The Use of RNC E-Mail Accounts by White House Officials  —  The Oversight Committee has been investigating whether White House officials violated the Presidential Records Act by using e-mail accounts maintained by the Republican National Committee and the Bush Cheney '04 campaign for official White House communications.

More troops, more troubles  —  Candidates who call for beefing up our armed forces to deter terrorism show a profound misunderstanding of the Mideast.  —  IS THE U.S. Army too small?  —  The Democrats vying to succeed George W. Bush think so.  Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton …

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Car Passengers  —  The Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that a passenger in a vehicle has the same right as a driver to challenge the constitutionality of a traffic stop.  —  The court decided that when police stop a vehicle, passengers are "seized" …

Pakistan condemns Rushdie honor  —  ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan on Monday condemned Britain's award of a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie as an affront to Muslim sentiments, and a Cabinet minister said the honor provided a justification for suicide attacks.

Redefining the U.S. Role in Iraq  —  As you know from my public statements, I have supported your increase in troops in Iraq in the belief that a new initiative was necessary to bring the Iraq war to a successful conclusion.  It has been my position that this troop increase should be given an opportunity to work.

Petraeus: Iraq 'Challenges' to Last for Years  —  Conditions in Iraq will not improve sufficiently by September to justify a drawdown of U.S. military forces, the top commander in Iraq said yesterday.  —  Asked whether he thought the job assigned to an additional 30,000 troops deployed …

The Failed States Index 2007  —  By The Fund for Peace and FOREIGN POLICY magazine  —  The world's weakest states aren't just a danger to themselves.  They can threaten the progress and stability of countries half a world away.  In the third annual Failed States Index …

Va. School's No-Contact Rule Is a Touchy Subject  —  Fairfax County middle school student Hal Beaulieu hopped up from his lunch table one day a few months ago, sat next to his girlfriend and slipped his arm around her shoulder.  That landed him a trip to the school office.  —  Among his crimes: hugging.

U.S.-Led Airstrike Kills 7 Children in Afghanistan  —  U.S.-led coalition forces killed seven children in an airstrike against a suspected al-Qaeda hideout in Afghanistan on Sunday, adding to a civilian death toll that has become an increasing source of tension between the coalition and the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Duke University, Three Lacrosse Players Announce Settlement  —  Durham, NC — On Monday, Duke University leaders announced they have reached a settlement with David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann.  Below are statements about the settlement.  —  STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE PRESIDENT OF DUKE UNIVERSITY:

Calling Michael Moore's Socialist Bluff  —  Sicko, Michael Moore's new movie about America's health care system (the one that glorifies the socialized medicine of Cuba) hasn't even hit theaters yet, but already it's been leaked to the internet.  —  Asked what he thought of that, Moore …

Little Relief on Ward 53  —  At Walter Reed, Care for Soldiers Struggling With War's Mental Trauma Is Undermined by Doctor Shortages and Unfocused Methods  —  On the military plane that crossed the ocean at night, the wounded lay in stretchers stacked three high.

Pigs With Cellphones, but No Condoms  —  IN a commercial for Trojan condoms that has its premiere tonight, women in a bar are surrounded by anthropomorphized, cellphone-toting pigs.  One shuffles to the men's room, where, after procuring a condom from a vending machine, he is transformed into a head-turner in his 20s.

Surge Architect: More Time Needed  —  Fred Kagan, the man widely seen as the "architect" of the military surge in Iraq, sees signs of progress but warns that September is too early to make a final decision about how well it has achieved its goals.  Instead, in an interview with TIME.com …