McCain could pull out of race by autumn  —  Presidential hopeful drops campaign staff as Republican consultants predict he'll be gone by September  —  THE former presidential front-runner, John McCain, may drop out of the 2008 race by September if his fundraising dries up and his poll ratings continue …

Court decides endangered species, religion, student speech, campaign finance cases; four new grants  —  Amid several 5-4 rulings on the merits, the Supreme Court on Monday granted four cases for review next Term, including a significant test case on the use of references to the O.J. Simpson …

Murdoch Reaches Out for Even More  —  In the fall of 2003, a piece of Rupert Murdoch's sprawling media empire was in jeopardy.  —  Congress was on the verge of limiting any company from owning local television stations that reached more than 35 percent of American homes.

Nevada Poll Puts Thompson, Clinton Ahead  —  THE RACE: The presidential race for Republicans and Democrats in Nevada.  —  THE NUMBERS  —  Republicans  —  Fred Thompson, 25 percent  —  Mitt Romney, 20 percent  —  Rudy Giuliani, 17 percent  —  John McCain, 8 percent  —  Democrats

Drilling for Justice  —  Army officers have been pleased with Michael Gordon's portrayal of the events in Baqubah.  —  On 19 June American forces sealed off Baqubah and began attacking targets within the city.  The immediate goal of Arrowhead Ripper was to free Baqubah of al Qaeda …

Elizabeth Edwards supports same-sex marriage  —  (06-24) 11:26 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — Elizabeth Edwards, starring at the kickoff event of San Francisco's signature Gay Pride Parade, came out in support of legalized gay marriage today — taking a position which she acknowledged is at odds with her husband …

Winds of War  —  Iran is making a mistake that may lead the Middle East into a broader conflict.  —  Several conflicts of various intensities are raging in the Middle East.  But a bigger war, involving more states—Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, the Palestinian Authority and perhaps …

Al-Qaida leader urges support for Hamas  —  CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida's deputy leader called on Muslims worldwide to back Hamas with weapons, money and attacks on U.S. and Israeli interests, urging the Palestinian militant group on Monday to unite with al-Qaida after its takeover of Gaza.

Pushing the Envelope on Presidential Power … Shortly after the first accused terrorists reached the U.S. naval prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Jan. 11, 2002, a delegation from CIA headquarters arrived in the Situation Room.  The agency presented a delicate problem to White House counsel …

Bush aides consider Iraq truce at Capitol  —  Wary of more fights, they're looking into the possibility of a congressional deal to satisfy war foes but preserve presidential goals.  —  WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has begun exploring ways of offering Congress a compromise deal …

A Shadow on the Human Rights Movement  —  Where does the global human rights movement stand in the seventh year of the 21st century?  If the first year of the United Nations Human Rights Council is any indication, it's grown sick and cynical — partly because of the fecklessness and flexible morality …

Giuliani's Views on Abortion Upset Catholic Leaders  —  At first glance, Rudolph W. Giuliani should be an appealing presidential candidate for observant Roman Catholics.  The grandchild of Italian immigrants, Mr. Giuliani went to Catholic schools, considered joining the priesthood …

Reality Check for the Antiwar Crowd  —  As an Iraq war veteran who participated in combat operations and political reconciliation efforts, I take issue with some of the arguments repeatedly being made on Capitol Hill.  Most recently I was bothered by statements from Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) …

Illegal Immigrants Targeted By States  —  Frustrated with Congress's inability to pass an immigration overhaul bill, state legislatures are considering or enacting a record number of strongly worded proposals targeting illegal immigrants.  —  By the time most legislatures adjourned in May …

Undercover Journalism  —  Ken Silverstein says he lied, deceived and fabricated to get the story.  —  But it was worth it, he insists.  Those on the receiving end don't agree.  —  As Washington editor of Harper's magazine, Silverstein posed as Kenneth Case, a London-based executive …