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INSURGENCYHow Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything They Ever WantedBy Jeremy W. Peters When Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on the morning of June [...]

The article profiles U.S. computer technology firm Microsoft president Brad Smith, particularly his efforts to improve customer relations and public trust regarding cyber security, violent, bullying, or offensive online content, and internet privacy.

REAGAN RISING The Decisive Years, 1976-1980 By Craig Shirley 409 pp. Broadside Books/HarperCollins Publishers. $29.99. Forty years ago, the Republican Party was at a nadir. Gerald Ford had lost the [...]

Jane Huang was the 'homemaker' who ranked #262 on last year's Mother Jones 400. Although few suspected that her husband John's fundraising for the Democratic National Committee would become part [...]

The author offers insights on the decision of U.S. President Joe Biden's administration to cancel federal student loan debts in the country. Topics discussed include the brokenness of college education finance in the country as discussed by Biden, the 10,000 and 20,000 U.S. dollars worth of relief provided to individual borrowers, the effect of this policy on voter support to Democrats, and the ineffectiveness of the policy in fixing the crisis of college affordability in the country.

It was California Gov. Pete Wilson's moment in the national klieg light and the high point of his failed 1996 presidential campaign: July 20, 1995, the day last summer when [...]

The article explores The lesson is that people want to be able How might the power of regret be applied As I read your book, I kept thinking about to do something interesting and big and to social policy-like, say, the criminal Frank Sinatra's "My Way": "Regrets, I've had psychologically ricli. That's who we are. All justice system? Cansocietydo more a few, but then again, too few to mention."

The author discusses the steps President-elect Joseph Biden should take to restore faith in and functionality of government employees. He mentions the need to restore faith in government scientists and scientific information, how career staff rather that political appointees can benefit the government, and the importance of modernization and reform.

The article focuses on U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice has a job-approval rating 20 points higher than her boss, U.S. President George W. Bush, and may be the only person in the Administration who can reasonably expect to have a political future beyond the end of the current administration in 2008. The article discusses many instances in which Rice urged Bush to pursue measures, such as the creation of the Iraq Study Group, only to see him disregard their recommendations. Comments regarding Rice's political determination are presented. INSET: "THIS CAN BE DONE THROUGH DIPLOMACY".

The article focuses on Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, and the challenge of instability that his country faces. The nation suffers from the continuing Taliban insurgency, opium harvesting and trafficking, shortages in electricity, water and jobs, and corruption in the ranks of the government. Afghanistan has seen some improvements in human rights and development since Karzai's election. The President's position is tenuous, but vital for the fledgling democracy.

The article discusses the change in U.S. President George W. Bush's stance on diplomacy. Bush is no longer the tough talker, now suggesting that the U.S. work closely with other countries to resolve issues diplomatically. Several reasons are discussed for why Bush's stance may have changed. Iran and North Korea both continue to work towards obtaining weapons of mass destruction which is the opposite of what the president wanted in response to the current war. The author states that if Bush wants to improve his legacy, he needs to attain major changes that do not involve Iraq.

This article focuses on the search in the Gaza Strip for Isreali solider, Corporal Gilad Shalit, abducted by Palestinian militants. The subsequent Isreali raid against Hamas is also seen as a message to the Palestinian leadership and an attempt to smash Hamas. The Isreali strategy may shatter hopes for the Middle East peace process.

The article addresses the alleged massacre committed by U.S. Marines in the town of Haditha, Iraq. On November 19, 2005 24 mostly unarmed Iraqi civilians were killed. The incident, and its alleged cover-up, are being investigated by the military. Many feel that what happened in Haditha is a reason for the U.S. to pull troops out of Iraq; others feel that it demonstrates a reason to stay.

The article explains why the controversy over the Muhammad cartoons erupted months after the caricatures appeared, and discusses how the crisis could have been averted. Caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, first published by a Danish newspaper, have provoked Muslims across the Islamic world to protest. Given the violence of the protests, some in the U.S. and Europe have lashed back. Broader issues raised by the furor will remain. To some, the dispute is a bellwether of a growing divide between Islam and Western societies, revealing cultural ignorance on both sides. INSET: Anatomy of an Uproar.

The article looks at how the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush is planning on recovering from the recent political turmoil caused by the indictment of Vice President chief of staff I. Lewis Libby, the indictment of Republican House majority leader Tom Delay, the failed Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers and ongoing criticisms related to the war in Iraq. The article suggests that the recent problems have awakened the administration from its sense of infallibility. According to the author, the Bush administration will implement a "back-to-basics" strategy that will focus on traditional Republican issues.

Profiles U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Her efforts promoting U.S. foreign policy worldwide; Comments of Rice; How her enthusiasm for travel has transformed her image; Influence of Rice on the President George W. Bush administration; Approach to dealing with the war in Iraq; Questions over Iraq's political policy; Issue of how long the administration plans to keep U.S. troops in Iraq; Career background, including her tenure as National Security Adviser; Achievements; Relationship with Bush; Question of whether Rice's commitment to the Bush doctrine of bringing democracy to societies that have never known it is impairing her judgment; Qualities; Outlook for Iraq.

Focuses on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to give up the Gaza Strip settlements in the peace process with Palestine. Reference to Sharon's campaign against Palestinian terrorism; Decision of Sharon to evacuate all Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank; Momentum of the peace process following the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat; Lack of public support for Sharon's plan to evacuate the settlements; Relations between Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Discusses the role of insurgent Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi in organizing the rebel forces in Iraq to fight against U.S. troops and their Iraqi allies. How al-Zarqawi has successfully organized daily bombings, kidnappings, mass executions, and televised beheadings in Fallujah and other Iraqi cities; Consideration of how religious extremists and national resistance were two major factors in the growth of the insurgency in Iraq; Contempt expressed by al-Zarqawi for the Shi'ites and those who sympathize with the U.S. and the new Iraqi authorities; Assassination of Ayatullah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, a prominent Shi'ite leader, in an August 2003 bombing in Najaf; How al-Zarqawi has pledged his allegiance to terrorist Osama bin Ladin in various Web announcements.

The article discusses which 2004 presidential candidate, U.S. President George W. Bush or John Kerry, will make America safer. To appreciate how Bush and Kerry each look at the world, it helps to start with Sept. 11, 2001. It says something about the similarities between Bush and Kerry that both seemed to recognize--far sooner than most--that the 9/11 attacks had thrust the U.S. into a struggle of historic magnitude. But as this presidential campaign careers toward a photo finish, the result has come to hinge on the ways the two men have diverged since that fateful day. For Bush, the attacks were the catalyst for war not just against Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network but also against any state that harbored, sponsored or supported terrorists. Kerry has since galvanized his candidacy by condemning the war as a mistake and blasting Bush for "taking his eye off the terrorists." Bush sees Iraq as central to the campaign against al-Qaeda; Kerry calls Iraq a diversion from it. Kerry stresses the need to work within alliances; Bush has shown a propensity to act alone. The President speaks openly of using force to promote democracy in the Muslim world; Kerry's belief in power is tempered by a recognition of its limits. Kerry is cautious; Bush courts risk. But despite the obvious contrasts in style and temperament, it's less clear that the two men would pursue dramatically divergent foreign policies.

Discusses five goals that should be met before the U.S. leaves Iraq. Overview of recent political violence in Iraq, including kidnappings and decapitations of foreigners; Doubts about the future of the American effort in Iraq; Views of President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry; Importance of launching offensives against the insurgency, training Iraqi forces and improving intelligence; Reconstruction efforts; Goal of holding real elections; Outlook for Iraq, if all the suggested goals are achieved.

Discusses the dramatic reforms proposed by "The 9/11 Commission Report" to help thwart another terrorist attack in the United States. Questions as to whether the proposals make sense and will ever be implemented; Reaction from the White House to the report; Pressure to take action from the ten commissioners on the committee, who plan to flood congressional hearings and stump for their reforms in the heartland; Plans to release at least four additional staff-written reports on such topics as aviation, border security, and terrorist financing; Call for a single National Intelligence Director; Need for better intelligence; Suggestion that the U.S. reach out to the Islamic world through diplomacy and educational and cultural exchanges.

Discusses the United States investigation of Ahmad Chalabi. Raid of Chalabi's home in west Baghdad; U.S.'s abandonment of Chalabi who little more than a year ago was flown into Iraq escorted by U.S. forces; FBI criminal probe into whether Chalabi and senior aides passed high-level secret intelligence to Iran; Risks associated with going after Chalabi for the U.S..

Discusses the events and experiences of journalists embedded with a platoon in the United States 1st Armored Division in Iraq. Details of the platoon, with the background of each soldier; Responsibilities and tasks of the platoon; Experiences that the journalists were a part of including an act of insurgency against the platoon which resulted in the injury of one of the reporters and several soldiers; Explanation of the nick name Tomb Raiders that has been given to the platoon; History of the platoon in the war so far in Iraq; Events surrounding the death of a platoon member, Benjamin Colgan.

Reports on the training of the Iraqi Civilian Defense Corps. Recent problems that have been encountered while training Iraqis; Details of the training; Reasons for the training of Iraqis, such as the increasing American casualties; Efforts to fight the growing insurgency inside of Iraq; Possibility of foreign fighters inside of Iraq.

The author reports on how U.S. troops are coping with the continuing violence in Iraq. President Bush says the media are overplaying the violence in Iraq. Yet the past two weeks' casualties would make anyone take notice. While American casualties fluctuate month to month, they're spiking again. Bush is right, of course, to say the killings aren't the only news from Iraq. The U.S. has been making headway in restoring the country to normality. The fact is, the realities coexist: this is a country working to move on amid a shooting war that will not end. Some days it feels as if Iraqis opposing the U.S. presence are throwing everything they can at the young soldiers and the locals helping them rebuild the country. Despite the best efforts of field commanders, the U.S.-led coalition is still struggling to contain the threat. And the latest spasm of attacks has only deepened unease that the chaos of the early postwar days may be evolving into a more deliberate resistance, as scattershot hostility hardens into something more organized and sophisticated. Some people contend that the 338 American soldiers who have died in Iraq since the war began amount to a hearteningly low toll out of the 130,000-strong U.S. force. But others, including many of the troops, are dismayed that 199 of those deaths have come since Bush's May 1 declaration that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended." U.S. officials in Iraq say their troops are coming under attack an average of 20 times a day. The danger zones are also expanding. Whatever their exact affiliation and degree of organization, all the militants are pursuing the same objective: to force the U.S. out of Iraq. An unscientific but arresting survey last week in Stars and Stripes, reported that half the troops serving in Iraq believe their unit's morale is low.

Reports on Palestinian and Israeli relations and the war on terrorism in Israel. Efforts of Israel to prevent terrorism and suicide bombings by Hamas; Decision of the Israeli Cabinet to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat; The expanded offensive by Israel against Hamas that includes assassinations; Increase in the number of attacks inside Israel; Details of Israeli operations in the Nablus region.

Reports on the efforts of the U.S. military to capture former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein as of August 2003. Questioning the location of Hussein; Deaths of Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay; How forces are concentrating on Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

Discusses the role of Paul Bremer as the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. How the U.S. soldiers are struggling to police the streets of Iraq; Consideration of the militants who have killed more than 30 U.S. and British soldiers since the end of formal fighting; Views from Iraqi civilians with regard to the attempts of the U.S. to reorganize the political infrastructure; Aims of Operation Sidewinder, an attempt from U.S. soldiers to discover and apprehend enemy fighters from groups such as the Baath Party, the Republican Guard, and the Fedayeen Saddam; Decision to pay former Iraqi soldiers to perform cleanup and security tasks.

From the rooftop balcony of the two-story house in northern Tikrit where he sought refuge early last week, Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti, the fourth-most-wanted man in Iraq, had a panorama on a life come undone. To the south he could make out the sprawling family farmlands where he used to spend weekends with his boss and cousin, Saddam Hussein. A few miles up the road stood the ex-regime's garish presidential palaces, occupied by soldiers of the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division. And to the north Mahmud could survey the open desert plains just beyond the city and ponder how to make a great escape. But he never got the chance. Three U.S. attack helicopters swooped toward the house, where Mahmud had been staying for two days. According to residents of the house, the soldiers quickly moved into the living room and forced six men who were sleeping there to the ground, tying their hands behind their backs and covering their heads with nylon bags. "Where's Saddam?" several soldiers yelled, apparently optimistic about whom they might find as they raced upstairs, tossing 15 stun grenades ahead of them. Perhaps sensing that capture was inevitable, Mahmud came in from the balcony. After an Iraqi interpreter for the soldiers recognized Mahmud's countenance--now gaunt and covered by a white beard--as that of the ace of diamonds in the Pentagon's deck of the 55 most-wanted Iraqis, a soldier seized Mahmud and led him out of the house. After Mahmud's arrest, say U.S. officials, he was taken to a site near Baghdad International Airport, where military and intelligence investigators began pumping him for information on the whereabouts of Saddam, his two sons Uday and Qusay, and the 23 other top henchmen still at large. As Saddam's closest adviser and consigliere, Mahmud is one of the likeliest figures to have remained in contact with Saddam after he disappeared. Even if Mahmud's interrogation sheds no light on Saddam's whereabouts, it might be useful to the U.S. in other ways.

Discusses the state of postwar Iraq. Death of U.S. soldiers despite the end of the war; U.S. President George W. Bush's administration's lack of preparedness; Comments from Paul Bremer, the de facto American Governor of Iraq; Role of Bremer's predecessor, Jay Garner; Attacks on U.S. forces; Possibility that Iraqis are still loyal to Saddam Hussein, or resent the American troops; Comments from Sheik Barakat Alefan, chief of the al-Boesa tribe; Misunderstandings between American soldiers and Iraqis; Criticism of the U.S Department of Defense and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Focuses on the message U.S. President George W. Bush is trying to convey with respect to the war in Iraq while the American public and press question the progress made and military preparedness. Discussion of the administration's new message about resolve; View of the progress made by coalition forces as being stalled by guerrilla attacks and sand storms; Discussion of the expectations of the administration when entering the war; Recount of press conference.

Describes the allied bombing attack on Iraq which destroyed military and government installations in Baghdad. How the original plan was pre-empted due to an intelligence report that pinpointed the location of a bunker used by Saddam Hussein; Details of how ground troops invaded southern Iraq; Outlook for resistance from Saddam's Republican Guard units; Discussion of the decision of United States President George W. Bush to target Saddam directly; Impact of aerial bombardment and propaganda. INSETS: THE TOP GUNS OF A DYING REGIME;BOMBING IRAQ;HIGH-TECH BRUTE FORCE.

Focuses on the potential for a United States-Great Britain invasion of Iraq if the government of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein does not meet the requirements of a United Nations resolution with respect to disarmament. Discussion of an amendment to the U.S.-British resolution which will set a deadline for Hussein to comply with disarmament resolution; Details of briefing given to the U.N. Security Council by Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei regarding Iraq's 'proactive' steps to cooperate with weapons inspectors.

Focuses on a fire in a West Warwick, Rhode Island nightclub that left close to 100 people dead. How use of pyrotechnics by the band Great White set the club on fire; Details of the rush by patrons to escape; Recovery of the dead and injured; Questions about the enforcement of safety regulations at U.S. nightclubs; Background on the club and its owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian; Difficulties assigning ultimate responsibility for the fire; Scope and intensity of the disaster. INSETS: AMONG THE RUINS;THE DEADLIEST CLUB FIRE.

Discusses precautions and preparations to take in the event of a terrorist attack on the United States. Dirty bombs, Chemical, and biological attacks which are expected to occur; Locations which may be unsafe; Precautions which should be taken; Water and food supplies that should be stored; Subway systems which are vulnerable. INSETS: WHAT TO LOOK FOR--AND WHAT TO DO;…AND ARE WE REALLY ANY SAFER THAN BEFORE?;Tale of the Tape;How to Talk to Your Kids

Discusses the possibility of a war between the United States and Iraq. How U.S. strategists have decided to move 100,000 soldiers into the Persian Gulf region; Consideration of the nuclear arms crisis in North Korea; Role of the United Nations weapons inspections team in Iraq; Requirement of Security Council Resolution 1441 that Iraq allow the questioning of Iraqi weapons workers.

Discusses relations between the United States and North Korea in light of a possible confrontation about a nuclear weapons program that Korean dictator Kim Jong Il might restart. Details of the military capability of North Korea; Efforts of U.S. President George W. Bush to employ diplomacy and prevent panic; Distinction between the defiance of North Korea and Iraq over United Nations weapons inspections and disarmament; Speculation on whether North Koreans have the skill to make nuclear devices small enough to load onto missiles; Pros and cons of a U.S.-led embargo and hard-line containment policy. INSETS: MEASURING THE THREAT;COUNTDOWN TO CRISIS;WHO'S WHO IN THE NUCLEAR-SUSPECT CLUB.

Reports on the plight of weapons inspectors from the United Nations (U.N.) to detect the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Consideration of how dictator Saddam Hussein has tried to deny the possession of weapons; Use of advanced equipment and better intelligence by the U.N; Role of Hans Blix, the chief weapons inspector; Status of potential weapons-production and storage sites inside Iraq; Use of a machine that can identify hardened metals used to make nuclear weapons. INSETS: WHERE INSPECTORS WILL LOOK …;… AND SOME OF THE INSPECTORS' GADGETS.

Focuses on the Republican administration of U.S. President George W. Bush after their victory over the Democratic Party in the 2002 mid-term elections. Political structure of the House and Senate in Congress; Outlook for foreign relations, armed services, appropriations, health, education, labor and pensions, judiciary, and finance committees in the Senate; Mention of Richard Lugar, John Warner, Ted Stevens, Orrin Hatch, Charles Grassley, and Judd Gregg. INSET: Let's Try Things Our Way.

Discusses the role of Russian President Vladimir Putin with regards to the crisis in a Moscow theater where Chechen rebels held Russian civilians hostage. Significance of the statements issued by Putin about the crisis; Controversy about the decision to use gas to stop the rebels; Criticism of the ways that the Russian government dealt with the problem; Use of nationalism to build support for an offensive in Chechnya.

Discusses Senate election campaigns in the U.S. during 2002. Race between Republican candidate John Thune and Tim Johnson in South Dakota; Attacks by Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman against incumbent Paul Wellstone; Campaign issues, including U.S. relations with Iraq; Comparison of Senate and House of Representative races; Importance of the elections for the Democratic one-vote majority of the Senate; Withdrawal of Democratic Senator Robert Torricelli from the election in New Jersey; Seats that are in question.

Evaluates the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Belief that the combat phase of the war is over; Remarkable aspects of the defeat of the Taliban, including the speed, precision and few U.S. casualties of the war; Number of U.S. and British troops; Continued search for Osama bin Laden; Difficulties for the stabilization of Afghanistan; Flaws in the U.S. strategy; Damage to the al-Qaeda infrastructure; Casualties of Afghan civilians; Peacekeeping efforts.

Focuses on the agreement of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to submit to arms inspections and the question of whether the United States will lead an attack against Iraq. Response of Saddam to the demand by the U.S. that he accept unfettered inspections anytime and anywhere; Debate about the effectiveness of inspections; Efforts of the U.S. to gain support from the United Nations.; Details of the task of the inspectors to probe sites for chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and missiles.

Reports on the capture and interrogation of al-Qaeda terrorist Omar al-Faruq in Cijeruk, Indonesia. Information about large-scale attacks against U.S. interests in Southeast Asia; Plans to conduct bomb attacks on U.S. embassies; Efforts of counterterrorism officials; Role of militant Islamic groups; Discovery of terrorist training exercises on the island of Borneo; Statement by his wife, Mira.

Focuses on the United States relations with Saudi Arabia and the question of whether the U.S. will continue to rely on the Saudis for oil. Impact of anti-Americanism and sympathy for Osama bin Laden's cause that is prevalent in Saudi Arabia; Reluctance of Saudi Arabia to participate in a U.S. operation against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein; Role of Wahhabism in breeding religious zealotry in Saudi Arabia.

Discusses the efforts of U.S. President George W. Bush to reform homeland security in light of the war on terrorism. Design of the security plan approved by Bush by White House chief of staff Andrew Card, budget director Mitchell Daniels and Homeland Security director Tom Ridge; Details of the five management techniques at the heart of Bush's security overhaul, including delegating responsibility and fighting the bureaucracy; Outlook.