Republican John McCain on Monday sharply criticized Democratic rival Barack Obama for not having been to Iraq since 2006, and said they should visit the war zone together. ...more

May 27, 2008

A few years ago, drums of used french fry grease were only of interest to a small network of underground biofuel brewers, who used the slimy oil to power their souped-up antique Mercedes. ...more

May 27, 2008

SEBRING — When Army Sgt. First Class Judy Puffenbarger went to Iraq, a photo of her taken when her unit was being deployed to the war was sent to her hometown in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Everybody who saw it broke out in laughter. Puffenbarger's blonde hair has grown back, but the day before she left for the war zone she shaved her head. "I did it on a bet, a bet I lost," the 49-year-old Avon Park resident said at the Veterans Administration Community Based Outpatient Clinic, where she works as a receptionist. Puffenbarger, whose father was a World War II Army veteran who lost one of his legs in the battle of Okinawa, bet members of her squad that they would not be deployed to the Iraq war. She offered to shave her head if the order came down for her 33-person unit to ship out to the war. ...more

May 25, 2008

Fred Rothenbush sat at the easel in his home in Ruskin one recent morning, applying finishing touches to a large canvas depicting a military scene. ...more

February 20, 2008

The first thing Sam Spadavecchia sees after slamming into the back of the cargo truck is the man at his window. ...more

February 17, 2008

The first thing Sam Spadavecchia sees after slamming into the back of the cargo truck is the man at his window. The front of Spadavecchia's pickup is jammed underneath the truck's rear end. The steering wheel presses so hard against his chest that he can hardly breathe. The crumpled dashboard smashes down on his right leg, nearly crushing his foot under the brake pedal. "Get me out," he begs. ...more

February 16, 2008

President Bush said Saturday that the United States is on track to bring home at least 20,000 troops from Iraq by this summer, but he stressed he is willing to halt the drawdown "in order to make sure we succeed." ...more

January 13, 2008

Blackwater Worldwide repaired and repainted its trucks immediately after a deadly September shooting in Baghdad, making it difficult to determine whether enemy gunfire provoked the attack, said people familiar with the government investigation of the incident. ...more

January 13, 2008

Make no mistake about it. Lupe Fiasco is good. So good you'll wonder why Kanye gets all the press. So good you'll wonder why 2006's "Food & Liquor" didn't create a bigger sensation. So good you'll forgive him pronouncing "passport" as "pass-purt" for the sake of a rhyme. ...more

January 3, 2008

Veronica James left one war and came home to another. ...more

November 22, 2007