AOL News

Ali Al-Saadi, AFP / Getty Images

Is This the Real Reason US
Troops Can Leave Iraq?

Paul Kix | AOL News

Forget the surge. Two academics argue that the country got more stable when the rising dinar gave Iraqis more spending power.
Plus: 'Iraq Today Is Sovereign,' PM Says | Iraq Worth It? Six Views

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The Families Who Could Decide New Orleans' Fate

Laura Parker | AOL News

The Big Easy's future may ultimately rest in the hands of residents who think the beleaguered city is still worth rebuilding.
Plus: Anniversary Hits Hard in New Orleans
Also: More Coverage on Life After the Storm

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Esteemed Makeover: Oval Office Edition

By Deborah Hastings | AOL News

TV viewers will see a newly redecorated Oval Office when Obama makes his big speech on ending the U.S. combat mission in Iraq.
Plus: Wish List for His Speech Tonight

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AP / Getty Images

Ahead of Peace Talks, Envoys Offer Differing Views

By Andrea Stone | AOL News

As the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian authority head to Washington, their envoys reveal differing expectations.
Plus: Palestinian Gunman Kills 4 Israelis

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Johnny Jno-Baptiste, AP

Hurricane Earl Appears Headed Toward US Coast

By Mara Gay | AOL News

A direct hit isn't expected, but the storm could produce enough soggy, windy weather to spoil Labor Day weekend in the East.
Also See: Shades of Historic Gloria?

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Alleged Drug Kingpin 'La Barbie' Arrested in Mexico

By Theunis Bates | AOL News

Edgar Valdez Villarreal's capture is seen as a boost for President Felipe Calderon's much-maligned war on drugs.
Plus: Top 10 Mexican Drug Lord Nicknames

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YouTube.com

Campaign Ad Wars: The Cliches of 2010

By Walter Shapiro | Politics Daily

In this year's TV onslaught, the GOP forgets the cause of the economic crisis and the Dems pretend they haven't been in charge.

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Schalk van Zuydam, AP

Drunk as a Skunk? 5 Most Famous Soused Animals

By Anna Rothschild | AOL News Surge Desk

The Hall of Shame for inebriated animals includes a beer-guzzling bear in Washington and six drunken elephants in India.

Full Story »

Identity thieves have become savvier than ever. The Internet has created a digital society where a new breed of criminals prowl to collect sensitive information either from a third party or straight from the victims themselves.

The Spectrum

Opinion: The Unbearable Meaninglessness of College Rankings
(Aug. 31) -- Each year the splash it makes gets smaller, as more students, parents and even college administrators realize the truth about the U.S....
Rescuers Begin Drilling to Free Chilean Miners
(Aug. 31) -- Engineers in Chile have begun work on a rescue shaft to free 33 men stuck in a mine thousands of feet beneath the Atacama Desert.
Hurricane Earl: Shades of Historic Gloria?
(Aug. 31) -- As the powerful and dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Earl moves northward through the western Atlantic during the remainder of the week,...
Children's Concussion Crisis? Study Finds Dramatic Rise in ER Visits
(Aug. 31) -- A dramatic increase in children admitted to ERs with concussive injuries, caused by both team and solitary sports, offers a stark...
Israel: 4 Killed by Palestinian Gunman in West Bank
(Aug. 31) -- A Palestinian gunman opened fire on an Israeli vehicle traveling in the West Bank on Tuesday, killing four passengers, authorities said,...
Esteemed Makeover: Oval Office Edition
(Aug. 31) -- Television viewers will see a newly redecorated Oval Office tonight when President Barack Obama addresses the nation to announce the end...
Giuliani's Daughter Gets 1 Day of Community Service
(Aug. 31) -- The daughter of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani agreed in court today to one day of community service in return for having her...
Hurricane Earl Appears Headed Toward US Coast
(Aug. 31) -- Hurricane Earl is hurtling toward the the U.S. coastline today, gaining strength in the open ocean after plowing through islands in the...
Opinion: Back-to-School Scare Stories
(Aug. 31) -- Its that important time of year again. Summers winding down, and back-to-school specials are ramping up. So, too, are dire warnings...
Ahead of Peace Talks, Envoys Offer Differing Views
(Aug. 31) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are on their way to Washington for the first Middle...
8 Reported Dead in Cancun Bar Firebombing
(Aug. 31) -- A group of men firebombed a bar in the Mexican resort city of Cancun early today, killing at least eight people, according to media...
Internet Vows to Bring 'Puppy River-Throw' Woman to Justice
(Aug. 31) -- A viral video apparently captures a woman in repeated acts of animal cruelty as she tosses several puppies into a river.
India's Claims of Laser Weapons: 'Nonsense' or Threat?
(Aug. 31) -- An elaborate bluff? A case of overly optimistic technology? Or perhaps just old-fashioned boasting? Whatever the explanation, Indias...
'La Barbie' and Friends: Top 10 Mexican Drug Lord Nicknames
(Aug. 31) -- The capture of notorious drug kingpin Edgar La Barbie Valdez Villarreal has inspired a list of 10 other Mexican drug lords with...
Prime Minister: 'Iraq Today Is Sovereign'
(Aug. 31) -- U.S. soldiers relinquished their combat roles today after more than seven years of fighting in Iraq, handing over their duties to Iraqi...
Scrappers' Stripping Is a Different Route to Heavy Metal Fortune
(Aug. 31) -- Who knew stripping -- metal -- could be such hard, honest work? The Brooklynites from Spike TVs Scrappers are out to prove that...
Was the Iraq War Worth It? Six Views
(Aug. 31) -- With the formal end of combat operations in Iraq, the question now is whether the seven years of fighting was worth the price.
Obamas Sometimes Lift Veil on Daughters' Lives
(Aug. 31) -- Twelve-year-old Malia Obama wears braces, toots a flute and is after her father to save the tigers. Younger sister Sasha, who is 9,...
Roger Federer's Latest Unbelievable Between-the-Legs Shot [VIDEO]
(Aug. 31) -- Theres his Gillette commercial trick shot, and his stunner against Novak Djokovic at last years U.S. Open -- and then theres the shot...
Drunk as a Skunk? 5 Most Famous Soused Animals
(Aug. 31) -- The Hall of Shame for inebriated animals includes a black bear that guzzled three dozen beers at a Washington State campground and six...
Alleged Drug Kingpin 'La Barbie' Arrested in Mexico
(Aug. 31) -- An American-born man accused of being one of Mexicos most dangerous drug lords has been arrested near Mexico City. Photos released by...
Sharron Angle Said She Would Have Voted 'No' to Katrina Relief
(Aug. 31) -- Sharron Angle said in a 2005 interview she would have voted no to Katrina relief.
Live Video: President Obama's Oval Office Address
(Aug. 31) -- President Barack Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office at 8 p.m. ET on the end of combat operations in Iraq.
Fire at Mosque Site Part of a 'Perfect Storm'?
(Aug. 30) -- As federal investigators search for the cause of an equipment fire at the future site of an Islamic center in Tennessee, a Muslim civil...