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TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
A tough mission in Afghanistan
A low-key Marine, Gen. John R. Allen, is set to take over the war at high-stakes moment.
(By Craig Whitlock)

Nuclear waste dump is mired in inertia
Yucca Mountain is a case study in government dysfunction and bureaucratic inertia. The project dates back three decades. It has not solved the problem of nuclear waste.
(By Joel Achenbach and Brian Vastag)

Bachmann basks in newfound momentum
Rep. Michele Bachmann enjoyed a day of fundraising, media exposure and glowing analysis of her newfound momentum on Tuesday, following a strong presidential debate performance.
(By Amy Gardner and Sandhya Somashekhar)

States seeking to save on Medicaid
Republican governors step up their resistance to rules requiring states to maintain current levels of health-care coverage for the poor and disabled under Medicaid.
(By Michael A. Fletcher)

Graduating from elementary school?
Dozens of elementary students in the D.C. area are celebrating what some critics call graduation inflation, the growth of ceremonies to mark the end of elementary school.
(By Steve Hendrix)

POLITICS
Ambassador post blocked as US adoptive families fight for release of Vietnamese orphans
HANOI, Vietnam — Marsha Sailors painted the nursery pink and green at her Missouri home, put up princess pictures and built a crib for her new little girl. They hadn’t yet met, but she already was in love with the smiling 6-month-old in a photo sent from Vietnam.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Detainee who provided key information about bin Laden courier rejoins al-Qaida
WASHINGTON — The terrorist described as the linchpin in the hunt for Osama bin Laden has rejoined al-Qaida after the Bush administration released him from a secret CIA secret prison under pressure from Pakistan, according to former and current U.S. intelligence officials.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

House Democrats hoping pressure from colleagues and wife's return will prod Weiner to resign
WASHINGTON — House Democratic colleagues of scandal-scarred Rep. Anthony Weiner are looking for him to step down this week amid a growing chorus for him to resign. Even President Barack Obama has suggested he should leave.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Detainee who provided key information about bin Laden courier rejoins al-Qaida
WASHINGTON — The terrorist described as the linchpin in the hunt for Osama bin Laden has rejoined al-Qaida after the Bush administration released him from a secret CIA secret prison under pressure from Pakistan, according to former and current U.S. intelligence officials.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

New era sees more, bigger wildfires, echoing blazes a century ago as control policies change
WASHINGTON — The fires searing parts of the West are an eerie echo of the past, a frightening reminder of a once terrible danger that had been held largely at bay for decades.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

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STYLE
Group lists Coltrane house, Chicago hospital among endangered sites; Charleston on watch list
WASHINGTON — Jazz musician John Coltrane’s home on Long Island, N.Y., a cloverleaf-shaped Chicago hospital building and a Pillsbury plant in Minneapolis that once was the world’s most advanced flour mill are among America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Ask Amy: Military couple failing basic training
A military couple who live in separate states, decided to set up joint checking and savings accounts to strengthen their bond. Alas, one side didn’t practice complete transparency.
(, Tribune Media Service)

Hints From Heloise: A change in dishwasher detergent
After years of using the same dishwasher and the same detergent, a white film developed on a baffled reader’s dishes.
(, King)

Carolyn Hax: The ‘other woman’ first needs to face the truth
She’s in love with a guy who’s seeing someone else. He won’t take her out in public and bad-mouths the woman he’s with. Ditch him? Well . . .
(, The Washington Post)

U.S., Russian actors connect without words
President Obama’s reset of relations with Russia takes center stage, this time with California students in a Moscow theater.
( by Kathy Lally , The Washington Post)

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SPORTS
Defending champion Serena Williams seeded No. 8 at Wimbledon; Nadal and Wozniacki both No. 1
WIMBLEDON, England — Defending champion Serena Williams was seeded No. 8 for Wimbledon on Wednesday and will avoid playing the highest-ranked players until at least the quarterfinals.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

JOC president Takeda says Tokyo nearing a decision on whether to bid for 2020 Olympics
TOKYO — Japanese Olympic officials expect to know within weeks if Tokyo will bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Tuesday's Sports In Brief
NEW YORK — An end to the NFL lockout might not be imminent, but it does appears much closer than at any point in the last three months.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Singaporean faces 20 years in prison after being charged in Malaysia for match-fixing
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian prosecutors have charged a Singaporean man with match-fixing at a youth football tournament.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Earning spot in Gold Cup quarterfinals with sloppy 1-0 victory can't disguise US problems
Less than a year after Spain won the World Cup, it’s already time to kick off qualifying for the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

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WORLD
South Korea's capital turns ex-military command with painful past into modern art museum
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is trying to make peace with its painful past by turning a building once allegedly used as a torture center into a modern art museum.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

New flooding kills 7, leaves 7 others missing in China as torrential rains continue
BEIJING — More flooding in central and south China has killed another seven people over the past three days, the government said Wednesday, as the country continued to be battered by seasonal rainstorms.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Former Bahrain editor claims outside plot to plant false stories
MANAMA, Bahrain — The former chief editor of Bahrain’s main independent newspaper says he has evidence of an apparent effort to plant false news stories during Shiite-led protests for greater rights in the Gulf island kingdom.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Attack on Afghan governor’s office kills 8
MAIDAN SHAR, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded four in a strike Wednesday on the governor’s office in a northeastern province, while a mortar targeted a building where NATO and Afghan officials were attending the inauguration of the country’s largest police training center in central Afghanistan.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Putin says Russia's economy has two-thirds recovered from global financial crisis
GENEVA — Russia’s prime minister says his nation’s economy remains well below the level it was at before the global financial crisis.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

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LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Parenting advice: Help for raising children of all ages
Family Almanac columnist Marguerite Kelly discusses the ups and downs of parenting, and tips for helping children through challenging times.
(, vForum)

Tuesdays with Moron: Chatological Humor Update
Gene Weingarten brings you an update to his monthly Chatological Humor live chat.
(, vForum)

D.C.'s biggest stories: Lunchline's Clinton Yates breaks them down (Video)
Clinton Yates a news junkie and pop culture fanatic who scours The Washington Post and its partner sites every weekday to find the gems that you want to read but don't have time to search for.
(, vForum)

Real Wheels Live
Live online discussion with Real Wheels columnist Warren Brown about car-buying and the auto industry.
(, vForum)

Campus Overload Live with Jenna Johnson
Jenna Johnson answers your questions about college life, on and off campus.
(, vForum)

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TECHNOLOGY
Crowd-Source Your Night In The City With The AreaNow iPhone App (TCTV)

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

Exposed: Facebook’s Secret iPhone Photo Sharing App (Which Looks Amazing)

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

Could Efficiency 2.0 Eclipse Solar? CEO Tom Scarmellino Thinks So (TCTV)

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

On BizSpark And Bubbles: Q&A With Microsoft VP Dan’l Lewin (Video)

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

Internet radio service Pandora delivers latest IPO hit as strong demand drives shares to $16
SAN FRANCISCO — Pandora Media Inc. sold its initial public offering of stock at $16 per share late Tuesday, fetching twice as much as the popular but unprofitable Internet radio service expected less than two weeks ago.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

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BUSINESS
Crowd-Source Your Night In The City With The AreaNow iPhone App (TCTV)

( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)

Oil falls below $99 in Asia as traders eye mixed signs on US economy
SIGNAPORE — Oil prices fell below $99 a barrel Wednesday in Asia as traders eyed mixed signs about the strength of the U.S. economy and crude demand.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

World stock markets down as investors anticipate rate hikes in India, China
BANGKOK — World stock markets mostly slipped Wednesday as investors anticipated growth-denting rate hikes by central banks in India and China to contain stubbornly high inflation.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

UK unemployment rate holds steady at 7.7 percent as wage growth remains moderate
LONDON — Official data show Britain’s unemployment rate held steady at 7.7 percent in the three months ending April, matching the rate reported a month ago.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

UK government to back proposals to separate banks
LONDON — The British government intends to force banks to insulate their retail operations from their more volatile investment banking, a Treasury source confirmed Wednesday.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)