Sarkozy Wins the Chance to Prove His Critics Wrong  —  Arrogant, brutal, an authoritarian demagogue, a "perfect Iago": the president-elect of France has been called a lot of unpleasant things in recent months and now has five years to prove his critics wrong.

Newspaper Suicide: The Star Tribune Kills Lileks' Column  —  Let's see.  Your circulation is crashing.  The value of your paper has plummeted.  Everyone in the industry recognizes that the the future is online, and most realize that the byline has become the brand and that writers …

Today's Must Read  —  I'm not sure if this qualifies as ironic or just sadly fitting.  —  As we've attempted to document here, the Civil Rights Division has been the focus of the most dramatic effort at politicization in the Justice Department.  Career lawyers, harassed and discouraged …

California Gains Clout With Earlier Primary  —  When Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, finished a speech on foreign policy recently in Northern California, he was surrounded by reporters who wanted to ask about another topic: global warming and how it was contributing to the state's water shortage.

On Poverty, Edwards Faces Old Hurdles  —  Critics Say He Brings Few Fresh Ideas to Signature Issue  —  ALLENDALE, S.C. — His rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination were busy April 26 preparing for their first televised debate, but John Edwards was 45 miles south …

Exploding Backpack In Las Vegas  —  State and federal authorities have swarmed over the Luxor Hotel after an explosion in its parking ramp this morning.  A man carried a backpack into the second level of the parking garage and it exploded, killing the man carrying it and injuring another:

Iraq War Hampers Kansas Cleanup  —  GREENSBURG, Kan. (AP) — The rebuilding effort in tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kansas, likely will be hampered because some much-needed equipment is in Iraq, said that state's governor.  —  Governor Kathleen Sebelius said much of the National Guard equipment …

CBS's Late Bloomer  —  NEW YORK—Byron Pitts was chatting with students at a Harlem charter school the day before a recent visit by President Bush when the CBS correspondent had a realization: They viewed him as just another empty suit who couldn't possibly understand their problems.  Little did they know.

Panel to Find That Wolfowitz Broke Rules, Officials Say  —  The World Bank committee investigating misconduct charges against Paul D. Wolfowitz, the bank president, failed to complete its review on schedule this weekend, but bank officials said the panel would eventually find that he violated bank rules barring conflicts of interest.

Having large families 'is an eco-crime'  —  HAVING large families should be frowned upon as an environmental misdemeanour in the same way as frequent long-haul flights, driving a 4x4 car and failing to reuse plastic bags, according to a report to be published tomorrow by a green think tank.

How Big a Stretch?  —  For Barack Obama, Winning the White House Would Mean Bridging The Biggest Gap Of All  —  They watch him.  They listen to him talk.  Is he the kind of person they think he is?  The kind of black man?  The stakes are oh so high.  It's the presidency he's after, the breaking down of a historic barrier.