USA more pessimistic on Iraq war  —  WASHINGTON — As President Bush weighs changing course in Iraq, Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the war and want most U.S. troops withdrawn within a year, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday says.

A Dictator's Double Standard  —  Augusto Pinochet tortured and murdered.  His legacy is Latin America's most successful country.  —  AUGUSTO PINOCHET, who died Sunday at the age of 91, has been vilified for three decades in and outside of Chile, the South American country he ruled for 17 years.

A devil food is turning our kids into homosexuals  —  There's a slow poison out there that's severely damaging our children and threatening to tear apart our culture.  The ironic part is, it's a "health food," one of our most popular.  —  Now, I'm a health-food guy, a fanatic …

Christmas trees are going back up at Sea-Tac airport  —  The holiday trees that went away in the middle of the night are back.  —  Tonight, Port of Seattle staff began putting up the trees they had taken down Friday night after a local rabbi requested that a Hanukkah menorah also be displayed.

Car Bombing Kills at Least 59 in Baghdad  —  A powerful car bomb exploded in central Baghdad early Tuesday morning near a crowd of mostly Shiite day laborers, killing 59 people and wounding 149, Lt. Col. Mahmoud Abdul Aziz of the Iraqi Interior Ministry said.

Saudi Ambassador Abruptly Resigns, Leaves Washington  —  Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, flew out of Washington yesterday after informing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and his staff that he would be leaving the post after only 15 months on the job …

Small nuclear war could lead to cooldown  —  SAN FRANCISCO - Some of the scientists who first advanced the controversial "nuclear winter" theory more than two decades ago have come up with another bleak forecast: Even a regional nuclear war would devastate the environment.

Pelosi May Give Jefferson a Lesser Committee Assignment  —  House Democratic leaders, who have vowed to run a more ethical Congress, are struggling with how to respond to the reelection of Rep. William J. Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat whose Washington home freezer once held $90,000 in alleged bribe money.

THE SITUATION ROOM  —  President Bush Stops At State Department To Show He's Listening To New Ideas About Iraq; Rumors Say There May Be Some Effort To Get Rid Of Nouri Al-Maliki; Space Shuttle Discovery Docking With International Space Station In Series Of Dangerous Maneuvers …

Gore chases Oscar nod, possible 2008 bid  —  NEW YORK - Al Gore is waging a fierce campaign for recognition and an Oscar statuette for his global warming documentary, while reviving talk that he's pursuing a bigger prize: the presidency.  —  His recent itinerary has been the ultimate in high profile.

Intelligence panel's 'Phase Two' to be completed next year: Rockefeller  —  The three unreleased sections of the Senate Intelligence Committee's controversial "Phase Two" report on the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence are headed for circulation next year, incoming Chairman Jay Rockefeller …

Business lobbyists flock to Centrist Democrats  —  One of the earliest signs that life for Democrats would be different in the majority came at a post-election event sponsored by the New Democrat Coalition, the pro-business group of centrist Democrats.  —  Previous affairs drew at most 20 lobbyists …

Gay and Evangelical, Seeking Paths of Acceptance  —  RALEIGH, N.C. — Justin Lee believes that the Virgin birth was real, that there is a heaven and a hell, that salvation comes through Christ alone and that he, the 29-year-old son of Southern Baptists, is an evangelical Christian.

The value of a pro-war blogger's reports from Iraq  —  Bill Roggio's accounts bring home a feel for what US troops are facing in Iraq.  —  WASHINGTON - In recent months, the gruesome images and stories emanating from Iraq have hardened the public's perception about the conflict there.

Why It's Dangerous For the Maverick To Be the...Front Runner  —  John McCain was a straight-talking upstart in the 2000 presidential election.  Now he's poised to be the G.O.P. favorite for 2008, but at what cost?  —  As a rallying cry.  "Common sense conservatism" doesn't have quite the ring of "Straight Talk Express."

Dems to Wipe Out Pet Projects in Bills  —  Democrats tidying up a cluster of unfinished spending bills dumped on them by departing Republican leaders in Congress will start by removing billions of dollars in lawmakers' pet projects next month.  —  The move, orchestrated by the incoming chairmen …

$20bn gas project seized by Russia  —  Shell is being forced by the Russian government to hand over its controlling stake in the world's biggest liquefied gas project, provoking fresh fears about the Kremlin's willingness to use the country's growing strength in natural resources as a political weapon.

To Stem Iraqi Violence, U.S. Aims to Create Jobs  —  As Iraq descends further into violence and disarray, the Pentagon is turning to a weapon some believe should have been used years ago: jobs.  —  Members of a small Pentagon task force have gone to the most dangerous areas of Iraq …

Press Briefing by Tony Snow  —  White House Conference Center Briefing Room  —  MR. SNOW: Just a little opening note.  We are pleased the government of China has announced that next Monday, December 18th, the six-party talks will resume.  We do not know the exact location or details of that …

Israel Nuke Comment Sparks Controversy  —  JERUSALEM (AP) - A slip of the tongue by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert about Israel's nuclear policy ballooned into a domestic crisis Tuesday for the Israeli leader, who came under criticism from across the political spectrum.