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A dispute between Hamas's political leaders and military commanders is hindering mediation efforts to reach a prisoner exchange agreement with Israel, sources close to Hamas revealed over the weekend.

A reader writes: 'Are any long distance learning Ph.D. programs considered reputable?' Short answer: Yes. But... Distance learning has grown exponentially over the last few years. Many brick-and-mortar institutions offer degrees by distance education. However, some programs are run by for-profit companies. And some are not reputable. How do you tell the difference? Determine whether the institution is accredited. Contact the US department of Higher Education. Also inquire whether the program is accredited in your area of study, if relevant. Also, evaluate each program on a range of factors, like course format, interactions with faculty, residency requirements, faculty credentials and experience, and degree requirements such comprehensive exams, these, and dissertations. Look carefully and you'll find that many graduate degrees are offered online by reputable sources - and some of the top institutions of higher education offer degrees by distance learning.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's interest in a 2010 run for governor is fueled in part by his rivalry with Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, according to sources who asked not to be identified.

The Obama administration has been considering drafting its own health care legislation in case current bipartisan negotiations fall through, according to a CNN report. Sources tell CNN the bill would be introduced on Capitol Hill sometime after President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Wednesday.

After years of unexplained, random jumps in the levels of bacteria in Fountain Creek, federal officials believe they've found the likely culprit: pigeons.

Chinatrust Financial, Taiwan's top credit card issuer, offered $2.4 billion for AIG's Taiwan Nan Shan Life unit, outbidding rivals, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Saturday.

After years of unexplained, random jumps in the levels of bacteria in Fountain Creek, federal officials believe they've found the likely culprit: pigeons.

The Giants career of David Tyree, the hero of Super Bowl XLII, is officially over. The 29-year-old wide receiver and special teams standout was informed Saturday morning that he has been waived, according to a team source.

More than 50 suspected militants in the northwestern Pakistan's volatile tribal region have been killed by military forces on Saturday, Pakistani sources said.

imamac writes 'Apple Insider has an interesting perspective on the MS Exchange support built into Mac OS X 10.6 and how it essentially frees Apple from all things Microsoft: 'Windows Enthusiasts like to spin Apple's support for Exchange on the iPhone and in Snow Leopard as endorsement of Microsoft in the server space. From another angle, Apple is reducing its dependence upon Microsoft's client software, weakening Microsoft's ability to hold back and dumb down its Mac offerings at Apple's expense. More importantly, Apple is providing its users with additional options that benefit both Mac users and the open source community.'' of this story at Slashdot.