.

Al-Zarqawi's cell phone reportedly yields surprises  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had the phone numbers of senior Iraqi officials stored in his cell phone, according to an Iraqi legislator.  —  Waiel Abdul-Latif, a member of former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's party …

N. Korea warns of nuclear war if attacked  —  SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea vowed on Monday to respond with an "annihilating" nuclear strike if its atomic facilities are attacked pre-emptively by the United States.  —  The Bush administration responded sternly, saying while it had no intention …