Sanford met in Atlanta after returning from South America  —  Governor says he never hiked Appalachian Trail; says he cruised along the coast of Buenos Aires to unwind after stressful legislative session  —  ATLANTA — Gov. Mark Sanford arrived in the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this morning …

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. contacted Iran's ayatollah before election  —  Administration overture to Khamenei ridiculed in sermon  —  Prior to this month's disputed presidential election in Iran, the Obama administration sent a letter to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei …

Stay Tuned for More of ‘The Obama Show’  —  In his first daytime news conference yesterday, President Obama preempted “All My Children,” “Days of Our Lives” and “The Young and the Restless.”  But the soap viewers shouldn't have been disappointed: The president had arranged some prepackaged entertainment for them.

Washington and the Iran Protests: Would they be Allowed in the US?  —  President Barack Obama had this to say about the Iran crisis on Tuesday: … The thrust of these comments is to deplore the Iranian state's interference in the people's right of peaceable assembly and nonviolent protest …

CRACKDOWN IN BAHARESTAN SQUARE!... 3 People Shot— Police Will Not Allow Protesters to Assist Them ...Update: 1 Woman Dead ...Update: Several Dead  —  CRACKDOWN IN TEHRAN—  A wounded woman is treated at Baharestan Square in Tehran.  (Al-Arabiya)  —  VIDEO—  POLICE BEATING PROTESTERS INCLUDING WOMEN:

Obama Open to Compromise as Senators Balk at Public Health Plan  —  President Barack Obama's push to create a public health-care program to compete with private insurers is meeting so much resistance from Republicans and even some members of his own party that he's signaling a willingness to compromise.

He Thinks You're Stupid  —  In his press conference today, President Obama talked about the cap-and-trade energy tax that the Democrats are trying to ram through Congress.  Obama's nose grew a couple of inches as he uttered this howler: … The idea that the energy tax will come to rest with …

A Republican comeback?  —  For the first time since their 2006 election drubbing, top Republicans see signs — however faint — of a political resurgence over the next year.  —  At first blush, this sounds absurd.  After all, polls show the GOP more unpopular than ever …

Romney's Image Improves; Palin Well Regarded by Republican Base  —  Favorability of Leading Republicans  —  Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has seen his favorability ratings improve and now enjoys a positive balance of opinion among the general public: 40% rate him favorably, 28% unfavorably.

Update |  8:19 a.m. According to an update on Twitter posted one minute ago, apparently by the Iranian blogger Mojtaba Samienejad, there have been clashes in front of Iran's Parliament:  —  Conflict in Baharestan Sq.  They even attack to people walk on sidewalk and use Tears GAS

AmeriCorps feared bad press if IG investigation continued  —  One of the mysteries surrounding President Obama's firing of AmeriCorps inspector general Gerald Walpin is what prompted the White House, supported by the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service …

Iran crisis: live  —  How will Iran react to Barack Obama's condemnation of the brutal suppression of street protests?  And can the opposition movement maintain momentum in the face of the crackdown?  Follow live updates on Iran's disputed elections  —  5.50pm:

Iran arrests foreign nationals in connection with protests  —  TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Iranian authorities said Wednesday they have arrested several foreign nationals, some with British passports, in connection with the country's post-election unrest.  —  Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein …

Documents Back Saudi Link to Extremists  —  WASHINGTON — Documents gathered by lawyers for the families of Sept. 11 victims provide new evidence of extensive financial support for Al Qaeda and other extremist groups by members of the Saudi royal family, but the material may never find …

Most Americans Want Health Reform but Worry About Costs, Quality  —  A majority of Americans see government action as critical to controlling runaway health-care costs, but there is broad public anxiety about the potential impact of reform legislation and conflicting views about the types …

Dean will miss LGBT fundraisr  —  Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean, one of the Democratic Party's most prominent gay rights advocates, is dropping out of tomorrow's embattled LGBT fundraiser with Joe Biden in Washington, D.C.  —  A Dean spokeswoman, Karen Finney, stressed that Dean's move …

Putting New York Back Together  —  NEW YORK STATE government is not working.  This has been true for some time.  But the paralysis and confusion that has overtaken the capital demonstrates the need to confront this dysfunction directly and take decisive steps to solve it once and for all.

When Judicial Activism Suits the Right  —  THIS summer is turning into a seminar on race and the law.  On Monday, the Supreme Court handed down a decision on the Voting Rights Act.  It will soon rule on a high-profile case involving claims of “reverse discrimination.”