This morning's top stories:
- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is facing internal strife from Shiite cabinet ministers loyal to cleric cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. These key government officials are threatening to leave the government over al-Maliki's failure to express support for U.S. withdrawal.
- Meanwhile, the Red Cross reports that the situation on the ground in Iraq for civilians has not improved since the security crackdown.
- According to the Washington Post, at least three retired four-star generals have declined offers from the White House to take a job as a "war czar," a position that would oversee operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan and also be granted broad authority for decision making.
- Astronomers believe they have detected signs of water vapor--a vital component of life--in the atmosphere of a gaseous planet about 150 light-years from Earth, an important clue as to whether life exists elsewhere in the universe.
- A decision on whether prosecutors in the Duke lacrosse scandal will drop remaining charges of sexual assault could come today, the AP reports, an outcome some see as likely.
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