20 July: Due to the effects of a sedative applied during the procedure, Pres. Bush handed presidential powers to VP Cheney during his colonoscopy screening; in 2002, he ceded presidential powers to Cheney for 2 hours while the sedative wore off... Forbes reporting "President Bush signed an executive order governing interrogation of terrorism suspects, prohibiting cruel and inhumane treatment, humiliation or denigration of prisoners' religious beliefs"; while not officially stating whether CIA maintains detention or interrogation facilities anywhere, the program would have to follow the strict new guidelines to be legal... Scientists have surpassed the traditional TV remote control device, creating a system where hand gestures instruct the TV to perform the desired task...

15 July: Russia has withdrawn from a NATO-Russia conventional arms treaty that limited the number of ground forces and heavy artillery it could station on European soil, citing NATO expansion as a threat to Russia's national security... North Korea has shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, allegedly used to produce nuclear weapons; UN IAEA inspection team is on site, verifying shut-down and beginning long-term inspection regime, as first fuel aid arrives from South Korea... US pres. Bush cited by press as "leaning on" top general in Iraq David Petraeus; Bush has mentioned Petraeus at least 150 times in speeches this year, according to the Washington Post, and military officials have expressed concern the White House is setting the general up as a "fall guy" if conditions in Iraq don't improve...

3 July: US pres. George Bush has commuted the prison sentence which Lewis "Scooter" Libby, fmr chief of staff for VP Cheney, was to serve for lying to prosecutors to obstruct an investigation into the politically motivated leaking of an undercover CIA operative's name...

2 July: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) sets Democrat fundraising record for non-election year, raising $31 million in 2nd quarter, in funds for next year's party primaries, eclipsing poll front-runner Clinton (D-NY) by nearly $10 million...