Iran nabs British sailors in Iraq waters  —  LONDON - Iranian naval vessels seized 15 British sailors who had boarded a ship suspected of smuggling cars in the Persian Gulf off the Iraqi coast on Friday, officials said.  —  The British government demanded "the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment."

Michael Yon threatened with expulsion by a general  —  This is stupid.  Michael Yon and Bill Roggio are the best out there.  Telling Michael Yon to exit the theater is the WWII equivalent of telling Ernie Pyle to quit filing dispatches.  —  Everyone knows the PAO system has never …

U.S. Attorney in Michigan Disputes Reason for Removal  —  The ousted United States attorney in western Michigan said Thursday that she was told last November that she was being forced out to make way for another lawyer the Bush administration wanted to groom, not because of management problems.

Retreat and Butter  —  TODAY THE House of Representatives is due to vote on a bill that would grant $25 million to spinach farmers in California.  The legislation would also appropriate $75 million for peanut storage in Georgia and $15 million to protect Louisiana rice fields from saltwater.

Democrats Shore Up Support for Iraq Votes  —  For days, Democratic leaders have scrambled to shore up enough support to pass their Iraq legislation.  They delayed the final vote by a day, fearful that a few undecided lawmakers — on the left and right — could jeopardize their plan to set …

L.A. Editor Quits Over A Hollywood Connection  —  The editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times resigned yesterday after acknowledging a romantic relationship with a publicist for Brian Grazer, the Hollywood producer who had been tapped to serve as guest editor of the paper's opinion section on Sunday.

E-Mails Show Machinations to Replace Prosecutor  —  Administration Worked for Months to Make Rove Aide U.S. Attorney in Arkansas  —  Two months before Bud Cummins was fired as U.S. attorney in Little Rock, a protege of presidential adviser Karl Rove was maneuvering with the Justice Department to take his place.

New to Pentagon, Gates Argued for Closing Guantánamo Prison  —  In his first weeks as defense secretary, Robert M. Gates repeatedly argued that the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, had become so tainted abroad that legal proceedings at Guantánamo would be viewed …

Army Revises Upward the Number of Desertions  —  A total of 3,196 active-duty soldiers deserted the Army last year, or 853 more than previously reported, according to revised figures from the Army.  —  The new calculations by the Army, which had about 500,000 active-duty troops at the end of 2006 …

Politics, Lies, and 93 v. 8  —  David Brooks has an excellent column today, and not for the usual reasons that liberals praise Brooks (and he drives conservatives crazy): because he comes halfway toward us.  It's because, in discussing the US Attorneys story, he nails a distinction that I, at least, was struggling with.

Fewer pledge allegiance to the GOP  —  A poll says 35% of those surveyed identify with Republicans.  Public attitudes seem to be drifting toward Democrats' values.  —  WASHINGTON — Public allegiance to the Republican Party has plunged during George W. Bush's presidency …

In Secret, Polygamy Follows Africans to N.Y.  —  She worked at the Red Lobster in Times Square and lived with her husband near Yankee Stadium.  Yet one night, returning home from her job, Odine D. discovered that African custom, not American law, held sway over her marriage.