Hidden casualties: As the US military death toll in Iraq teeters at the brink of 1,300, UPI's Mark Benjamin tells Amy Goodman about the hidden casualties of the Iraq war: 17% of GIs returning from Iraq suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); one in five of the 30,000 soldiers returning from Iraq has mental problems (according to the Department of Veterans Affairs); some 15,000 GIs have been injured (far below Pentagon estimates that only include soldiers injured by enemy fire), and untold numbers of Iraq vets are already homeless.

Caring for the injured: The New England Journal of Medicine offers a frightening photo essay on what it means to fight--and provide medical care--in Iraq.

The one who stayed: The mass desertions of Bush cabinet members didn't touch the ever-incompetent Donald Rumsfeld. If my opinions seem harsh, check Republican Senator John McCain, who today admitted he has "no confidence" in Rumsfeld's abilities. "I have strenuously argued for larger troop numbers in Iraq, including the right kind of troops — linguists, special forces, civil affairs, etc.," said McCain, R-Ariz. "There are very strong differences of opinion between myself and Secretary Rumsfeld on that issue."