Lieberman  —  The "peace" Democrats are back.  It's a dream come true for Karl Rove.  —  We have been here before.  Left-wing Democrats are once again fielding single-issue "peace candidates," and the one in Connecticut, like several in the 1970s, is a middle-aged patrician …

14 Hezbollah fighters killed in heavy exchanges of fire with IDF ground troops  —  Israel Defense Forces soldiers killed 14 Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon combat early on Monday.  —  Infantry troops from the Nahal Brigade encountered a Hezbollah cell in the village of Houla and a fierce gun battle broke out.

Another Fake Reuters Photo from Lebanon  —  Another photo by Reuters photographer Adnan Hajj has been shown to be doctored.  The photo, which proports to be of an Israeli F-16 firing missiles on Lebanon has been doctored to make the photo seem more sensational.  —  Here is the original Reuters photo along with its caption.

Ney drops out of fall race  —  TRIBUNE-REVIEW  —  Entangled in the scandals involving former Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, embattled U.S. Rep. Robert Ney is ending his re-election bid.  —  Although Ney had vowed to stay in the race even if he is indicted, the Ohio Republican decided last week to bow out.

Sheehan Resumes Protest Near Bush Ranch  —  A year after her first war protest in President Bush's adopted hometown attracted thousands and reinvigorated the nation's peace movement, Cindy Sheehan resumed her vigil Sunday.  —  Under the blazing Texas sun, Sheehan and more than 50 demonstrators again marched …

Critics Say Politics Driving Immigration Hearings  —  When House leaders announced their plan to hold 21 immigration hearings in 13 states during the August recess, they said it demonstrated a commitment to battling illegal immigration and securing the border.

Democrats mum on 'corruption'  —  Democrats have reined in their use of the "culture of corruption" mantra in their efforts to oust congressional Republicans from power, fearing the slogan would backfire after two senior members of their own party were implicated in ethical scandals.

Feeling Unwelcome, Some Gays Vacate Virginia  —  November Ballot Ban Helps Fuel Migration  —  Edel Quinones lived in Virginia for 10 years, but early this year, he sold his Arlington townhouse to move to the District.  —  "It felt like I wasn't welcome anymore," he said.

Baghdad Diary  —  A knot begins to form in my stomach exactly at 8 a.m., when I step into the small Fokker F-28 jet that will take me and 50 other passengers from Amman, Jordan, to Baghdad.  I know what lies ahead: an hour's uneventful flying over unchanging desert, followed by the world's scariest landing …

For Gays, New Math  —  Rethinking tactics after a series of setbacks nationwide  —  After the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court legalized gay marriage in 2003, and gay and lesbian couples began to wed in San Francisco and Portland, Ore., soon after, it seemed to Lisa Stone that a new era was sweeping the country.

NSA risking electrical overload … WASHINGTON // The National Security Agency is running out of juice.  —  The demand for electricity to operate its expanding intelligence systems has left the high-tech eavesdropping agency on the verge of exceeding its power supply, the lifeblood …

15 States Expand Right to Shoot in Self-Defense  —  In the last year, 15 states have enacted laws that expand the right of self-defense, allowing crime victims to use deadly force in situations that might formerly have subjected them to prosecution for murder.  —  Supporters call them "stand your ground" laws.

In Afghanistan, a Crackdown on Imported Pleasures  —  Behind an unmarked door on a quiet residential street, half a dozen young Chinese women in miniskirts shimmy to disco tapes or sit entwined with beefy European men.  Next to the fully stocked bar, a plastic Christmas tree pulses with tiny lights.