30,000 and 18 Months

After months of deliberations, Obama pushes for more troops and surprises by setting a date to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan. Embracing middle ground leaves president open to attacks from all sides as he tries to convince lawmakers to give his strategy time to work.

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The Slatest  Morning Edition  |  Daniel Politi

  1. Obama: Afghan Buildup Will Be Temporary

    By pushing hard for a surge but also vowing to begin withdrawal in 18 months, the president attempts to push a middle ground that leaves him vulnerable to attacks from all sides.

    Los Angeles Times | Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

  2. Will Afghans Fulfill Their End of the Bargain?

    The long-awaited address may have finally cemented Afghanistan as Obama's war, but he will still have little control over one of the most pivotal aspects of the strategy.

    The New York Times | Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

  3. GM CEO Pushed Out

    The automaker's board didn't believe that a 25-year veteran of the company could really usher in the changes it needed. His bad relationship with the chairman seems to have sealed the deal.

    The Detroit Free Press | Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

  4. E-mails Show White House Crashers Weren't Invited

    Despite their claims to the contrary, the Salahis were never told they were approved to go to last week's dinner. Meanwhile, questions are raised about the couple's charity organization.

    The Associated Press | Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

  5. Is Your Kid's School Lunch Safe?

    An investigation into why the government failed to include ground beef destined for schools in a wide recall last summer raises questions about whether enough is being done to ensure the food children eat is free of pathogens.

    USA Today | Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

  6. Iran Releases British Sailors

    Six days after they were taken into custody when their boat drifted into Iranian waters, the five men were released early this morning.

    The Times (of London) | Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

  7. New Public Option in the Works

    Democrats in the Senate will unveil the measure next week in hopes that it can break the impasse on health care legislation.

    The Hill | Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

  8. Gang That Killed for Human Fat Never Existed

    The news that a group of killers in Peru were murdering people for their fat reverberated around the world. It was all a lie.

    BBC News | Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

  9. Facebook, MySpace Unfriend Sex Offenders

    The social networking sites booted more than 3,500 New York sex offenders under a new state law targeting online predators.

    The New York Daily News | Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009

  10. Mayhem as North Korea Revalues Currency

    Pyongyang abruptly introduces new notes but limits the amount people can trade in, reportedly decimating many residents' savings.

    The Washington Post | Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009

  11. Police Won't Charge Woods With Crime

    Tiger Woods faces only a $164 fine for a car accident outside his Florida mansion.

    USA Today | Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009

  12. Iraqi Shoe-Thrower Gets Taste of Own Medicine

    At a news conference in Paris, the man who threw his shoes at President Bush last year is nearly smacked with another. 

    Agence-France Presse | Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009

Photographs of: Afghanistan Soldiers by U.S. Army/Getty Images; Hamid Karzai by Massoud Hossaini/AFP/Getty Images; GM Car by Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images; White House by Getty Images/MedioImages; Side profile of a school bus by George Doyle/Getty Images; Insurance by Feng Yu/Shutterstock; Overweight by Getty Images/Digital Vision; Facebook by Leon Neal/ AFP Photo; Kim Jong Il by Korean Central Television/Yonhap/Getty Images; Tiger Woods by TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images.