By now, you’ve probably heard the news. The influential columnist Robert Novak has died. By now, you know the story most quoted with his passing. The column in which Novak publicly identified the CIA operative Valerie Plame. The column that triggered an investigation into the Plame leak that resulted in …

WASHINGTON – Most government bureaucracies are hobbled by bloat, but in the case of the Department of Defense, the fat and mismanagement have begun to hurt military readiness in the field, according to a government study. On July 7, the Government Accountability Office (search), formerly the General Accounting Office, released …

The latest from the Political Grapevine: Illegal Influence?Three campaign finance reform groups have filed an FEC complaint against theSwift Boat Veterans for Truth (search), accusing the group’s new anti-Kerry ad of illegally influencing U.S. elections. The Center for Responsive Politics, the Campaign legal Center, and Democracy 21 say the ad, …

LOS ANGELES – From World War II to the conflict in Afghanistan, Tinseltown’s brightest stars have traveled overseas to entertain the troops. But things are different for Operation Iraqi Freedom. So far, the only thing the Motion Picture Association of America has offered to do for the military is send …

LONDON – The former school principal of the man who became “Jihadi John” says he was a relatively hardworking student who showed no signs of radicalization. Jo Shuter, former head teacher at Quintin Kynaston school in London, told BBC Radio on Monday that Mohammed Emwazi was a “hardworking and aspirational …

BOGOTA, Colombia – A new report by Human Rights Watch says gangs still operate freely in the crime-plagued port city of Buenaventura, with criminals carrying out murders and dismembering victims at an alarming rate a year after Colombia created a special task force to curb violence there. President Juan Manuel …

ISLAMABAD – A massive blackout has struck Pakistan overnight, leaving many without electricity as officials rush to restore power. The outages began early Sunday morning. Authorities gave no estimate for how many people the blackout affected, though electricity went out in nearly every major city in this country of 180 …

PRAGUE – Hundreds of miners are rallying in Prague to pressure the government to allow the expansion of brown coal mining in northern Czech Republic. Facing the environmental damage, a legacy from the communist era, the government set limits for the mines in 1991. The limits were also meant to …

Whitney’s Hosts Have Rules | Tom Brokaw Baits Famed Basketball Coach | Elton John Opens for the Godfather of Soul Whitney’s Hosts Have Rules Here are some of the rules that the Black Hebrews of Dimona, Israel, live by, according to their Web site. We can all decide if Whitney …

BANGKOK – Thailand’s constitution drafters have submitted the draft of a new national charter to an advisory council for review, nearly a year after the military took power from an elected government. The military abolished an earlier constitution after the May 22 coup, and the government operates under a temporary …