PM Olmert declares Hizbullah attack 'act of war' by Lebanon  —  Seventeen days after IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped in Gaza, a second front was opened on Israel's northern border Wednesday morning as Hizbullah, under cover of a barrage of Katyusha rockets and mortar shells, kidnapped two more army troops.

My role in the Plame leak probe  —  WASHINGTON — Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has informed my attorneys that, after 2-1/2 years, his investigation of the CIA leak case concerning matters directly relating to me has been concluded.  That frees me to reveal my role in the federal inquiry that …

Video: 50 year study says conservatives 'followers'  —  In an interview with MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, former Nixon counsel John Dean explained a largely unknown 50 year academic study.  The data shows that conservatives are much more likely to follow authoritarian leaders.

A SMOKING GUN: PRESIDENT'S CLAIM THAT TAX CUTS PAY FOR THEMSELVES REFUTED BY ADMINISTRATION'S OWN ANALYSIS  —  In remarks on July 11 touting revised deficit projections in the Mid-Session Review of the Budget, President Bush once again claimed that tax cuts pay for themselves:

Army to End Expansive, Exclusive Halliburton Deal  —  Logistics Contract to Be Open for Bidding  —  The Army is discontinuing a controversial multibillion-dollar deal with oil services giant Halliburton Co. to provide logistical support to U.S. troops worldwide, a decision that could cut deeply …

U.S. Terror Targets: Petting Zoo and Flea Market?  —  WASHINGTON, July 11 — It reads like a tally of terrorist targets that a child might have written: Old MacDonald's Petting Zoo, the Amish Country Popcorn factory, the Mule Day Parade, the Sweetwater Flea Market and an unspecified "Beach at End of a Street."

Wave of Violence in Baghdad Puts 3-Day Death Toll Past 100  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 11 — More than 50 people were killed in Baghdad on Tuesday in violence that included a double suicide bombing near busy entrances to the fortified Green Zone, scattered shootings, mortar attacks …

Justice Department Lawyer To Congress: 'The President Is Always Right'  —  The Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday heard testimony from Steven Bradbury, head of the Justice Department's office of legal counsel.  When questioned by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on whether the President's interpretation …

Lieberman's Real Problem  —  I am about to become a traitor to my class.  Among my estimable colleagues in the Washington commentariat, the idea that Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman is facing a serious challenge from a fellow Democrat over Lieberman's support for the Iraq war seems to evoke incredulity and exasperation.

Terror and Presidential Power: Bush Takes a Step Back  —  WASHINGTON, July 11 — From the outset, President Bush declared that the battle against Al Qaeda would be a war like no other, fought by new rules against new enemies not entitled to the old protections afforded to either prisoners of war or criminal defendants.

Dan Rather's Carry-On Baggage  —  Former CBS newsman Dan Rather says he'll have complete editorial control over the content of the weekly newsmagazine he will kick off for Mark Cuban's HDNet in October.  —  "News at its best is a wake-up call, not a lullaby, and I'm not in the lullaby business …

Pink Floyd's Barrett dies aged 60  —  Syd Barrett, one of the original members of legendary rock group Pink Floyd, has died at the age of 60 from complications arising from diabetes.  —  The guitarist was the band's first creative force and an influential songwriter, penning their early hits.