RESEARCH BRIEFINGS  —  The Facts About Border Security and Immigration Reform  —  Administration And Bipartisan Group Of Senators Reach Agreement On Comprehensive Immigration Reform  —  Today, Administration Officials And A Bipartisan Group Of Senators Reached Agreement On Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation.

Press Gaggle by Tony Fratto  —  White House Conference Center Briefing Room  —  MR. FRATTO: Good morning, everyone.  The President had his normal briefings this morning; taped the radio address — as you can imagine, it's on comprehensive immigration reform, so look forward to that.

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: Don't Blame Bush  —  The president has done just what his party wants and expects.

Talks Between White House And Congressional Dems Breaking Down  —  The meeting between Dem Congressional leaders and the White House over how to resolve the Iraq war spending standoff has just ended, and it looks like things are at a serious impasse.  —  Dem leaders just said at their post …

Poor Paul...  Steven Weisman offers us an all-too-sympathetic Paul Wolfowitz retrospective: … Look, I have no doubt Wolfowitz was doomed from the state.  But to comprehend his doomed-ness and what to make of it, one needs to step back.  Why was he given the job in the first place?

Exxon Still Funding Climate Change Deniers  —  So.  The day of reckoning has come - when we get to find out just how much of the climate change denial industry ExxonMobil is still paying for.  —  This is the company which, apparently, has been "misunderstood" on global warming and has said it has dropped its funding of the deniers.

Four arrested in Iraq 'honor killing' … BAGHDAD, IRAQ (CNN) — Authorities in northern Iraq have arrested four people in connection with the "honor killing" last month of a Kurdish teen — a startling, morbid pummeling caught on a mobile phone video camera and broadcast around the world.

Two hurt, two arrested in stabbing  —  Two people were injured and two others arrested in a stabbing incident last night that Pierre Police are calling gang related.  —  A 22 year old man is facing two counts of aggravated assault and is in the Hughes County Jail.

House Democratic Leaders Write to President Bush on  —  Troop Pay Raises, Widows' Benefits  —  May 18th, 2007 by Jesse Lee  —  As noted yesterday, the White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy (pdf) declaring their opposition to a 3.5% pay raise for the troops …

HATE CRIMES LAWS: DANGEROUS AND DIVISIVE: The "Hate Crimes" bill currently moving through Congress involves an unwise, and arguably unconstitutional expansion of federal criminal jurisdiction.  But even at the state or local level, hate crimes are a bad idea.

Two ABC News Journalists Killed in Iraq  —  Two Iraqi ABC News broadcast journalists were killed in Iraq, ABC News President David Westin announced this morning.  —  Cameraman Alaa Uldeen Aziz, 33, and soundman Saif Laith Yousuf, 26, were returning home from work at the ABC News Baghdad …

Center of Attention … The Gun Toting Liberal: "Bush Amnesty For Illegal Aliens Bill Passes Senate As President Lures Border Agents To Iraq With Six-Figure Salary Offers"  —  Andrew Sullivan quotes a reader who describes todays republican right-wing as being fascist.  Libby Spencer responds (and agrees with Andrew).

The secret Iraq documents my 8-year-old found  —  With a couple of keystrokes, you too can read the hidden history of the Coalition Provisional Authority, America's late, unlamented occupation government in Iraq.  —  Editor's note: The document discussed in this story can be viewed here, both with and without its hidden text.