Islamic forces on the retreat in Somalia  —  MOGADISHU, Somalia - Islamic fighters were in a tactical retreat Tuesday, a senior Islamic leader said, as government and Ethiopian troops advanced on three fronts in a decisive turn around in the battle for control of Somalia.

U.S. toll in Iraq surpasses that of 9/11  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - At least 36 Iraqis died Tuesday in bombings, officials said, including a coordinated strike that killed 25 in western Baghdad.  Separately, the deaths of six U.S. soldiers pushed the American toll beyond the number of victims in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

War Critics See New Resistance by Bush  —  Immediately after the beating his party took in November, President Bush indicated that he had received the message that voters wanted change, and that he would serve some up fast.  He ousted his defense secretary, announced a full-scale review …

Going universal  —  The American healthcare system is, simply put, a mess, but we may finally be ready to fix it.  —  THE STATISTICS, by now, are well known.  Forty-seven million uninsured Americans.  Premium increases of 81% since 2000.  Small businesses failing, big businesses foundering …

Court Upholds Saddam's Death Sentence  —  An Iraqi appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling to execute deposed leader Saddam Hussein for crimes against humanity and said he could hang within 30 days.  —  "From tomorrow, any day could be the day of implementation," chief judge Aref Abdul-Razzaq al-Shahin …

The 20 Biggest Stories Of 2006  —  Honorable Mention) Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Suffered A Stroke And Cerebral Hemorrhage: Israel's Prime Minister is laid low by health problems after he formed a new party.  Would Hezbollah have been picking fights and Iran talking so tough if the old soldier were still running the show?

Bipartisan Effort to Draft Immigration Bill  —  Counting on the support of the new Democratic majority in Congress, Democratic lawmakers and their Republican allies are working on measures that could place millions of illegal immigrants on a more direct path to citizenship than would a bill that the Senate passed in the spring.

Where Real Money Meets Virtual Reality, The Jury Is Still Out  —  Veronica Brown is a hot fashion designer, making a living off the virtual lingerie and formalwear she sells inside the online fantasy world Second Life.  She expects to have earned about $60,000 this year from people who buy …

St. Louis judge's outspoken book causing controversy  —  A liberal-bashing book by a veteran St. Louis judge is to become available publicly this week, but it is already causing a stir in political and legal circles — and prompting some to say it could cost him his job.

A Bipartisan Fix for Retirees  —  In the aftermath of their November election victory, Democratic leaders have pledged to work on a bipartisan basis to solve the problems facing our nation.  In that spirit, I suggest that Democrats and Republicans can successfully work together …

Flash!  President Bush Says He Reads Papers  —  Is there hope for newspapers after all?  Readers may be abandoning the printed versions, but over the last couple of years, at least one person seems to have started reading them, at least sometimes.  He lives in the White House.

Tsunami Aims at Philippines After Quake  —  TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - A powerful quake struck off southwestern Taiwan on Tuesday, triggering a potentially destructive tsunami that was headed toward the Philippines on the second anniversary of the deadly waves that killed thousands in south Asia.

A Religious Problem  —  Jimmy Carter's book: An Israeli view.  —  Several prominent scholars have taken issue with Jimmy Carter's book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," cataloguing its historical inaccuracies and lamenting its lack of balance.  The journalist Jeffrey Goldberg also critiqued …

"One DOJ" : Another Wall Crumbles  —  This just scares the bejeebies out of me because how do we know just who has access to all this or soon will have?  Everyday it seems another database has been stolen or somehow compromised.  —  The other thing that occurs to me is soon many people …

Democrats Pledge to Restrain Spending  —  Critics Say Party's Goals Are Too Lofty  —  Determined to banish their old tax-and-spend image, Democrats want to shrink the federal deficit, preserve tax cuts for the middle class and challenge the president to raise money for the Iraq war when they take control of Congress next week.