An Early Clash Over Iraq Report  —  Senior congressional aides said yesterday that the White House has proposed limiting the much-anticipated appearance on Capitol Hill next month of Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker to a private congressional briefing …

Fred Thompson's Gamble  —  When Fred Thompson makes his long-delayed entrance into the Republican presidential race, he will not tiptoe quietly.  Instead, he will try to shake up the establishment candidates of both parties by depicting a nation in peril from fiscal and security threats …

Dutch bishop: Call God 'Allah' to ease relations  —  Roman Catholic leader stokes already heated debate on religion  —  AMSTERDAM - A Roman Catholic Bishop in the Netherlands has proposed people of all faiths refer to God as Allah to foster understanding, stoking an already heated debate …

Unknown noises from mine shift drilling plan  —  HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) — Rescue workers said they detected a noise Wednesday night — though it's unclear what it was — deep inside the Utah mine where six men have been trapped for nine days.  —  "We saw some indication of noise for a period …

Peru quake death toll 355, rising  —  ICA, Peru - Rescuers struggled across a shattered countryside on Thursday to reach victims of a magnitude-8.0 earthquake that killed at least 355 people.  More than 1,500 people were reported injured and the Red Cross said the toll was expected to rise.

Baghdad set for shake-up  —  Dubai: Under pressure from the Congress, Arab states and Sunni Iraqi leaders, the US administration on Tuesday set the stage for "major" political changes in Iraq.  —  The changes will be in "the structure, nature and direction of the Iraqi state," …

The Death of Diversity  —  People in ethnically diverse settings don't care about each other.  —  Diversity was once just another word.  Now it's a fighting word.  One of the biggest problems with diversity is that it won't let you alone.  Corporations everywhere have force-marched middle managers …

Army Suicides Highest in 26 Years  —  WASHINGTON — Army soldiers committed suicide last year at the highest rate in 26 years, and more than a quarter did so while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a new military report.  —  The report, obtained by The Associated Press ahead …

Rush Interviews Karl Rove  —  BEGIN TRANSCRIPT  —  RUSH: I would like to introduce you all to Karl Rove.  Karl, welcome to the EIB Network.  I cannot tell you how great it is finally to have you here with us.  —  KARL ROVE: Well, thanks, Rush.  I'm honored you'd ask me and delighted to be with you.

Obama's Appeal to Well-Educated Not Conducive to Winning Nomination  —  Dukakis only candidate who appealed more to well-educated who has won since 1988  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is a clear second place behind New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in the race …

The Cost of Cooling the Climate  —  A non-alarmist guide for policymakers  —  United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki Moon is convening a high level meeting on global warming at the U.N. headquarters on September 24.  The idea is to jump-start the climate change negotiations for the 13th Conference …

Patriotic parents needed to reignite Ruskie baby boom  —  MOSCOW - This would make a heck of a reality TV show.  —  The baby-poor Russian region of Ulyanovsk wants to its people to procreate, and has come up with a holiday and prizes to encourage them to their duty for Mother Russia.

KILLING FOR CONGRESS  —  TWO days ago, al Qaeda det onated four massive truck bombs in three Iraqi vil lages, killing at least 250 civilians (perhaps as many as 500) and wounding many more.  The bombings were a sign of al Qaeda's frustration, desperation and fear.

The Debates Are Killing Edwards & Obama  —  Conventional wisdom says that, in the presidential-nomination process, debates help everyone but the front-runner in the polls, because they give the pack exposure and face time next to the leader.  But so far in Campaign 2008, the opposite has been true.

Death toll from Iraq bombings likely to be worst of war  —  BAGHDAD — Officials said Wednesday that as many as 500 people probably died in a series of coordinated truck bombings that devastated two northern Iraqi villages Tuesday and set a record for mass carnage in war-torn Iraq.