Duke Lacrosse Case Charges to Be Dropped  —  Three Players Were Facing Charges of First Degree Kidnapping, First Degree Forcible Sexual Offense  —  ABC News Law & Justice Unit  —  The office of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper will announce that he is dismissing all charges …

OUT OF GAS....The Washington Post reports that the White House is casting about for a "high-powered czar" who would have authority over both military and civilian operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Only problem is, no one wants the job: … Sheesh.  Even Keane doesn't want the job …

Panel Said to Alter Finding on Voter Fraud  —  A federal panel responsible for conducting election research played down the findings of experts who concluded last year that there was little voter fraud around the nation, according to a review of the original report obtained by The New York Times.

House Panel Subpoenas Gonzales for Documents  —  The House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today seeking hundreds of pages of new or uncensored records related to the firings of eight U.S. attorneys last year, officials said.

Diabetics cured by stem-cell treatment  —  Diabetics using stem-cell therapy have been able to stop taking insulin injections for the first time, after their bodies started to produce the hormone naturally again.  —  In a breakthrough trial, 15 young patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes …

Perino quotes Daily Show host 'Don Stewart.'  —  At today's White House press briefing, spokeswoman Dana Perino said that setting a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq is like sending a "save-the-date card to the Iraqis."  She added, "I stole that from Don Stewart," referring to the host of the Daily Show …

Defaults Rise in Next Level of Mortgages  —  Some of the problems afflicting mortgages sold to borrowers with weak, or subprime, credit increasingly appear to be cropping up in loans made to homeowners who were thought to be less risky.  —  The latest sign of possible further deterioration …

Is Nancy Pelosi a Rove mole?  —  Undaunted by the bad smell she imparted to the Democratic Congress when she took it upon herself to spread her own foreign policy to Syria, bungling her pathetic attempt at shuttle diplomacy, Nancy Pelosi is planning to repeat the same performance in Iran, making a Republican win in '08 more likely.

Imus vs. the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks Chart (language warning)  —  My syndicated column this week: THE CULTURE OF "BITCHES, NIGGAS, AND HOS"  —  Let's stipulate: I have no love for Don Imus, Al Sharpton, or Jesse Jackson.  I repeat: A pox on all their race-baiting houses.

A New Prescription to Curb Health-Care Spending  —  Laura Meckler reports on a new idea to cut health-care spending.  —  If you ask Americans what the biggest problem in health care is today, they might tell you that insurance companies are too stingy.  Or they might say that not enough people have insurance.

EXCLUSIVE...Two Explosive Books Tell the Inside Story of the Forged Iraq-Niger Docs That Helped Build the Case for War  —  Watch 128k stream Watch 256k stream Read Transcript  —  Help Printer-friendly version Email to a friend Purchase Video/CD

Some in G.O.P. Express Worry Over '08 Hopes  —  Republican leaders across the country say they are growing increasingly anxious about their party's chances of holding the White House, citing public dissatisfaction with President Bush, the political fallout from the war in Iraq and the problems …

More downs than ups?  —  Roller-coaster developments leave the British feeling low  —  LONDON — Can an entire nation go on an emotional roller-coaster?  —  Britain's public has been on such an emotional adventure since its 15 sailors and marines were seized in the Persian Gulf.  It may not yet be over.

Oliphant's Children  —  I'm on the road for the next couple of days—thanks in advance to Stinkeye, Democommie, and Nez for volunteering to cover for me—and I wasn't going to post tonight.  But sometimes my inner Frenchman demands that I grant him an opportunity to speak his mind, and tonight is one of those times.

Kerry Forces Gingrich To Admit Inhofe Is Off-Base On Global Warming Science  —  Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) engaged in head-to-head debate this morning on global warming.  During the event, Kerry challenged Gingrich on his commitment to global warming science …

CBS News fires producer for plagiarism  —  NEW YORK - A CBS News producer was fired and the network apologized after a Katie Couric video essay on libraries was found to be plagiarized from The Wall Street Journal.  —  The essay was removed from the CBS Web site and an editor's note …

Producer: PBS dropped 'Islam vs. Islamists' on political grounds  —  The producer of a tax-financed documentary on Islamic extremism claims his film has been dropped for political reasons from a television series that airs next week on more than 300 PBS stations nationwide.

When CEO Buys a Mansion, It's Time to Sell Shares  —  Judith Burns reports on a new signal to sell stocks.  —  With House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank pushing a bill to give shareholders more say on executive compensation, a couple of academic researchers suggest another …