Delay Decision on Major Cuts, Petraeus Says  —  The top American commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, has recommended that decisions on the contentious issue of reducing the main body of the American troops in Iraq be put off for six months, American officials said Sunday.

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Democrats Talk Iraq in Univision Debate  —  CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton insisted Sunday night it's time to start pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq as she and her Democratic presidential rivals debated the war on the eve of a much-awaited assessment by U.S. commanding Gen. David Petraeus.

Study finds left-wing brain, right-wing brain  —  Even in humdrum nonpolitical decisions, liberals and conservatives literally think differently, researchers show.  —  Exploring the neurobiology of politics, scientists have found that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work.

Most Are Skeptical of Petraeus Report  —  ABC News/Washington Post Poll: Few Think Bush Will Change Course on Iraq War  —  A skeptical public expects little of this week's developments on Iraq: More than half of Americans think the Petraeus report will try to sugar-coat the real situation there …

Prisons Purging Books on Faith From Libraries  —  Behind the walls of federal prisons nationwide, chaplains have been quietly carrying out a systematic purge of religious books and materials that were once available to prisoners in chapel libraries.  —  The chaplains were directed by the Bureau …

McCain Finds His Footing  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — Two hours before Fred Thompson formally entered the race for the Republican presidential nomination, his old friend John McCain turned in the kind of performance that once would have kept Thompson from running.

For China's Censors, Electronic Offenders Are the New Frontier  —  DANZHOU, China — Li Hua was outraged.  The public high school where he had been teaching civics for six years was about to be swallowed up by a fancy private institution.  The merger had been ordered by local officials …

Anti-war leaders stymied, frustrated  —  A well-known anti-war leader has gone public with the transcript of a private conference call that shows peace activists are exasperated with the Democratic congressional leadership and at a loss for a long-term strategy.

Iraqi in Iraq  —  Sitting to a dinner of kabab, hot khubz (Iraqi flat bread) and other niceties, the conversation was flowing.  Our rotating reporter, Chris (a very nice chap of only 23) was showing us the lovely old Iraqi silver pendent and bracelet he had bought his mum from a shop in the al-Rasheed Hotel …

THE ISLAMISTS DAY PARADE  —  So I headed downtown on the #6 and who should jump on my train with a ton of signage?  Joe Kaufman.  How cool is that?  Got to the staging area and the Islamazis were already set up across the street from us.  If there is one thing that is obvious …

War in Iraq: Wisdom of Crowds  —  As we approach the September reports on Iraq, the public debate over our military presence there has once again intensified.  Both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are ratcheting up the rhetoric about the best course of action, with the president using a pit stop …