McChrystal: More Forces or ‘Mission Failure’  —  Top U.S. Commander For Afghan War Calls Next 12 Months Decisive  —  The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warns in an urgent, confidential assessment of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them …

Pregame Report: The NEA Conference Call  —  On August 25th 2009, Big Hollywood's Patrick Courrielche broke the story of a conference call he attended with other “rising artist and art community luminaries”: … The email invite came directly from Yosi Sergant, then-Director of Communications …

Obama open to newspaper bailout bill  —  The president said he is “happy to look at” bills before Congress that would give struggling news organizations tax breaks if they were to restructure as nonprofit businesses.  —  “I haven't seen detailed proposals yet, but I'll be happy to look at them …

Did Barack Obama Read the Baucus Bill?  —  Yesterday I took some friendly fire from readers for my dubious response to President Obama's claims to George Stephanopoulos that charging people money if they don't have health insurance was not a tax increase.  George broke out the dictionary definition of …

Obama, in Media Blitz, Snubs ‘Whining’ Fox  —  President to Hit All Sunday News Talk Shows, Except Network That Skipped His Speech  —  As President Barack Obama goes on an unprecedented presidential blitz of media appearances, the White House is in a war of words with the network that did not get an interview: Fox.

Reform or Bust  —  In the grim period that followed Lehman's failure, it seemed inconceivable that bankers would, just a few months later, be going right back to the practices that brought the world's financial system to the edge of collapse.  At the very least, one might have thought …

Sand artist Kseniya Simonova winner of Ukraine's Got Talent becomes internet hit  —  Sand artist, Kseniya Simonova, who moved audiences to tears as she won Ukraine's Got Talent, has become an online sensation with more than two million hits.  —  Miss Simonova, 24, drew a series of pictures …

Obama set to slash nuclear arsenal  —  Pentagon told to map out radical cuts as president prepares to chair UN talks  —  Barack Obama has demanded the Pentagon conduct a radical review of US nuclear weapons doctrine to prepare the way for deep cuts in the country's arsenal, the Guardian can reveal.

9/21: Bloomberg Leads Thompson 50% to 39%  —  The candidates are now in place for November's race for mayor in New York City, and early numbers show the incumbent, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with 50% of registered voters compared with 39% for his Democratic challenger, New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson.

Doubts Fade and Couric Is Energized  —  For much of 2008, the TV cognoscenti assumed that Katie Couric would be anywhere but in the “CBS Evening News” anchor chair by now.  —  But despite some of the lowest ratings in the newscast's history, she says she will remain there until her contract expires in 2011.

Obama on ACORN: 'Not Something I've Followed Closely' Won't Commit to Cut Federal Funds  —  It was one of the most popular topics among the questions you submitted to me for my interview with President Obama - the controversy involving ACORN.  —  While the President said that ACORN …