Annan: Israel bombed UN base for hours  —  Staff and agencies  —  The UN general secretary, Kofi Annan, today accused the Israeli military of carrying out a sustained bombing of the UN base on the Lebanon-Israel border that culminated in the killing of four unarmed monitors.

Hastert Rejects Calls to Disinvite al-Maliki to Speak to Congress  —  WASHINGTON — House Speaker Dennis Hastert has rejected calls Tuesday by congressional Democrats to cancel an address Wednesday by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to a joint session of Congress.

Senate Removes Abortion Option for Young Girls  —  WASHINGTON, July 25 — The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would make it a federal crime to help an under-age girl escape parental notification laws by crossing state lines to obtain an abortion.  —  The bill was approved on a 65-to-34 vote …

Tax Cuts May Come At a Price, Study Says  —  The federal government will need to either cut spending or raise taxes down the road to pay for extending President Bush's recent tax cuts, the Treasury Department said in a report released yesterday, dismissing the idea popular with many Republicans that such sacrifices can be avoided.

The Shirts Get Browner  —  I can honestly say I never expected things to get so out of control as they have the past 24 hours from the story I posted yesterday about Jason Leopold and those who choose to associate with him.  It just goes to prove my point even more, that when faced with the truth …

Democrats' Version of John McCain  —  Months ago, I was lunching with some savvy Democrats, when one of them asked me: What is the problem with all those Republicans who can't stand maverick GOP Sen. John McCain?  As a McCainiac, I warmed to the subject.  I disagree with McCain …

50 percent of U.S. says Iraq had WMDs  —  Half of Americans now say Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States invaded the country in 2003 — up from 36 percent last year, a Harris poll finds.  Pollsters deemed the increase both "substantial" and "surprising" …

Dump Condi: Foreign policy conservatives charge State Dept. has hijacked Bush agenda  —  Conservative national security allies of President Bush are in revolt against Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, saying that she is incompetent and has reversed the administration's national security and foreign policy agenda.

Chris Matthews comes unglued on the Imus In The Morning program.  —  If you're a rancher, according to Matthews, you can't be president.  —  Here is an excerpt of audio from Chris Matthews from earlier today on the Imus In The Morning program.  Listening is fine, but you need to really read what he had to say.

Senator Santorum Repugnant Remarks on Islam, Iran, and Syria  —  Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) remarks at the National Press Club on Wednesday July 19th 2006 calling for regime change in Iran and described "Islamic fascism" as the "great test" of this generation, as threatening to the United States …

Case Closed  —  THE TRUTH ABOUT THE IRAQI-NIGER "YELLOWCAKE" NEXUS.  —  Now that Joseph and Valerie Wilson's fantasies of having been persecuted by high officials in the administration have been so thoroughly dispelled by Robert Novak (and now that it seems the prosecutor has determined …

ConocoPhillips profit leaps 65 pct. in 2Q  —  HOUSTON - Lofty oil prices fueled a 65 percent surge in ConocoPhillips' second-quarter net income, the company announced Wednesday.  Its shares rose 2 percent in morning trading.  —  The nation's third-largest oil company earned $5.18 billion …

Fox News' Ailes says he's just getting started  —  Firing poison darts at his cable-news competitors and taunting his critics in the media, Fox News Channel boss Roger Ailes celebrated the 10th birthday of his network but instead of cake, served notice that his conquest of other television empires already is under way.

Cry Bias, and Let Slip the Blogs of War  —  J.P. Borda started a Web log during his 2004 National Guard deployment in Afghanistan to keep in touch with his family.  But when he got home, he decided it was the mainstream media that was out of touch with the war.  —  "You hear so much about what's going wrong," he says.