Clinton's influence as first lady questioned  —  Clinton appeared to learn more through osmosis than decision-making  —  Hillary Rodham Clinton is greeted by nuns at a New Delhi orphanage run by Mother Teresa in March 1995.  As first lady, Clinton was mostly involved in what diplomats call …

Change our lifestyle to save Santa's home  —  Editor - Santa is deeply concerned with the rapid shrinking of the North Pole.  For generations, he has depended on swift, reliable and environmentally friendly reindeer power.  —  If we do not change our lifestyle soon and seek alternative energy sources …

Top Ten Myths about Iraq 2007  —  10. Myth: The US public no longer sees Iraq as a central issue in the 2008 presidential campaign. … 9. Myth: There have been steps toward religious and political reconciliation in Iraq in 2007.  Fact: The government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki …

Worms infect more poor Americans than thought  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Roundworms may infect close to a quarter of inner city black children, tapeworms are the leading cause of seizures among U.S. Hispanics and other parasitic diseases associated with poor countries are also affecting Americans, a U.S. expert said on Tuesday.

The End of Free Trade  —  Here's today quiz.  What do the following have in common: (a) Vladimir Putin; (b) China's currency, the renminbi; (c) the U.S.-Peru trade agreement; and (d) Hugo Ch¿vez?  Answer: They all reflect the “new mercantilism."  It's an ominous development affecting the world economy.

Can Campaign 2008 Candidates Use Weblogs To Get Votes Or Are Blogs Now Merely Echo Chambers?  —  The 2004 election was a kind of prototype: candidates started realizing the relatively-young Internet's potential for raising campaign funds — and to get votes.

Edwards Gets Demerits for Tardiness on the Trail  —  MANCHESTER, Iowa — It seemed as if everybody in this northeast Iowa town had squeezed into the Cedar Lodge Steakhouse one night this month for a John Edwards event.  —  Everyone, that is, except Mr. Edwards.

Threatening Spain  —  Over at the Across the Bay blog, Tony Bey is following the details of an interesting story picked up by the wire services.  —  A Spanish police memo evidently leaked to the Spanish daily El Mundo says that the head of Syrian military intelligence, Assef Shawkat …

Iran needs no uranium enrichment: Russia's Lavrov  —  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's delivery of nuclear fuel to the Bushehr power station makes it unnecessary for Iran to pursue its enrichment program, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Disappointing Sales During Holiday Season  —  Spending during the Christmas season rose just 3.6 percent over last year, the weakest rate in at least four years, a report by a credit card company said.

Into the Valley of Death  —  A strategic passage wanted by the Taliban and al-Qaeda, Afghanistan's Korengal Valley is among the deadliest pieces of terrain in the world for U.S. forces.  One platoon is considered the tip of the American spear.  Its men spend their days in a surreal combination …

A Quechua Christmas Carol  —  Good and Evil at the Center of the Earth:  —  A Quechua Christmas Carol  —  by Greg Palast  —  December 24th, 2007  —  [Quito] I don't know what the hell seized me.  In the middle of an hour-long interview with the President of Ecuador, I asked him about his father.