white flag  —  I wrote some inflammatory comments at a blog by a guy named Jeff Goldstein called protein wisdom that infuriated many bloggers and commenters.  Many of these bloggers emailed my boss at the University of Arizona to tell on me.  —  In hindsight, the things I wrote were over the line of nastiness.

Ally Told Bush That Failing to Inform Congress of Spying Projects Might Be Illegal  —  WASHINGTON, July 8 — In a sharply worded letter to President Bush in May, an important Congressional ally charged that the administration might have violated the law by failing to inform Congress …

Surprising Jump in Tax Revenues Curbs U.S. Deficit  —  WASHINGTON, July 8 — An unexpectedly steep rise in tax revenues from corporations and the wealthy is driving down the budget deficit this year, even though spending has climbed sharply because of the war in Iraq and the cost of hurricane relief.

Abramoff, the Bush White House, and the things we learn on Friday afternoons  —  Way back on Jan. 4, Scott McClellan promised reporters a "thorough report" on Jack Abramoff's White House contacts "very soon."  That, of course, never happened, but we've slowly begun to learn about the access …

At Colleges, Women Are Leaving Men in the Dust  —  Nearing graduation, Rick Kohn is not putting much energy into his final courses.  —  "I take the path of least resistance," said Mr. Kohn, who works 25 hours a week to put himself through the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

Signs of Detainees' Planning Alleged  —  Three suicides at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, may have been part of a broader plot by detainees who were using confidential lawyer-client papers and envelopes to pass handwritten notes their guards could not intercept …

Santa Barbara Residents Wonder What's Next for Their Paper  —  The sudden resignation of reporters and editors from the News-Press catches residents and merchants by surprise.  —  Santa Barbara residents on Friday wondered what would become of the Santa Barbara News-Press following …

Powell on Iraq, Couric on Her CBS Plans, Ephron on Dating a Supreme, and Other Highlights From the Aspen Ideas Festival  —  Aspen has got a hold of my brain!  First it was the Fortune Brainstorm, then I was back in town taking part in the Aspen Ideas Festival, which just ended.  My mind runneth over.

Clinton praises Bush on immigration reform  —  LOS ANGELES - Former President Bill Clinton praised President Bush on Saturday for supporting reforms that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to seek citizenship but said the debate in Congress is being fomented by Republicans who want to divide America.

U.S. to Negotiate Russian Storage of Atomic Waste  —  WASHINGTON, July 8 — The Bush administration said Saturday that it would open formal negotiations with Russia on a long-discussed civilian nuclear agreement that would pave the way for Russia to become one of the world's largest repositories of spent nuclear fuel.

N.J. shutdown ends as lawmakers OK budget  —  ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - After three slotless nights at Resorts Atlantic City, Lucille Mock was packing her bags to head home Saturday morning when she heard the news: the casinos had reopened!  —  "I lost $75 in the first 15 minutes, but that's OK …

Democrats rip GOP on Social Security plan  —  DES MOINES, Iowa - The Republican plan to privatize Social Security could cause huge debt for decades, a Democratic candidate seeking a House seat in Iowa, a state with a high concentration of elderly residents, said Saturday.

Not Just Another Abuse Scandal  —  Please don't lump what happened in Mahmudiyah with the alleged attacks by U.S. troops on unarmed Iraqi civilians in Fallujah, Haditha, Qaim or Salahuddin province.  True, the murders of innocent noncombatants, and the humiliation and abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison …

Landmark al Qaeda trial collapses  —  Judge: 'Islamic Sharia law permits jihad against occupiers'  —  SAN'A, Yemen (AP) — The trial of 19 alleged al Qaeda members had been designed to showcase how serious Yemen was in the fight against terror.  But the Islamic militants …

Gays at Globe told to marry or lose benefits  —  Memo to Boston Globe gay and lesbian Guild employees: Get married or lose your domestic partner benefits.  —  Globe staffers have been told that health and dental benefits for gay employees' domestic partners are being discontinued.

The Morning After The Debate  —  Lieberman's Debate Charge That Lamont Is A Closet Republican: Dubious  —  As incumbent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman tells it, his Democratic primary opponent, Ned Lamont, is a closet Republican.  —  As Lamont tells it, Lieberman is an ineffectual legislator …