Plame lawsuit dismissed in CIA leak case  —  WASHINGTON - Former CIA operative Valerie Plame lost a lawsuit Thursday that demanded money from Bush administration officials whom she blamed for leaking her agency identity.  —  Plame, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson …

Romney also once backed "age-appropriate" sex ed  —  Former Gov. Mitt Romney attacked Sen. Barack Obama yesterday for purportedly wanting sex education in kindergarten.  —  It turns out, Romney himself once indicated support for the same sort of sex-ed approach — "age-appropriate" — that Obama backs.

Pentagon rebukes Sen. Clinton on Iraq  —  WASHINGTON - The Pentagon told Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton that her questions about how the U.S. plans to eventually withdraw from Iraq boosts enemy propaganda.  —  In a stinging rebuke to a member …

Activity Guide  —  Democrats want 'John Doe' provision cut  —  Democrats are trying to pull a provision from a homeland security bill that will protect the public from being sued for reporting suspicious behavior that may lead to a terrorist attack, according to House Republican leadership aides.

Facing al-Qaeda  —  HOMELAND Security Secretary Michael Chertoff makes a good point: No one who has been following the news should have been surprised by the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that al-Qaeda is growing stronger and that the threat that it will stage another major attack against the U.S. homeland is a serious one.

General David Petraeus on the conditions on the ground in Iraq  —  The Hugh Hewitt Show  —  HH: Welcome, General.  You took over command of the multinational forces in February of this year, February 10.  In the past five months, how have conditions in Iraq changed?

An Epic Showdown as Harry Potter Is Initiated Into Adulthood  —  So, here it is at last: The final confrontation between Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the "symbol of hope" for both the Wizard and Muggle worlds, and Lord Voldemort, He Who Must Not Be Named …

Sunni insurgency: Out of the shadows  —  I just want to draw attention to a really important story about Iraq, which could easily get lost in the questions about the Mashhadani capture - the report in the Guardian about the moves to cement the public political profile of the major Sunni insurgency groups …

Sawyer apologizes for false assertion that Reid "vows to filibuster"  —  On the July 19 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, co-host Diane Sawyer apologized for her false assertion — documented by Media Matters for America — regarding Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) …

Raw Story uncovers even more pricey primping by Romney  —  The perception that Mitt Romney is some sort of pretty-boy was burnished earlier this week when reports emerged that he spent $300 in campaign funds for makeup "consulting" this year.  It turns out Romney has maintained an expensive beauty regimen for years.

Dave Chappelle: Next White House press secretary?  —  From CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — One of the best parts of the White House beat is that you just never know who's going to show up at those black iron gates at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

FEMA Suppressed Health Warnings for Workers, Katrina Victims  —  Agency Rejected Environmental Testing on Formaldehyde Gas Levels  —  The Federal Emergency Management Agency has suppressed warnings from its own Gulf coast field workers since the middle of 2006 about suspected health problems …