Democrats Refocus Message on Iraq After Military Gains  —  Democratic leaders in Congress had planned to use August recess to raise the heat on Republicans to break with President Bush on the Iraq war.  Instead, Democrats have been forced to recalibrate their own message in the face …

Sub-Standard  —  IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE that, not so long ago, neoconservative foreign policy thinking overflowed with ideas and idealism.  The descent has been steep, and nowhere is it more apparent than in the pages of The Weekly Standard—particularly in William Kristol's editorials …

Most US adults in the dark about world politics  —  Two-thirds of US adults admit to being in the dark about political issues outside the United States, and only a third are well-versed in US politics, the results of a poll published Tuesday showed.  —  Candidates in the US presidential primaries …

14 U.S. troops die in Iraq copter crash  —  BAGHDAD - A Black Hawk helicopter went down Wednesday in northern Iraq, killing all 14 U.S. soldiers aboard, the military said, the deadliest crash since January 2005.  —  Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, meanwhile, lashed out at American criticism …

Field Poll shows Californians lean toward dividing electoral votes  —  (08-21) 04:00 PDT Sacramento —  California voters are inclined to support a proposed ballot initiative that would change how the Golden State allocates its electoral votes in presidential campaigns …

France shifts its stance on the conflict in Iraq  —  PARIS: After years of shunning involvement in a war it said was wrong, France now believes it may hold the key to peace in Iraq, proposing itself as an "honest broker" between the Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions.

Bruno: Stone Has Resigned  —  That was fast.  In a just-released statement, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno called the Roger Stone phone call flap "a distraction from the real issues - the abuse of government power, political espionage and a cover-up of information," …

White House Manual Details How to Deal With Protesters  —  Not that they're worried or anything.  But the White House evidently leaves little to chance when it comes to protests within eyesight of the president.  As in, it doesn't want any.  —  A White House manual that came …

Romney's rhetoric glosses Mass. years  —  Skips some facts on healthcare law  —  Kenny Guinn (right), former governor of Nevada, joked with Mitt Romney yesterday in Las Vegas, where the Republican contender is campaigning for president.  (Isaac Brekken/associated press)

One in four read no books last year  —  WASHINGTON - There it sits on your night stand, that book you've meant to read for who knows how long but haven't yet cracked open.  Tonight, as you feel its stare from beneath that teetering pile of magazines, know one thing — you are not alone.

Ferry security, the FBI and a tough call  —  The FBI produces a picture of two men who indeed look like they could be Middle Eastern.  Or Latino.  Or Italian.  Or any of several other nationalities/ethnicities.  The FBI says the men have been seen on several ferries and seemed …

TERRORIST VIDEO THREATENS DAVID BECKHAM AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE  —  Becks and JT are targets of fanatics  —  David Beckham and Justin Timberlake are the targets of an alleged Al-Qaeda murder plot.  —  A chilling internet video, which has been posted on YouTube, brands Becks, 32, and JT, 26, as criminal influences on young Muslims.

Now dirty chopsticks picked up in China scare  —  BEIJING (Reuters) - A Beijing factory recycled used chopsticks and sold up to 100,000 pairs a day without any form of disinfection, a newspaper said on Wednesday, the latest is a string of food and product safety scares.