Al Gore Says U.S. States May Force Change in Climate Policy  —  Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) — Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore said many businesses and state governments ``embrace'' the aims of the Kyoto Protocol, which may force President George W. Bush to alter his opposition to the effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Iraqi Hangings Bring More Condemnation  —  Head of Hussein's Half Brother Is Severed  —  By the time the corpses of Saddam Hussein's half brother and another top official, hanged before dawn Monday, arrived in the village of Auja for burial, the word had spread among the mourners …

Adultery could mean life, court finds  —  That's what the law says in sex-drug case Cox appealed  —  In a ruling sure to make philandering spouses squirm, Michigan's second-highest court says that anyone involved in an extramarital fling can be prosecuted for first-degree criminal sexual conduct …

Apple pie and the Middle East  —  The U.S. has long tried to steer the Mideast toward Western values.  —  THE STALLED U.S. mission in Iraq has prompted calls for a return to "realism" in American foreign policy.  Instead of striving for freedom and national cohesion in the Middle East …

Secret understandings reached between representatives of Israel, Syria  —  In a series of secret meetings in Europe between September 2004 and July 2006, Syrians and Israelis formulated understandings for a peace agreement between Israel and Syria.  —  The main points of the understandings are as follows:

USAT Poll: Americans 'more pessimistic' after Bush's Iraq speech  —  "President Bush's address to the nation last week outlining a 'new way forward' in Iraq failed to move public opinion in support of his plan to increase U.S. troop levels and left Americans more pessimistic about the likely outcome …

Despite Lessons on King, Some Unaware of His Dream  —  In a recent survey of college students on U.S. civic literacy, more than 81 percent knew that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was expressing hope for "racial justice and brotherhood" in his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.  —  That's the good news.

Kucinich: Congress To Take On FCC  —  Over the weekend, the National Conference for Media Reform was held in Memphis, TN, with a number of notable speakers on hand for the event.  Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made an surprise appearance at the convention to announce that he would be heading …

Iran target of US Gulf military moves, Gates says  —  Mark Tran and agencies  —  Increased US military activity in the Gulf is aimed at Iran's "very negative" behaviour, the Bush administration said today.  —  The defence secretary, Robert Gates, told reporters that the decision to deploy …

For Democrats, This May Be THE Week....  "They're in lock-down."  —  That's what a Clinton outsider tells us about the small circle of insiders who're preparing a presidential bid for Sen. Hillary Clinton.  —  Excitement among Clinton supporters is building in anticipation of an expected announcement …

Allard: No third term  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Wayne Allard said today he will honor his term-limits pledge and leave at the end of 2008, creating a replacement fight that should turn Colorado into one of the country's biggest electoral battlegrounds.  —  "I just didn't think I could back away from the (term limits) commitment.

Debbie Schlussel Threatens Me with a Lawsuit  —  updates below—  Good morning to you too, Ms. Schlussel. … First, the point I made that Schlussel "was critical of Barack Obama's last name" charge.  Early this morning I posted on last night's "24," citing Ms. Schlussel's "PC 24."

Video: "Dispatches: Undercover Mosque"; Update: Part 2 added; Update: Part 3 added  —  Here it is, fresh from Channel 4 (UK) by way of our pal kasper kasper's Tivo: what happens when "moderate" Muslims stop being polite and start getting real.  —  Parts 2 and 3 to follow, promises kk.

"Because the language they use is killing:" An Interview with a Fallujan Police Officer  —  The difficulty of obtaining this interview underscores the political and cultural complexities of the American effort in Fallujah.  In order to get a few minutes of alone candor with an Iraqi patrolman …