Pincus Reveals Fleischer As Leak Source  —  Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus testified in court this morning that then-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, not I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was the first person to tell him that a prominent critic of the Iraq war was married to undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame.

U.S. Says Arms Link Iranians to Iraqi Shiites  —  After weeks of internal debate, senior United States military officials on Sunday literally put on the table their first public evidence of the contentious assertion that Iran supplies Shiite extremist groups in Iraq with some of the most lethal weapons in the war.

Al-Qaeda praying for Obama win, says PM  —  PRIME Minister John Howard has blasted US presidential candidate Barack Obama, saying his policy of withdrawing troops from Iraq will destabilise the entire Middle East.  —  Senator Obama, who is aiming to be the first black American president, has vowed to withdraw US forces if elected.

Tentative Deal in N. Korea Nuclear Talks  —  BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. envoy to talks on North Korea's nuclear program said Tuesday that negotiators reached a tentative agreement on initial steps for the communist nation's disarmament.  —  Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill …

For Clinton and Obama, Different Tests on Iraq  —  Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was challenged on Iraq from corner to corner of New Hampshire this weekend, while Senator Barack Obama drew cheers in Iowa for his opposition to the war.  —  Besides giving voters a chance to probe the views …

Libby Live: Novak One  —  NOTES: (1) This is not a transcript — It's the blogger's approximation, and no one really knows what that is yet!  But I do know you shouldn't quote anything not in quotation marks.  (2) I'll timestamp the updates and will update about every 15 minutes, servers willing.

Those Boring Campaign Blogs  —  When Amanda Marcotte agreed to blog for 2008 Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, she told her readers to expect "real commentary on issues that matter" under the "Rule of Amanda."  But she also acknowledged that she knows "how the game works" …

Obama Casts Peevish Eye on National Media  —  Barack Obama used his first news conference after announcing his run for president to accuse the media of ignoring his substantive record and falsely depicting him as a lightweight.  —  "The problem's not that the info's not out there," he said of his record on policy issues.

Can a 15-Year-Old Be a 'Woman Without a Spouse'?  —  THE opening paragraph of the article sounded like grown-up stuff: "For what experts say is probably the first time, more American women are living without a husband than with one, according to a New York Times analysis of census results."

Iraq war debate shifts to the House  —  GOP lawmakers will be in a tough position as Democrats push a resolution that dissents from Bush's strategy.  —  WASHINGTON — As the House this week launches its first major debate over the Iraq war since the November elections …

Stem cells used for 'natural' boob jobs  —  WOMEN may be able to undergo a "natural" form of breast enlargement using their own stem cells and fat.  —  The technique, pioneered in Japan, results in breasts that look and feel smoother than conventional cosmetic surgery using implants.

More On Prison Rape  —  Another personal history from Human Rights Watch's report on prison rape, this one with an example of victim-blaming from the authorities: … And here's another history, though this one is more of a remembrance: … These are not atypical tales, click on any of the histories and similar horrors unfold.

CNN: Bush-Backed Shiite Group Receiving Weapons Shipments From Iran  —  U.S. intelligence and military officials have stated that Iranian weapons shipments "are going to Shiite militias that include rogue elements of Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi army militia."  But U.S. officials have not been as vocal …