Beauchamp Recants  —  THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned from a military source close to the investigation that Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp—author of the much-disputed "Shock Troops" article in the New Republic's July 23 issue as well as two previous "Baghdad Diarist" columns …

Bush Still Wields the Threat of Terrorism  —  Until last weekend, President Bush had repeatedly fallen short in seven months of battles with a Democratic-led Congress that would not give him what he wanted on immigration or education, health care or energy policy.

Poll: Dems favor Clinton over Obama  —  WASHINGTON — New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has significantly widened her lead over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in the wake of a dispute over handling foreign policy, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds.

As British Leave, Basra Deteriorates  —  Violence Rises in Shiite City Once Called a Success Story  —  As British forces pull back from Basra in southern Iraq, Shiite militias there have escalated a violent battle against each other for political supremacy and control over oil resources …

In Dusty Archives, a Theory of Affluence  —  For thousands of years, most people on earth lived in abject poverty, first as hunters and gatherers, then as peasants or laborers.  But with the Industrial Revolution, some societies traded this ancient poverty for amazing affluence.

Propaganda Redux  —  Take it from this old KGB hand: The left is abetting America's enemies with its intemperate attacks on President Bush.  —  During last week's two-day summit, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown thanked President Bush for leading the global war on terror.

Bridge Collapse Revives Issue of Road Spending  —  In the past two years, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota twice vetoed legislation to raise the state's gas tax to pay for transportation needs.  —  Now, with at least five people dead in the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge here …

Tommy Thompson [Eric]  —  Josh has accidentally hit upon the extraordinary range of feelings that Wisconsinites have about Tommy Thompson: He is viewed as being anything from a brilliant technocrat to a foot-in-mouth buffoon.  —  I lived in Wisconsin for six years, having arrived there in the Fall …

TIMESSELECT CONTENT FREED  —  The New York Times is poised to stop charging readers for online access to its Op-Ed columnists and other content, The Post has learned.  —  After much internal debate, Times executives - including publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. - made the decision to end …

Bill Clinton: The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board Is Even More Right Wing And Irrational Than Fox News  —  In a weekend conversation with wealthy supporters that was closed to reporters, Bill Clinton was asked about Rupert Murdoch's takeover of the Wall Street Journal.

FBI Bows to Modern Realities, Eases Rules on Past Drug Use  —  Policy Change Comes as Agency Struggles to Fill Openings  —  The buttoned-down FBI is loosening up: Under a little-noticed new hiring policy introduced this year, job applicants with a history of drug use will no longer …

Crews 'using every means known to mankind' to reach miners  —  HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) — Rescue crews in central Utah know exactly where six trapped miners are located, but were forced to turn around late Monday because of "impassable conditions," the mine's operator said.

BROWNBACK GETS TUBULAR  —  I don't agree with the issue Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) is advocating in this campaign web video (he's pushing his consistent pro-life position in contrast to Mitt Romney's 'light on the road to the White House' conversion to the cause).

Bear Stearns Caymans Filing May Hurt Bankrupt Funds' Creditors  —  Aug. 7 (Bloomberg) — Bear Stearns Cos.' decision to liquidate two bankrupt hedge funds in the Cayman Islands instead of New York may limit creditors' and investors' ability to get their money back.

Says Newt: 'Odds are significant' the Democrats win the White House  —  If you're a betting man, you have to like Democrats' chances of taking over the White House next year, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said early this morning.  —  "The odds are fairly significant that that the left will win next year.