Conservatives to Bush: Fire Gonzales  —  In what could prove an embarrassing new setback for embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the eve of his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a group of influential conservatives and longtime Bush supporters has written a letter to the White House to call for his resignation.

Report: At least 20 29 dead, 28 wounded in shooting at Virginia Tech; Update: Two 9mm handguns?  —  Good lord.  I've been peeking at this story for hours and until a few minutes ago there was one reported dead and the gunman was in custody.  Now the death toll is 22 and the gunman is supposedly dead too.

Public Knowledge of Current Affairs Little Changed by News and Information Revolutions  —  What Americans Know: 1989-2007  —  Summary of Findings  —  Since the late 1980s, the emergence of 24-hour cable news as a dominant news source and the explosive growth of the internet have led …

France Knew of 2001 al-Qaida Hijack Plot  —  PARIS — France's foreign intelligence service learned as early as January 2001 that al-Qaida was preparing a hijacking plot likely to involve a U.S. airplane, former intelligence officials said Monday, confirming a report that also said the CIA received the warning.

Religious Right, Still Wrong  —  At the 'Reclaiming America For Christ' Conference, Appeals For Piety And Revival Were Sometimes Drowned Out By Harsh Talk  —  At the first major conclave of Religious Right foot soldiers since the 2006 elections, a sense of solemnity pervaded the sanctuary …

Pat Buckley: A New York Original  —  NEW YORK — Patricia Taylor Buckley, who died Sunday at age 80, was a true original and a fixture of New York society for more than four decades.  —  Buckley died at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut of an infection following a long illness, according to a statement from her family.

Kerry reopens door to possible presidential run  —  DENVER - Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) reopened the door to a possible 2008 presidential campaign during a book signing in Denver and then again, in an interview with 9NEWS.  —  The 2004 Democratic nominee told a crowd of more than 250 …

The Wolfowitz Files  —  The anatomy of a World Bank smear.  —  The World Bank released its files in the case of President Paul Wolfowitz's ethics on Friday, and what a revealing download it is.  On the evidence in these 109 pages, it is clearer than ever that this flap is a political hit based …

Justice Probes Abramoff Ties To White House  —  The Justice Department's Public Integrity Section is investigating connections between disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the White House, a probe that may be affected by missing White House emails.  —  Lawyers involved in the case …

Attacks Surge as Iraq Militants Overshadow City  —  BAQUBA, Iraq — They maneuver in squads, like the American infantrymen they try to kill.  One squad fires furiously so another can attack from a better position.  They operate in bad weather, knowing American helicopters and surveillance drones are grounded.

We Need To Help Delara Darabi, Teenage Artist on Deathrow in Iran  —  We need website managing, creating, organizing savvy volunteers.  —  Delara Darabi is a teenage artist on deathrow in Iran: … She tried to commit suicide and was saved.  Her haunting paintings (haunting is a f**king understatement) can be seen here.

A Woman Wrongly Convicted and a U.S. Attorney Who Kept His Job  —  Opponents of Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin spent $4 million on ads last year trying to link the Democratic incumbent to a state employee who was sent to jail on corruption charges.  The effort failed, and Mr. Doyle was re-elected …

Paying for America  —  I just paid my taxes, and I have to say, I always take pride when I do so.  I don't like having less money to spend, of course, and the complexity of the process is really upsetting.  But I am proud to pay for democracy, and I feel when I do send money to the DC Treasurer …