Richard Holbrooke dies: Veteran U.S. diplomat brokered Dayton peace accords  —  Longtime U.S. diplomat Richard C. Holbrooke, whose relentless prodding and deft maneuvering yielded the 1995 Dayton peace accords that ended the war in Bosnia - a success he hoped to repeat as President Obama's chief envoy …

Julian Assange granted bail: live updates  —  • Assange granted bail to cheers from supporters  —  • Assange criticises Visa, MasterCard and Paypal from cell  —  • Police worked case against Madeleine McCann's parents  —  • Full coverage of the WikiLeaks cables

Health reform will survive its legal fight  —  In March, New Hampshire preschool teacher Gail O'Brien, who was unable to obtain health insurance through her employer, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma.  Her subsequent applications for health insurance were rejected because of her condition.

As Electoral Ground Shifts, Bloomberg Could Skip the Party  —  On Sunday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg flatly ruled out an independent run for president in 2012.  On Monday, he appeared at the national unveiling in New York of No Labels, a group that aspires to build a grass-roots movement …

No Labels and Other Ripped Off Designs  —  Brooklyn-based artist Thomas Porostocky's friends and fans have been tipping off NY media that his art has been used without permission by the bi-partisan political group No Labels.  —  Porostocky designed star-spangled giraffes …

The Note: Michael Steele's In, But Can He Win?  —  Even as they stood by over the last month and watched five other candidates jump in the race for chairman of the Republican National Committee, the staunchest backers of current chair, Michael Steele, insisted that reports of his political demise were greatly exaggerated.

Atheist Ads on Buses Rattle Fort Worth  —  FORT WORTH — Stand on a corner in this city and you might get a case of theological whiplash.  —  A public bus rolls by with an atheist message on its side: “Millions of people are good without God.”  Seconds later, a van follows bearing a riposte: “I still love you.

Huge Senate majority votes to advance $858B tax package  —  President Obama's $858 billion tax package won a huge bipartisan majority in the Senate Monday evening, setting it up for a contentious debate in the House.  —  In a 83-15 vote, the Senate quashed a filibuster by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Va.).

Hoyer expected to file 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal bill Tuesday  —  House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) are expected to introduce standalone “don't ask, don't tell” repeal legislation on Tuesday, three sources actively involved in repeal discussions told POLITICO Monday.

Linda McMahon Plans Meeting With NRSC  —  In case there was any doubt, Linda McMahon's political career may not be over.  —  The former wrestling executive turned Connecticut GOP Senate candidate has scheduled a personal meeting with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) on Capitol Hill.

The Nixon tapes remind us what a vile creature Henry Kissinger is.  —  Over the last few weeks, this modest little column of mine has been acquiring an almost eerie prescience and potency.  I called for the death sentence on Tariq Aziz to be commuted, and it was only a matter of days …

Governor Mark Sanford talks about future  —  Governor Mark Sanford will be out of job next month.  He's served as South Carolina's head of state since 2003.  —  NewsChannel 15's Tim McGinnis interviewed Sanford on Monday.  Sanford spoke about his tenure, including the effect the admission …