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The nation's top military officer says more U.S. troops will likely be needed to win the war in Afghanistan. Adm. Mike Mullen's comments before the Senate Armed Services committee came as Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan underscored his opposition to additional forces, and Sen. John McCain, the committee's ranking Republican, shot back that any delay in sending troop reinforcements would have catastrophic consequences.

Republicans had accused President Obama of dithering rather than deciding how things should go in Afghanistan. The president took three months and convened many top-level meetings to consider strategy and troop levels. While there is support for the increased troop level, they do not think Obama should have set a timetable for withdrawing.

Democrats unveiled what they hope will be the final version of their health care overhaul bill after days of closed-door meetings, setting the stage for a showdown vote in the House on Sunday. With his top domestic priority hanging in the balance, President Obama again postponed an overseas trip that has already been pushed back once.

Florida residents brace for Hurricane Idalia, which is expected to become a hurricane before landfall. COVID cases are rising in the U.S. The NPR international desk's best tips for beating jet lag.

The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, briefs both the Senate Armed Services and the Senate Foreign Relations committees Tuesday on the military situation in Iraq. Lawmakers will also be updated on political developments by the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker.

The White House made sure Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey would fly with potential opponents: conservative Republicans as well as various Democrats. President Bush stayed away from more volatile choices.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, told Congress Tuesday that he's confident he now has both the strategy and resources he needs in Afghanistan. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, initially wary of a troop increase coming before a crackdown on corruption, said he's satisfied that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has expressed the right intentions.

Hundreds of nominees for military positions have been stalled as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., protests Pentagon abortion policy, and that total could swell to 650, the Pentagon says.

Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher met with Pakistan's new leaders Wednesday in Islamabad. Officials in the new government have indicated to the top senior U.S. envoys that the U.S. relationship with Pakistan will have to change.

Li was groomed for leadership, and was seen at one point as a contender for China's top job, only to be pushed aside as Xi Jinping ascended.