Hussein's Prewar Ties To Al-Qaeda Discounted  —  Pentagon Report Says Contacts Were Limited  —  Captured Iraqi documents and intelligence interrogations of Saddam Hussein and two former aides "all confirmed" that Hussein's regime was not directly cooperating with al-Qaeda before the U.S. invasion of Iraq …

Britain's Humiliation — and Europe's  —  Iran has pulled off a tidy little success with its seizure and release of those 15 British sailors and marines: a pointed humiliation of Britain, with a bonus demonstration of Iran's intention to push back against coalition challenges to its assets in Iraq.

Justice Department In New Fight Over Papers on Firings  —  The Justice Department is refusing to release hundreds of pages of additional documents related to the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, setting up a fresh clash with Capitol Hill in a controversy that continues to threaten Attorney …

Democrats at War  —  Prime Minister Pelosi and Secretary of State Lantos undermine U.S. foreign policy—and maybe their own party.  —  Democrats took Congress last fall in part by opposing the war in Iraq, but it is becoming clear that they view their election as a mandate for something far more ambitious …

Answers To the Atheists  —  This weekend, many of the world's estimated 2 billion Christians will remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  —  While some Christians harbor doubts about Christ's actual physical resurrection, hundreds of millions believe devoutly …

Bloggers to Blame for Rudy's Bad Week?  —  Roger Simon reports: … Is Rudy blaming bloggers for his recent bad publicity?  —  Rudy's recent problems have arisen from interviews he granted or speeches he gave.  —  The most damning information has come from YouTube videos …

Supreme Court Goes Nuclear  —  Who are the big winners and losers in Monday's monumental Supreme Court ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA?  A sharply divided 5-4 decision found that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions …

An Administration's Epic Collapse  —  The first three months of the new Democratic Congress have been neither terrible nor transcendent.  A Pew poll had it about right: a substantial majority of the public remains happy the Democrats won in 2006, but neither Nancy Pelosi nor Harry Reid …

Federal Official in Student Loans Held Loan Stock  —  A senior official at the federal Education Department sold more than $100,000 in shares in a student loan company even as he was helping oversee lenders in the federal student loan program.  —  The official, Matteo Fontana …

Kerry, Gingrich announce climate showdown  —  Former House Speaker and possible presidential candidate Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and 2004 Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) are set to square off on climate change next week, their staffs announced Thursday.

And Iraq's big oil contracts go to ...  Companies from China, India and other Asian nations are seen getting the first contracts.  But don't write off Big Oil just yet.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Despite claims by some critics that the Bush administration invaded Iraq to take control of its oil …