Court: Execute Saddam Within 30 Days  —  Iraq's highest appeals court on Tuesday upheld Saddam Hussein's death sentence and said he must be hanged within 30 days for the killing of 148 Shiites in the central city of Dujail.  —  The sentence "must be implemented within 30 days," chief judge Aref Shahin said.

Star Tribune being sold to private equity firm  —  A private equity firm has reached an agreement to buy the Star Tribune from the McClatchy Co., publisher Keith Moyer announced today.  —  Avista Capital Partners, an investment group focused on media, health care and energy companies …

Islamist Forces in Somalia Are on the Retreat  —  Islamist forces in Somalia beat a hasty retreat today to their stronghold in Mogadishu, Somalia's battle-scared capital, crumbling faster than anyone expected after a week of attacks by Ethiopian forces.  —  Burhakaba, a large inland city …

Former President Gerald Ford dies at 93  —  LOS ANGELES - Gerald R. Ford, who picked up the pieces of Richard Nixon's scandal-shattered White House as the 38th and only unelected president in America's history, has died, his wife, Betty, said Tuesday.  He was 93.

Military considers recruiting foreigners  —  Expedited citizenship would be an incentive  —  An Armed Forces center in Plymouth.  US officials are trying tactics to find recruits; one involves attracting noncitizens.  (JULIA CUMES/ASSOCIATED PRESS)  —  WASHINGTON — The armed forces …

Bush is bracing for new scrutiny … WASHINGTON // President Bush is bracing for what could be an onslaught of investigations by the new Democratic-led Congress by hiring lawyers to fill key White House posts and preparing to play defense on countless document requests and possible subpoenas.

U.S. Deaths in Iraq Exceed 9-11 Count  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The U.S. military death toll in Iraq has reached 2,974, one more than the number of deaths in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, according to an Associated Press count on Tuesday.  —  The U.S. military announced …

Biden vows to fight any Iraq troop boost  —  WASHINGTON - Incoming Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Joseph Biden, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, said Tuesday he would oppose any effort by President Bush to increase U.S troops in Iraq as part of a new war strategy.

UK to give reasons for police station raid  —  The UK is to explain why it demolished a notorious Iraqi police station in a bid to avert elements of the local council ending co-operation with British forces.  —  The Foreign Office said there would be discussions over yesterday's dramatic raid …

TROOPS HALP JON CARRY IN IRAK  —  On his visit to Iraq, Senator Kerry apparently got something like the silent treatment from the troops who are "stuck" there.  WDAY's Scott Hennen quotes a message from a friend serving in Iraq: … Scott comments:

Lieberman Defends Video-Game Money  —  WASHINGTON — It has become a holiday ritual: Joe Lieberman and family-research officials hold a well-attended press conference to decry the impact on children of excessive video game sex and violence.  —  And, again in 2006, Lieberman indulged …

Iran may declare major enrichment feat  —  Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki reportedly told members of the Iranian parliament on Tuesday that Iran would soon announce that it had managed to enrich uranium using 3,000 centrifuges, an Iranian MP told the FARS News Agency on Tuesday.

The ISG's Rhetorical Impact Begins To Sink In  —  Republicans care quite a lot about the political concept of the Overton Window and, not coincidentally, Republicans have messaged the pants off of Democrats at least since the rightiwng revolution of 1994.  The concept is pretty simple; read about it here if the idea is unfamiliar.