‘Oddball’ protrait emerges  —  Suspect's family, pals offer clues  —  As authorities searched for clues into what could have sent a University of Alabama neurobiology professor on an alleged killing spree, friends and family yesterday described Braintree native Amy Bishop as an awkward introvert …

Series of missteps by climate scientists threatens climate-change agenda  —  With its 2007 report declaring that the “warming of the climate system is unequivocal,” the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won a Nobel Prize — and a new degree of public trust in the controversial science of global warming.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow sharpens focus on 'don't ask, don't tell'  —  It was a dramatic moment for Lt. Dan Choi — revealing his sexual orientation on national television — but he couldn't resist paying tribute to the host.  —  “I love your show, Rachel,” Choi said.

Some Democrats keep distance from Obama  —  Aligning themselves too closely with the White House could be a strategic mistake ahead of the midterm election, they fear.  It's an approach that has the administration's tacit blessing.  —  Reporting from Washington - As President Obama's approval ratings sag …

Clinton says U.S. fears Iran is becoming a military dictatorship  —  DOHA, QATAR - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that the United States fears Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has gained enough power to potentially supplant the Tehran government.

Fleming Slightly Hurt After Accident in Biden Motorcade  —  In a statement, Jay Carney, a spokesman for the vice president, said that two former athletes “were taken to a local hospital as a precaution.  They were both evaluated and have since been released.”

Goldman Goes Rogue - Special European Audit To Follow  —  At 9:30pm on Sunday, September 21, 2008, Goldman Sachs was saved from imminent collapse by the announcement that the Federal Reserve would allow it to become a bank holding company - implying unfettered access to borrowing from the Fed …

White House revamps communications strategy  —  White House officials are retooling the administration's communications strategy to produce faster responses to political adversaries, a more disciplined focus on President Obama's call for “change” in Washington and an increasingly selective use of the president's time.

Taliban Fighters Said to Flee Under Coalition Pressure  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — A large number of Taliban fighters have fled the city of Marja, their former stronghold in Helmand Province under pressure from United States and Afghan forces and may have crossed the border into Pakistan, the Afghan interior minister said on Monday.

A lethal business model targets Middle America  —  Sugar cane farmers from a tiny Mexican county use savvy marketing and low prices to push black-tar heroin in the United States.  —  First Of Three Parts  —  Immigrants from an obscure corner of Mexico are changing heroin use in many parts of America.

Atlanta Anti-Abortion Billboards Cause Controversy, Say Black Children Are An “Endangered Species”  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  ATLANTA — The message on dozens of billboards across the city is provocative: Black children are an “endangered species.”  —  The eyebrow-raising ads featuring …

Politicians as News Analysts Raise Questions on Their Goal  —  Sarah Palin.  Mike Huckabee.  Newt Gingrich.  —  Today, that is a list of paid Fox News political analysts.  Two years from now, it could be a list of Republican presidential candidates.  —  A former Fox analyst …

U.S. hunts for English-speaking bombers  —  Christmas Day bomb suspect reveals plot  —  U.S. and allied counterterrorism authorities have launched a global manhunt for English-speaking terrorists trained in Yemen who are planning attacks on the United States, based on intelligence provided …

Fred Thompson to release memoir  —  Former GOP Sen. Fred Thompson has written a memoir about his small-town childhood that will be released this May.  —  “Teaching the Pig to Dance” recounts the movie star-turned-politician's 50s-era upbringing in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.

Cheney Struggles To Explain Terror Contradictions; Endorses DADT Repeal  —  Some real news in the Dick Cheney interview on ABC: First, Cheney basically endorsed repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  —  And second, he made fairly large concessions when it comes to his criticism of the current administration …

Our human rights v. The Others  —  Ten American Baptists were arrested two weeks ago in Haiti on charges that they exploited the chaos in that country by attempting to smuggle 33 young Haitian children across the border without permission — either to bring them to a life of Christianity or …