President Turns to an Insider to Negotiate on Dismissals  —  It was hardly a social call when Fred F. Fielding, the new White House counsel, turned up Wednesday afternoon on Capitol Hill.  —  He had come to negotiate with Democrats, who are investigating whether politics played a role …

Valerie Plame, the Spy Who's Ready to Speak for Herself  —  Years of Silence Will End Today With Capitol Hill Testimony  —  She has been silent nearly four years.  Today, the CIA officer whose unmasking fueled a political uproar and criminal probe that reached into the White House is poised …

Danish scientist: Global warming is a myth  —  A Danish scientist said the idea of a "global temperature" and global warming is more political than scientific.  —  University of Copenhagen Professor Bjarne Andresen has analyzed the topic in collaboration with Canadian Professors Christopher Essex …

Diagnosis: Cheney  —  "What is wrong with Dick Cheney?" asks Michelle Cottle in the inaugural issue of the newly relaunched New Republic.  She then spends the next 1,900 words marshaling evidence suggesting that his cardiac disease has left him demented and mentally disordered.

Gonzales' unprecedented efforts to block a FISA investigation  —  Last July, it was revealed that the Office of Professional Responsibility in the Justice Department — the office "responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct involving Department attorneys" …

Confession at Guantánamo by 9/11 Mastermind May Aid Other Qaeda Defendants  —  The admissions made by the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks illuminated and transformed the cases against him and the 13 other Qaeda leaders transferred last year from C.I.A. prisons to the Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

With Earlier Primary, Calif. Reshapes Race  —  California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed legislation yesterday moving the state's presidential primary to Feb. 5, 2008, a change that could lead to the earliest and biggest single-day test of candidate strength ever.

Great capital city.  Shame about the awful BBC  —  For someone who has not lived in the city for more than a decade, the occasional trip to London is a reminder of how richly it deserves its new reputation as the world's capital.  —  As my colleague James Harding wrote in times2 this week …

China Approves Property Law, Strengthening Its Middle Class  —  After more than a quarter-century of market-oriented economic policies and record-setting growth, China on Friday enacted its first law to protect private property explicitly.  —  The measure, which was delayed …

Web censorship spreading globally  —  Internet censorship is spreading rapidly, being practised by about two dozen countries and applied to a far wider range of online information and applications, according to research by a transatlantic group of academics.  —  This file requires Macromedia Flash Player 7 or higher

Far From Inevitable, McCain Retunes '08 Engine  —  Senator John McCain of Arizona worked hard for years to make himself the all-but-inevitable 2008 Republican presidential nominee, assembling a formidable machine of advisers and contributors, repairing his relationship with the Bush White House …

The Reliable Source  —  The Education of a Senator, Day Two: Yesterday we told you about Chuck Schumer's early years on the "It's Academic" team in high school.  Now we've learned that the brainy New Yorker (high school valedictorian, 1600 SAT score) is still steamed about the grade he got on his college thesis.

Fox hounded  —  How the Democrats are turning on Fox News.  —  In the history of capitalism has any company had more success with just a wink and a nod than the Fox News Channel?  And can Democrats be successful in the 2008 campaign by refusing to wink or nod back?

Phony Fraud Charges  —  In its fumbling attempts to explain the purge of United States attorneys, the Bush administration has argued that the fired prosecutors were not aggressive enough about addressing voter fraud.  It is a phony argument; there is no evidence that any of them ignored real instances of voter fraud.

Americans 3-to-1 Against a Libby Pardon  —  Bush approval rating holds steady  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Last week, former vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby was found guilty of making false statements, perjury, and obstruction of justice in connection with a special prosecutor's investigation …

A New Face of Jihad Vows Attacks on U.S.  —  TRIPOLI, Lebanon — Deep in a violent and lawless slum just north of this coastal city, 12 men whose faces were shrouded by scarves drilled with Kalashnikovs.  —  In unison, they lunged in one direction, turned and lunged in another.