Recent Political Archives

Political Archives

Today's Political News...

· Obama: 'System failed' in a major way  President Obama said Tuesday that U.S. intelligence has had considerable success, but that the botched Christmas Day attack shows "the system has failed" in a major way. 

· Ex-congressman on trial over freezer cash, bribery.  Opening statements are scheduled in the trial of a former Louisiana congressman charged with bribery after federal agents found $90,000 in cash in his freezer. 

· Longtime GOP Sen. Specter now a Democrat.  Veteran Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter told colleagues Tuesday that he switched from the Republican to the Democratic Party, Sen. Harry Reid says. The Specter party switch would give Democrats a filibuster-proof Senate majority of 60 seats if Al Franken holds his current lead. 

· Congressman escapes injury in Somali mortar attack.  Assailants fired mortar shells at Mogadishu airport as a plane carrying a U.S. congressman took off, a police officer said. The plane departed safely, but 19 Somalis from surrounding residential areas were reported injured. 

· HHS Nominee Kathleen Sebelius Corrects Three Years of Tax Filings.  Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius has corrected three years worth of tax returns after finding "unintentional errors."  It's the latest tax issue to hit an Obama administration nominee. His first HHS nominee withdrew because of major tax problems. 

· White House Press Kit: Britain 'slightly smaller than Oregon.'  During president Obama's European tour, here's what the White House is telling American reporters - and by extension the American people - about Britain. It's laid out in an inch-thick "press kit", with the Seal of the President of the United States emblazoned on the cover: The United Kingdom, we are told, is "slightly smaller than Oregon." 

· Obama's aunt becomes symbol in immigration debate.  Barack Obama's Kenyan aunt lost her bid for asylum more than four years ago, and a judge ordered her deported. Instead, Zeituni Onyango stayed, living for years in public housing. Now, Onyango's request is being reconsidered under a little-used provision in U.S. immigration rules that allows denied asylum claims to be reheard if applicants can show that something has changed to make them eligible. Such as the ascension of her nephew to the presidency. 

· Former Alabama judge indicted on inmate sex charges.  A former south Alabama judge is accused of checking male inmates out of jail and forcing them to engage in sexual activity including paddling, according to officials and court documents. 

· IRS agent admits cheating on his own taxes.  An Internal Revenue Service agent who audits taxpayers in California has agreed to plead guilty to cheating on his own taxes. 

· Microsoft bridge slammed as stimulus waste.  Should a bridge that would connect two campuses at Microsoft's headquarters be funded with $11 million from the federal stimulus package? 

· Obama takes office, saying choose 'hope over fear.'  Barack Obama was sworn in today as the 44th president of the United States. "Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real," Obama said. "They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met," he said. 

· Sen. Kennedy collapses at inaugural lunch.  Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, collapsed Tuesday afternoon during a luncheon for President Barack Obama in the Capitol's Statuary Hall. Kennedy, who appeared to be suffering from a seizure, was transported to a hospital. 

· Bush bids goodbye at Capitol, begins trip to Texas.  With one last handshake with President Barack Obama, George W. Bush boarded a helicopter on Tuesday at the Capitol and began his post-presidential life, closing a two-term administration marked by war, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil. 

· FBI arrests Birmingham mayor.  Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford was arrested Monday and the 101-count indictment against him has been unsealed. This morning, U.S. Attorney Alice Martin announced that Langford, along with friend Al LaPierre and businessman Bill Blount, face charges of conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. 

· Ex-mayor's aide: 'I lied under oath.'  The former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s chief of staff has reached a plea deal with prosecutors. She pleaded guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice. 

· Obama: Clinton has my 'complete confidence.'  Barack Obama today announced Sen. Hillary Clinton as his pick for secretary of state, calling her an "American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence." Obama also confirmed that he is keeping Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his current post. 

· Obama makes history; turns to sobering challenges.  His name etched in history as America's first black president, Barack Obama turned from the jubilation of victory to the sobering challenge of leading a nation worried about economic crisis, two unfinished wars and global uncertainty. "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep," Obama cautioned. 

· Democratic majorities stronger, tougher.  The Democratic congressional majority grew broader and more muscular in Tuesday's historic elections, with new members ousting Republicans in the House and Senate and a team of their own heading to the White House. 

· Obama victory sets off jubilation.  From the avenue in Atlanta where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was born to a giant lakefront rally in Chicago, Americans black and white celebrated Barack Obama's election with tears, the honking of horns, screams of joy, arms lifted skyward. 

· McCain concedes presidency, congratulates Obama.  Republican John McCain concedes the presidential race to Barack Obama, saying the Democrat has achieved a "great thing" for himself and the country with his historic victory.  McCain - with wife Cindy on one side and running-mate Sarah Palin on the other - urged his supporters to put aside partisan differences and work to get "the country moving again." 

· America Heads to the Polls.  The Democratic presidential nominee plans to make a campaign stop in Indianapolis Tuesday after voting in Chicago. Then he returns to Illinois for what has become an election day tradition - playing basketball. McCain's schedule takes him first to Phoenix to vote, and then to Colorado and New Mexico - both states President Bush won in 2004 but that are trending Democratic this year. 

· Troopergate report clears Palin, says she broke no laws.  Gov. Sarah Palin violated no ethics laws when she fired her public safety commissioner, the state personnel board concluded in a report released Monday. "There is no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters," the report says. 

· Intensity grows as presidential election looms.  Fresh off a day defined by flash and cash, Barack Obama is targeting the tight states of Florida, Virginia and Missouri. A resilient John McCain aptly picks up his campaign in the Ohio town of Defiance, battling long odds to victory. 

· MSNBC's Maddow: "He had me at the waving wheat."  AND other quotes from Barack Obama's infomercial.  

· Calls rise among Republicans for Sarah Palin to step down from GOP ticket.  Sarah Palin faces the biggest test of her month-old candidacy with this Thursday's vice presidential debate, but many Republicans are already convinced the Alaska governor is not ready for prime time - and may never be.  "It was fun while it lasted," conservative National Review columnist Kathleen Parker regretfully concluded last week. "But circumstances have changed since Palin was introduced as just a hockey mom with lipstick." 

· Congress leaders announce tentative $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan.  After marathon talks, congressional leaders declared early Sunday morning they had reached a tentative deal on an unprecedented $700 billion bailout of the nation's imperiled financial markets. 

· Senate Majority Leader on Economic Woes: 'No One Knows What to Do.'  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, asked today what actions Congress can take, said, bluntly, "No one knows what to do. We are in new territory here." 

· Government takes over embattled Fannie, Freddie.  The U.S. government on Sunday seized control of mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an aggressive move to help the distressed U.S. housing market and economy.  With $1.6 trillion in debt outstanding, the takeover could amount to the largest financial bailout in U.S. history. 

· Detroit's sputtering Big Three turn to Washington for help.  Battered by weak sales, declining market share and miserable credit ratings, Detroit's Big Three automakers are now turning to the US government for $25 billion in loans. 

· New Orleans orders mandatory evacuation.  Residents were ordered to flee an only partially rebuilt New Orleans Sunday as another monster storm bore down on Louisiana nearly three years to the day after Hurricane Katrina wiped out entire swaths of the city. 

· Gustav prompts talk of altering RNC agenda.  Officials with the McCain campaign and the Republican National convention are considering changing the event's agenda as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the Gulf Coast.  McCain suggested that the convention could be suspended if it seemed that a festive gathering was inappropriate in light of the destruction the storm may bring.  If the storm hits, officials are considering turning the convention into a service event, a massive telethon to raise money for the Red Cross and other agencies to help with the hurricane. 

· McCain picks Alaska governor as running mate.  John McCain has made his vice presidential pick: the Republican contender will tap first-term Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, ABC News reports. The 44-year-old Palin brings working class roots and appeal to female voters. 

· Obama accepts nomination, vows to fix Washington.  Surrounded by an enormous, adoring crowd, Barack Obama promised a clean break from the "broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush" Thursday night as he embarked on the final lap of his audacious bid to become the nation's first black president. 

· Obama speech stage resembles ancient Greek temple.  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's big speech on Thursday night will be delivered from an elaborate columned stage resembling a Greek temple, and will stride out to a raised platform to a podium that can be raised from beneath the floor. 

· Kennedy was close to canceling convention speech.  Sen. Edward Kennedy suffered a bout of kidney stones Monday, and his niece Caroline Kennedy said Tuesday that he was feeling so ill he was nearly unable to deliver his dramatic address to the Democratic National Convention. 

· A Look Back at Hillary's Year in Pantsuits.  During Clinton's historic run for president, not only were her positions on big issues analyzed, so too, was her appearance.  Glamour magazine salutes Clinton this month with a photo spread featuring her wearing a rainbow of pantsuits from fire-engine red to light lilac. The headline reads: "Hillary, we loved your pantsuits!" 

· Wife blasted for keeping Edwards affair secret.  Two weeks after a devastating revelation sent her husband into political exile, Elizabeth Edwards isn't getting the steady sympathy usually afforded to a woman scorned. Instead, she's faced criticism from dedicated Democrats who think she was too willing to keep the affair a secret to help John Edwards' political ambitions, as well as her own. 

· Pelosi Tells Disappointed Clinton Supporters to Avoid 'Victim Politics.'  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will kick off the Democratic National Convention by making one thing clear: The Democratic Party is united behind Sen. Barack Obama. 

· Biden Tied to Rezko Fraud Figure.  Barack Obama's vice-presidential pick complicates the Democratic hopeful's efforts to distance himself from a far-reaching Chicago patronage scandal. 

· Obama from a home in Kansas City: I'm 'here in St. Louis.'  Last week, Republican John McCain didn't know how many homes he owns. Tonight, Democrat Barack Obama didn't know what town he was in. 

· Obama raps McCain for ignorance of his own houses.  Hours after a report that John McCain didn't know how many homes he and his multimillionaire wife own, Democratic rival Barack Obama launched a national TV ad and a series of campaign stops aimed at portraying McCain as wealthy and out of touch.  McCain was also quick to respond: "Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses?" 

· McCain takes 5-point lead over Obama-Reuters poll.  McCain leads Obama among likely U.S. voters by 46 percent to 41 percent, wiping out Obama's solid 7-point advantage in July and taking his first lead in the monthly Reuters/Zogby poll. 

· Bush warns Russia; Medvedev orders halt to action.  With a crisis of Cold War proportions brewing, President Bush demanded that Russia withdraw its troops from the former Soviet republic of Georgia.  Hours later, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev ordered a halt to the military action, saying it had brought security for civilians and Russian peacekeepers in the breakaway South Ossetia region. 

· Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan on the ballot.  Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan qualified Friday for a November showdown with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, collecting the signatures needed to get on the ballot as an independent candidate for Congress. 

· Edwards' Cover-up Cost Clinton the Nomination.  Sen. Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic presidential nominee if John Edwards had been caught in his lie about an extramarital affair and forced out of the race last year, insists a top Clinton campaign aide. 

· John Edwards admits to affair, denies fathering child.  Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on Friday admitted to an extramarital affair while his wife was battling cancer. He denied fathering the woman's daughter.  Edwards told ABC News that he lied repeatedly about the affair with a 42-year-old woman but said that he didn't love her. He said he has not taken a paternity test but knows he isn't the father because of the timing of the affair and the birth. 

· Court sets $25,000 for Detroit mayor on two new felonies.  A magistrate today set a new bond for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in connection with two felony assault charges filed by the Michigan Attorney General's office. 

· Inside O-Force One.  Barack Obama’s new campaign plane is nothing short of grand. After looking at a few photos of Obama’s cabin, Air Force One may seem a tad claustrophobic. 

· Pelosi blocks offshore drilling vote GOP wants.  For weeks, pressure has been mounting in Congress to approve more domestic oil drilling, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has held the line, using her power to block a vote on offshore drilling. 

· Will voters punish Congress for coming up empty on energy?  Congress adjourned Friday for a five-week summer recess with little-to-nothing to show on lowering high energy prices for consumers. This comes despite a vow by legislators following its last long break to deliver some relief to outraged constituents. 

· Obama shifts position on offshore oil drilling.  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Friday he would be willing to support limited additional offshore oil drilling if that's what it takes to enact a comprehensive policy to foster fuel-efficient autos and develop alternate energy sources. 

· Oral arguments set in Sen. Craig sex-sting appeal.  Idaho Sen. Larry Craig will get his next day in Minnesota's courts on Sept. 10. That's the date for oral arguments on his attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in a sex sting at the Minneapolis airport. 

· Feds: Man Hired Hit Man To Kill IRS Worker.  A Central Florida man tried to hire a hit man to kill the IRS agent who was auditing him, federal authorities said. 

· McCain backs off his no-new-tax pledge.  Republican presidential candidate John McCain's signal that he may be open to a higher payroll tax for Social Security, despite previous vows not to raise taxes of any kind, is drawing sharp rebukes from conservatives. 

· Grand jury indicts Alaska senator.  Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska was indicted Tuesday on charges he lied about receiving gifts worth more than $250,000 from an Alaska-based energy company on whose behalf he intervened in Washington. 

· Bush will back mortgage rescue.  President Bush dropped his threat Wednesday to veto a sweeping housing bill that will offer up to $300 billion in assistance to troubled homeowners and throw government support behind mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

· Pelosi says Bush 'a total failure.'  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called President Bush "a total failure" on Thursday, among the California Democrat's harshest assessments to date of the president.  Pelosi's comments come as a new Gallup poll registers the lowest level of congressional approval among Americans in the polling organization's 30-year history of conducting that survey - an anemic 14 percent. 

· Will Romney's Combative Style Net VP Nod?  Mitt Romney spent over $35 million of his own money and more than a year of his life on a bid for the presidency that fell short and ended abruptly. The former Massachusetts governor is not one to wallow in failure, but even for the incurably optimistic Romney, portraying his unsuccessful run in a positive light would seem an impossible task. Still, he manages. 

· Obama denies shifting to reach political center.  Appeal to the party's base, secure the nomination, then tack back to the center for the general election. It's a time-honored tradition in American presidential politics. And in the past few weeks, Barack Obama, far more than John McCain, has made such maneuvers a nearly daily feature of his campaign. 

· Old guy vs change: McCain, Obama images take shape.  Ask people to blurt out their first words about the two presidential candidates and one in five say "change" or "outsider" for Barack Obama and "old" for John McCain, according to an Associated Press-Yahoo! News poll released Monday. Racial differences are clear. While whites are evenly split over which candidate better understands the problems of ordinary people, they are a bit likelier to say McCain shares their values, and prefer him by 2-to-1 for keeping the country safe. Nine in 10 blacks say Obama would do just fine in each of those areas, with only small fractions saying so about McCain. 

· 400 Taliban prisoners escape in Afghan prison suicide attack.  Afghan security forces on Saturday worked to hunt down the nearly 400 Taliban militants who escaped from a Kandahar prison in what police called a daring and well-executed jailbreak the day before.  Police sources say the strike freed suicide bombers and cell leaders who had been captured over the past six years. 

· McClellan whacks Bush, White House.  Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes in a surprisingly scathing memoir to be published next week that President Bush “veered terribly off course,” was not “open and forthright on Iraq,” and took a “permanent campaign approach” to governing at the expense of candor and competence. 

· Obama 'outraged' by Wright's remarks.  Sen. Barack Obama said he is "outraged" by comments his former minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, made Monday at the National Press Club and "saddened by the spectacle."  "I have been a member of Trinity Church since 1992. I have known Rev. Wright for almost 20 years," he said at a news conference in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "The person I saw yesterday is not the person I met 20 years ago." 

· Ferraro's remarks about Obama decried.  Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday she disagrees with Geraldine Ferraro, one of her fundraisers and the 1984 vice presidential candidate, for suggesting that Barack Obama only achieved his status in the presidential race because he's black. 

· Jury acquits man arrested in same sting as Craig.  A Minneapolis man arrested in the same airport bathroom sex sting that netted U.S. Sen. Larry Craig has been acquitted.  Vince Tuzon, 39, pleaded not guilty, saying he wasn't guilty because the police officer initiated the foot-tapping. A Hennepin County jury apparently agreed. 

· Senators: Where is Iraq's oil money going?  Senators are asking congressional investigators to determine whether Iraq has enough oil revenue to pay for its own reconstruction, an effort that has been bankrolled to this point mostly by U.S. taxpayers. 

· Boeing Supporters Target McCain.  Angry Boeing supporters are vowing revenge against Republican presidential candidate John McCain over Chicago-based Boeing's loss of a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract to the parent company of European plane maker Airbus.  McCain said the deal was killed in 2004 after a former Boeing executive improperly recruited an Air Force official while she was still overseeing contracts involving prospective Boeing deals. Both served time in prison, and taxpayers saved $6 billion on the bogus tanker deal, according to McCain. 

· 'Hillary Clinton's a monster.'  Hillary Clinton has been branded a "monster" by one of Barack Obama's top advisers, as the gloves come off in the race to win the Democrat nomination. In recent TV appearances Mrs Clinton had looked desperate and on the back foot.In an unguarded moment during an interview with The Scotsman in London, Samantha Power, Mr Obama's key foreign policy aide, let slip the camp's true feelings about the former first lady. 

· Is the media love fest with Obama over?  The day before primaries in Ohio and Texas that could effectively seal the Democratic presidential nomination for him, a smiling Obama strode out to a news conference at a veterans facility in San Antonio. But the grin was quickly replaced by the surprised look of a man bitten by his own dog.  Reporters from the Associated Press and Reuters went after him for his false denial that a campaign aide had held a secret meeting with Canadian officials over Obama's trade policy. A trio of Chicago reporters pummeled him with questions about the corruption trial this week of a friend and supporter. 

· Obama Adviser Denies Trade Remarks.  Barack Obama's senior economic policy adviser said Sunday that Canadian government officials wrote an inaccurate portrayal of his private discussion on the campaign's trade policy in a memo obtained by The Associated Press. Obama advisor Austan Goolsbee disputed a section on NAFTA that read: "Noting anxiety among many U.S. domestic audiences about the U.S. economic outlook, Goolsbee candidly acknowledged the protectionist sentiment that has emerged, particularly in the Midwest, during the primary campaign. He cautioned that this messaging should not be taken out of context and should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans." 

· State Democrats say Clinton camp may sue.  The Texas Democratic Party warned Thursday that election night caucuses scheduled for Tuesday could be delayed or disrupted after aides to Hillary Rodham Clinton threatened to sue over the party's complicated delegate selection process. 

· Time Magazine: Why Is Obama's Middle Name Taboo?  John McCain couldn't apologize quickly enough after Bill Cunningham, a conservative talk radio host, warmed up a Cincinnati rally with a few loaded references to "Barack Hussein Obama." Asked afterwards if it was appropriate to use the Senator's middle name, McCain said, "No, it is not. Any comment that is disparaging of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is totally inappropriate." So who gets to say Hussein? At the Oscars, host Jon Stewart took innuendo about as far as it can go, saying that Barack Hussein Obama running today is like a 1940's candidate named Gaydolph Titler. 

· Marine vehicle delay blamed for deaths.  Hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps bureaucrats refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles, an internal military study concludes. 

· Al Gore could still be President.  Al Gore on the second ballot: A scenario that a few weeks ago seemed preposterous is beginning to look plausible to some nervous Democrats looking for a way out of the deadlock between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It goes like this: We love them both, but neither is a sure bet when it comes to electability. It's not about gender and race, each has more mundane vulnerabilities. Hillary's negatives will drive white men to John McCain; Obama's inexperience will require a gut check on the part of voters. What if the super delegates decide not to decide, denying either candidate the requisite number of delegates to secure the party's nomination. Democrats want to win. The new rallying cry: Gore on the second ballot. 

· Impeachment fizzle: Boulder lacks votes to take on Bush.  A move to draft a Boulder City Council resolution supporting the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney likely won't get enough support to get off the ground Tuesday. 

· Boston Rocker Tells Huckabee to Lay Off.  The chief songwriter for the band Boston has more than a feeling that he's being ripped off by Mike Huckabee. In a letter to the Republican presidential hopeful, Tom Scholz complains that Huckabee is using his 1970s smash hit song "More Than a Feeling" without his permission. 

· Senate to Sen. Craig: You discredited the chamber.  The Senate Ethics Committee issued a "letter of admonition" to Sen. Larry Craig on Wednesday in connection with his arrest in a Minneapolis airport sex sting last year. The Senate Ethics Committee accused Craig of improper conduct and criticized Craig for using more than $200,000 in campaign funds to pay his related legal fees. 

· Clinton Remained Silent As Wal-Mart Fought Unions.  In six years as a member of the Wal-Mart board of directors, between 1986 and 1992, Hillary Clinton remained silent as the world's largest retailer waged a major campaign against labor unions seeking to represent store workers.  Clinton now says she no longer shares Wal-Mart's values and believes unions "have been essential to our nation's success." 

· Bill Clinton appeal: Slow down the economy to fight global warming.  Former President Bill Clinton was in Denver, Colorado, stumping for his wife yesterday. In his speech, he characterized what the U.S. and other industrialized nations need to do to combat global warming this way: "We just have to slow down our economy and cut back our greenhouse gas emissions 'cause we have to save the planet for our grandchildren." 

· Giuliani To Drop Out, Endorse McCain At L.A. Event.  CBS News confirmed that Rudy Giuliani, who finished a disappointing third in Tuesday night's Florida GOP primary, will drop out of the presidential race and endorse friendly rival John McCain in California on Wednesday.  Giuliani's master plan backfired when he banked his entire campaign strategy on winning in Florida. 

· John Edwards to quit '08 race.  Former Sen. John Edwards is quitting the Democratic race for president, two sources inside his campaign told CNN Wednesday. He is expected to make the announcement in New Orleans at 1 p.m. ET. Edwards does not plan to endorse either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama at this time, an aide said, but he may do so in the future. 

· Obama takes big risk on illegal immigrant driver's license issue.  Sen. Barack Obama easily won the African American vote in South Carolina, but to woo California Latinos, where he is running 3-to-1 behind rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, he is taking a giant risk: spotlighting his support for the red-hot issue of granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.  Clinton stumbled into that minefield in a debate last fall and quickly backed off. First she suggested a New York proposal for driver's licenses for illegal immigrants might be reasonable. Then she denied endorsing the idea, and later came out against them. 

· Fred Thompson quits presidential race.  Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson quit the Republican presidential race, after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states. "Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort," Thompson said in a statement. 

· Matthews: I Wronged Clinton With Remark.  With protests rumbling, MSNBC's Chris Matthews said Thursday that he was wrong to say last week that the reason Hillary Clinton is a senator and a candidate for president "is that her husband messed around." 

· N.H. Primary Democratic Re-Count Under Way.  Secretary of State William Gardner says his office is ready for Wednesday's re-count of New Hampshire's Democratic presidential primary. Democrat Dennis Kucinich has paid $27,000 to Gardner's office to start the re-count. 

· Former GOP congressman indicted in terrorist fundraising ring.  A former congressman and delegate to the United Nations was indicted Wednesday as part of a terrorist fundraising ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to an al-Qaida and Taliban supporter who has threatened U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan.  The former Republican congressman from Michigan, Mark Deli Siljander, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to terrorists. 

· Giuliani Turns to Prayer in Florida.  With his plan for winning the GOP presidential nomination riding largely on a Florida victory at the end of the month, Rudy Giuliani asked an evangelical congregation for prayers instead of votes Sunday and quoted scripture to evoke a message of hope and perseverance. 

· McCain loan could violate donor privacy.  When John McCain’s presidential campaign all but went broke, it borrowed money from its bank using its fundraising list as collateral. Problem: McCain’s own privacy policy promises donors he won’t sell their information. 

· FBI wiretaps yanked after bills go unpaid.  Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.  A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. In one office alone, unpaid costs for wiretaps from one phone company totaled $66,000. 

· Ron Paul '90s newsletters rant against blacks, gays.  A series of newsletters in the name of GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul contain several racist remarks - including one that says order was restored to Los Angeles after the 1992 riots when blacks went "to pick up their welfare checks." 

· Oops! Republican candidate in Senate race withdrawing because he mistakenly registered as a Democrat.  A Republican candidate for West Virginia's 16th District Senate race is withdrawing from the election because he mistakenly registered as a Democrat. 

· Clinton, McCain pull off upsets in N.H.  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton powered to victory in New Hampshire's Democratic primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Sen. Barack Obama and resurrecting her bid for the White House. Sen. John McCain defeated his Republican rivals to move back into contention for the GOP nomination. 

· Obama, Huckabee Sweep to Iowa Victories.  New Hampshire is where Iowa's Democratic caucus victors get ratified and where its Republican winners get stung. Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee headed into the Granite State on Friday as Iowa's presidential champions, one hoping to ride history's trend and the other eager to break it. 

· Iowa candidates are spending $200 for each vote.  An unprecedented swell of money is flooding into Iowa for tomorrow's caucuses, with campaigns on track to spend roughly $50 million. The shocking expenditures: about $200 per vote for each of the roughly 250,000 caucus-goers expected to turn out. 

· 24 hour news and Internet making it harder for politicians to lie.  Mitt Romney says he "saw" his father "march" with Martin Luther King Jr. Rudy Giuliani claims he is one of the "five best-known Americans" in the world. Among Democrats, Sen. Barack Obama says there are more young black males in prison than in college. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton claims she has a "definitive timetable" for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Those claims are demonstrably false, and quickly exposed by the popularity of blogs, YouTube and information databases like Lexis- Nexis, along with the 24-hour news cycle.  

· Cynthia McKinney to run for president.  Former Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney, who was ousted from office last year after a headline-grabbing scuffle with a Capitol Hill police officer, has decided to seek the presidency - as a Green Party candidate. 

· Kerrey apologizes to Obama over remark.  Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey has apologized to Barack Obama for any unintentional insult he committed by raising the Democratic presidential candidate's Muslim heritage while endorsing rival candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. "It's probably not something that appeals to him, but I like the fact that his name is Barack Hussein Obama, and that his father was a Muslim and that his paternal grandmother is a Muslim," said Kerrey. 

· Clinton invites voters to look inside her mouth.  Standing atop a stage in a livestock auction barn, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton likened the experience to her quest to woo undecided voters in the closing days before Iowa's pivotal caucuses.  "I've been to cattle barns before and sales before, in Arkansas, but I've never felt like I was the one that was being bid on," Clinton told a crowd in western Iowa. "I know you're going to inspect me. You can look inside my mouth if you want." 

· San Francisco Considers a Tax on Caffeine.  For years, the idea of taxing soda to beat back obesity has been tossed around in medical circles. But now, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is proposing a tax on caffeine. 

· Huckabee Pushes National Sales Tax in NH.  Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said eliminating federal income taxes in favor of a national sales tax would help save Social Security—an odd pitch in a state where residents pay no state income or sales taxes. 

· Mitchell defends naming stars in report.  George Mitchell insisted naming names was the right decision and said he was prepared for Roger Clemens and others to deny they used performance-enhancing drugs.  A day after Mitchell issued a searing report that implicated Clemens, seven former MVPs and more than 80 players in all, President Bush said he's been "troubled by the steroid allegations." 

· Pelosi buys $16K worth of flowers.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has spent $16,000 on flowers since taking office, one reason why she spent 63 percent more in her high-profile inaugural year than her low-key predecessor did last year.  Pelosi (D-Calif.) spent a little more than $3 million in the first nine months of 2007, records show, compared to the $1.8 million Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) spent during the same period in 2006. 

· Clinton Camp Targets Obama's Drug Use.  A top adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign said Wednesday that Democrats should give more thought to Sen. Barack Obama's admissions of illegal drug use before they pick a presidential candidate. Obama's campaign said the Clinton people were getting desperate.  Obama wrote about his teenage drug in his memoir, "Dreams from My Father." Mostly he smoked marijuana and drank alcohol, he wrote, but occasionally he would snort cocaine when he could afford it. 

· Buffett, Clinton: End breaks for rich.  Hillary Rodham Clinton argued Tuesday for keeping the inheritance tax in place, saying it is a key to ensuring the United States remains a meritocracy.  At a joint appearance with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, Clinton said the inheritance tax, due to be temporarily repealed in 2010, was a symbol of "what kind of society we are." 

· Waterboarding: Congress Knew.  After three days of screaming headlines about the CIA destroying videotapes in 2005 of the "harsh" interrogation of two terrorists, it now comes to light that in 2002 key members of Congress were fully briefed by the CIA about those interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. One member of that Congressional delegation was the future House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. 

· Tancredo says other candidates are 'pandering' by going to Spanish-language debate.  Expanding today on why he won't be at Sunday night's Spanish-language Republican presidential debate, Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo released a statement accusing his GOP rivals of "pandering" for votes by agreeing to be at the forum.  "It is the law that to become a naturalized citizen of this country you must have knowledge and understanding of English, including a basic ability to read, write, and speak the language," Tancredo said. 

· Clinton Volunteer Asked to Resign.  Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign on Sunday requested the resignation of a second Iowa volunteer coordinator who forwarded a hoax e-mail saying Barack Obama is a Muslim possibly intent on destroying the United States. 

· Oprah Campaigns for Obama.  The Oprah and Obama tour hit South Carolina Sunday, with the talk show host and medial mogul exhorting nearly 30,000 to ignore Barack Obama's detractors and help him capture the Democratic nomination and the presidency. 

· FAA reassures travelers after near-miss.  Air traffic control errors like the one that almost caused two airliners to collide near Chicago this week remain extremely rare and staffing levels are adequate despite controllers' complaints of fatigue and overwork, a federal aviation official said Friday. 

· Costume Flap Imperils Immigration Post.  Just when it appeared Julie Myers had cleared every hurdle in her quest to officially become the nation's top immigration official, a dreadlocked wig and a prisoner's outfit could cost her the job.  Myers, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ran into trouble earlier this month after she and two other agency managers gave the "most original" costume award to a white employee who came to the agency's Halloween party dressed as an escaped prisoner with dreadlocks and darkened skin. 

· Army Desertion Rate Highest Since 1980.  Soldiers strained by six years at war are deserting their posts at the highest rate since 1980, with the number of Army deserters this year showing an 80 percent increase since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. 

· Clinton opposes driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday came out against granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, after weeks of pressure in the presidential race to take a position on a now-failed ID plan from her home state governor.  Clinton stumbled when asked about the issue during a Democratic debate two weeks ago, and her new position comes the day before another debate in Nevada where opponents are expected to raise the issue again. 

· Edwards: "Americans must make sacrifices, pay higher taxes."  John Edwards says if he's elected president, he'll institute a New Deal-like suite of programs to fight poverty and stem growing wealth disparity. To do it, he said, he'll ask many Americans to make sacrifices, like paying higher taxes. 

· French president shows his temper to U.S. audience.  French President Nicolas Sarkozy showed flashes of temper and abruptly terminated a television interview aimed at introducing him to U.S. audiences.  In the interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" broadcast on Sunday, the French president sparred with the U.S. correspondent, called his press secretary an imbecile, said he was too busy to make time for a "stupid" interview and ended the whole conversation abruptly when asked about the state of his marriage to Cecilia. 

· Iraq, Afghan wars could cost $2.4 trillion by 2017.  The total cost, including debt servicing, of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could reach $2.4 trillion by 2017, a report by the Congressional Budget Office found. 

· Protestor painted in 'blood' accosts Condoleezza Rice.  A woman with her hands painted blood-red confronted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the US Congress Wednesday, shouting "war criminal" before being hauled away by Capitol security. 

· Candidate Calls for Raid on Immigration Bill Event.  Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado, a Republican presidential candidate whose fierce opposition to illegal immigration is the center of his campaign, contacted the immigration service yesterday demanding that agents raid a senator’s news conference.  The afternoon event on Capitol Hill was held by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and the leading sponsor of a bill that would give legal status to illegal immigrants who are high school graduates, if they attend college or serve in the United States military for two years. 

· Questions remain about housing secretary.  During an investigation of his conduct last year, Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson defiantly defended his interaction with federal contractors doing business with the Housing and Urban Development Department.  The FBI and HUD's inspector general are examining Jackson's ties to a friend who was paid at least $392,000 in federal money after Jackson passed along the man's name for a job as post-Katrina construction manager at the Housing Authority of New Orleans. 

· Amid uproar, county attorney drops charges against 'New Times' newspaper.  A criminal case against Phoenix New Times fell apart Friday amid a crush of public outrage and admissions that a special county prosecutor made serious mistakes.  Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas dismissed all charges against the free weekly newspaper less than 24 hours after two New Times owners were arrested for publishing details of a grand-jury subpoena that demanded the Internet records of any person who had visited the newspaper's Web site since 2004. 

· Verizon offers details on records releases.  Verizon Communications says it has provided federal, state and local law enforcement agencies tens of thousands of communication and business records relating to customers based on emergency requests without a court order or administrative subpoena. 

· Political TV advertising to hit $3 billion.  A wide-open presidential race and a willingness by candidates, interest groups, unions and corporations to buy TV time will lead to historic spending for political and issue-advocacy advertising in the 2008 election cycle, an analysis shows. 

· Gore, U.N. Body Win Nobel Peace Prize.  Former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Friday for their efforts to spread awareness of man-made climate change and lay the foundations for counteracting it.  "I am deeply honored to receive the Nobel Peace Prize," Gore said. "We face a true planetary emergency. 

· Obama urges California to give tuition breaks to illegal immigrants.  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday urged Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a bill that would make illegal immigrant students who graduate from high school eligible for college aid. 

· Craig Vows to Stay Despite Court Loss.  Idaho Sen. Larry Craig defiantly vowed to serve out his term in office on Thursday despite losing a court attempt to rescind his guilty plea in a men's room sex sting.  "I have seen that it is possible for me to work here effectively," Craig said in a written statement certain to disappoint fellow Republicans who have long urged him to step down. 

· Judge rejects Craig's bid to withdraw guilty plea.  A Minnesota judge has denied Sen. Larry Craig's request to withdraw his guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from his arrest in an airport men's room sex sting.  In a 27-page order, Judge Charles Porter found Craig had entered the guilty plea "accurately, voluntarily and intelligently" and it was too late to withdraw his admission. 

· Democrats miss budget deadline.  The most basic job of Congress is to pass the bills that pay the costs of running the government. After criticizing Republicans for falling down on the job last year, Democrats now are the ones stumbling.  The government's new budget year begins Monday, but Congress has not completed even one of the dozen spending bills. 

· Edwards to Accept Public Campaign Funds.  Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards reversed course Thursday by signing onto the public financing system he once rejected with the belief he could raise more money on his own.  The 2004 vice presidential nominee claimed higher moral ground in the debate over money in politics while announcing the change. But it is a consequence of him bringing in far fewer dollars than his top rivals Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

· NY Times says discount for Petraeus ad was mistake.  The New York Times said on Sunday it made a mistake in charging a discounted rate for printing a political ad that attacked the top U.S. general in Iraq, angering Republicans and drawing charges the newspaper is politically biased. 

· Saddam asked Bush for $1 billion to go into exile.  Saddam Hussein offered to step down and go into exile one month before the invasion of Iraq, it was claimed last night. Fearing defeat, Saddam was prepared to go peacefully in return for $1billion. The White House refused to comment on the report last night. If verified, it is certain to raise questions in Washington and London over whether the costly four-year war could have been averted. 

· Senator Craig to Stay in Senate, for Now.  After arguments were heard in court today in Minneapolis, in which lawyers for Senator Larry Craig sought to undo his guilty plea in the airport restroom case, Mr. Craig issued a brief statement that was posted on his Senate Web site:  “Today was a major step in the legal effort to clear my name. The court has not issued a ruling on my motion to withdraw my guilty plea. For now, I will continue my work in the United States Senate for Idaho." 

· New York Drops Citizenship Proof For Driver's Licenses.  They were celebrating outside the New York governor's office Friday as Eliot Spitzer handed a landmark victory to a half-million illegal immigrants.  The state will no longer require proof of citizenship for driver's licenses. 

· Putin Dissolves Russian Government.  President Vladimir Putin dissolved Russia's government Wednesday in a major political shakeup ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections, the Kremlin said.  The dissolution is expected to result in a new prime minister, who will be seen as Putin's choice to succeed him after he steps down next spring. 

· Cindy Sheehan arrested at Petraeus hearing.  Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Monday in or near the hearing room where Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are testifying on the situation in Iraq, according to the U.S. Capitol Police. 

· Dems join GOP in slamming ad attacking Petraeus.  A liberal advocacy group's print ad attacking Gen. David Petraeus drew a firestorm of criticism from both sides of the aisle on Monday. The ad, running in Monday's edition of the New York Times, shows a picture of Petraeus. Bold letters spell out "General Petraeus or General Betray us?" Moveon.org Political Action, which paid for the ad, accuses Petraeus of "cooking the books for the White House." 

· Hagel is calling it quits.  Chuck Hagel will announce Monday that he is retiring from the U.S. Senate and will not run for president next year, people close to the Nebraska Republican said Friday. Hagel plans to announce that "he will not run for re-election and that he does not intend to be a candidate for any office in 2008." 

· Thompson Announces Candidacy on Leno.  Fred Thompson officially entered a wide-open Republican presidential race Thursday, vowing to invigorate a dispirited GOP and promising to thwart another Clinton from capturing the presidency.  "In 1992, we were down after a Clinton victory," Thompson said in a 15-minute Webcast that laid out the rationale for the candidacy he also declared on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. 

· Craig supporters call for boycott of Minneapolis airport.  Supporters of Sen. Larry Craig with the American Land Rights Association are calling for a boycott of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport.  The Battle Ground (Washington) based association says airport police who arrested the senator in a men's room sex sting are responsible for weakening private property rights. 

· Sen. Craig Resigns Over Sex Sting.  Idaho Sen. Larry Craig resigned Saturday over a men's room sex sting, bowing to pressure from Republicans worried about a scandal dimming their election prospects.  "I apologize for what I have caused," Craig said. 

· Embattled Sen. Craig may resign today.  Several well-placed GOP sources in Washington and Idaho have told CNN that embattled Republican Sen. Larry Craig is likely to resign soon, possibly as early as today. 

· White House Press Secretary Snow Resigns.  President Bush announced Friday that press secretary Tony Snow, who has waged a battle with cancer while manning the White House lectern, will resign and be replaced by his deputy, Dana Perino.  Snow, who had said recently that he would leave before the end of Bush's presidency, said cancer was not the reason he was stepping down. 

· Bush to propose subprime plan.  President Bush will direct Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson to team up to help troubled mortgage holders get the services and products they need to avoid defaulting on their loans, the official said. 

· GOP senator arrested for lewd conduct.  Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, was arrested at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men's public restroom, according to an arrest report. 

· Bush Motorcade Crash Kills N.M. Officer.  A police officer in President Bush's motorcade crashed his motorcycle and died Monday, less than a year after a crash in Hawaii killed another motorcycle officer accompanying the president. 

· Attorney General Gonzales resigns.  Embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned, senior administration officials told CNN Monday.  President Bush will likely nominate Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to the position, senior administration officials said. Clay Johnson, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, would replace Chertoff, the officials said. 

· Mexico Senate Takes Up Migrant's Cause.  A Mexican Senate committee passed a measure Wednesday urging President Felipe Calderon to send a diplomatic note to the United States protesting the deportation of an illegal migrant who took refuge in a Chicago church for a year. 

· U.S. officials rethink hopes for Iraq democracy.  Nightmarish political realities in Baghdad are prompting American officials to curb their vision for democracy in Iraq. Instead, the officials now say they are willing to settle for a government that functions and can bring security. 

· U.S. Congress approval rating drops again.  Approval of the job the U.S. Congress is doing has tied a historical low of just 18 percent, a Gallup poll published Wednesday said. 

· CIA criticizes ex-chief over 9/11.  A CIA inquiry has accused the agency's ex-chief George Tenet and his aides of failing to prepare for al-Qaeda threats before the 9/11 attacks on the US.  "The agency and its officers did not discharge their responsibilities in a satisfactory manner," the CIA inspector general wrote in a scathing report. 

· Federal deficit down to $157.3 billion.  The federal deficit so far this budget year is running sharply lower, driven by record revenues pouring into government coffers.  The Treasury Department reported on Friday that the government produced a deficit of $157.3 billion for the budget year that began last Oct. 1. That's a substantial improvement from the red ink figure of $239.6 billion produced for the corresponding 10-month period last year. 

· McCain changes course on immigration.  Republican presidential hopeful John McCain on Thursday backed a scaled-down proposal that imposes strict rules to end illegal immigration but doesn't include a path to citizenship.  The move away from a comprehensive measure is an about-face for the Arizona senator, who had been a leading GOP champion of a bill that included a guest worker program and would have legalized many of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. It failed earlier this year. 

· Obama changes mind on nukes in mid sentence.  Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday he would not use nuclear weapons "in any circumstance" to fight terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Then he quickly added to the Associated Press reporter, "Let me scratch that." 

· AP Poll: GOP pick is 'none of the above.'  The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney, and no one candidate has emerged as the clear front-runner among Christian evangelicals. Such dissatisfaction underscores the volatility of the 2008 GOP nomination fight.  In sharp contrast, the Democratic race remains static, with Hillary Rodham Clinton holding a sizable lead over Barack Obama. 

· Lawmaker admits error in Nazi reference.  The nation's first Muslim congressman said Tuesday that he erred in comparing the Bush administration's response to Sept. 11 to an event that led to Adolf Hitler's consolidation of power in Nazi Germany. 

· Senator sorry after number appears on D.C. Madam's list.  Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, apologized Monday night for "a very serious sin in my past" after his telephone number appeared among those associated with an escort service operated by the so-called "D.C. Madam." 

· Bloomberg Quits Republican Party.  A little past 6 p.m. on the evening of June 19, Michael Bloomberg’s press office sent out the following statement: “I have filed papers with the New York City Board of Elections to change my status as a voter and register as unaffiliated with any political party.”  And just like that, all the theories about the Mayor’s independent candidacy for President in 2008 became not so theoretical. 

· Politician Charged With Coke Distribution.  South Carolina Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, a former real estate developer who became a rising political star after his election last year, was indicted Tuesday on federal cocaine charges. 

· Immigration bill fails.  An immigration bill that would legalize millions of people in the U.S. unlawfully failed a crucial vote Thursday night. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid then withdrew the bill, spelling its defeat for the year. The bill, endorsed by President Bush, would have tightened borders and provided a pathway to legal status for up to 12 million illegal immigrants. 

· Ala. Lawmaker Punches Senate Colleague.  Simmering tensions in the Alabama Senate boiled over Thursday when a Republican lawmaker punched a Democratic colleague in the head before they were pulled apart. Republican Sen. Charles Bishop claimed that Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron called him a "son of a (expletive)." "I responded to his comment with my right hand," Bishop said. Alabama Public Television tape captured the punch. 

· Update: Flynt says he has dirt on Congress.  "Hustler" publisher Larry Flynt - just days after posting a $1 million bounty for verifiable information on the sexual exploits of U.S. Congress members and political leaders - says he's already been deluged by more than 200 leads pouring in from around the country, "80 percent of them on Republicans."  "I'm not interested in exposing anyone's sex life," Flynt said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "It's the hypocrisy I'm after." 

· Obama Warns of 'Quiet Riot' Among Blacks.  Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said the Bush administration has done nothing to defuse a "quiet riot" among blacks that threatens to erupt just as riots in Los Angeles did 15 years ago. 

· Libby sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison.  Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Tuesday for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation. 

· Jury Indicts Louisiana Congressman in Bribery Probe  Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money-laundering in a long- running bribery investigation into business deals he tried to broker in Africa.  Almost two years ago, in August 2005, investigators raided Jefferson's home in Louisiana and found $90,000 in cash stuffed into a box in his freezer. He was re-elected last year despite the looming investigation. 

· Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., draws ire of open government backers.  Advocates of a bill promoting openness in government are fuming that a Republican senator is blocking a vote on the measure. Dozens of journalism and advocacy groups supporting the Open Government Act say it would speed up the government's response to public requests for information under the federal Freedom of Information law. 

· Border security scrutinized after TB patient's travels.  A senior House member wants to know how a dangerously infected man managed to get through U.S. Customs and Border Protection even though his passport had been flagged in their computer system. Andrew Speaker, an Atlanta, Georgia, personal-injury lawyer infected with extremely drug-resistant TB, flew from Europe into Canada to avoid a no-fly order in the United States. 

· Japanese Minister Commits Suicide.  Japan's agriculture minister died Monday after hanging himself just hours before he was to face questioning in a political scandal, officials said, dealing a powerful blow to the increasingly beleaguered government ahead of July elections.  Toshikatsu Matsuoka, 62, was found in his apartment Monday unconscious and declared dead hours later. 

· Congress approves minimum-wage increase.  America's lowest-paid workers won a $2.10 raise Thursday, with Congress approving the first increase in the federal minimum wage in almost a decade. President Bush was expected to sign the bill quickly, and workers who now make $5.15 an hour will see their paychecks go up by 70 cents per hour before the end of the summer. 

· Carter: Bush Admin. Is "Worst In History."  Former President Carter says President Bush's administration is "the worst in history" in international relations, taking aim at the White House's policy of pre-emptive war and its Middle East diplomacy. 

· Edwards: Move Past 'War on Terror.'  Democrat John Edwards Wednesday repudiated the notion that there is a "global war on terror," calling it an ideological doctrine advanced by the Bush administration that has strained American military resources and emboldened terrorists. 

· Air America to relaunch with A-listers.  Air America is scheduling a high-profile lineup of presidential candidates, political players and celebrities for next week as part of the liberal talk network's "relaunch" after suffering financial woes. 

· Senator rear-ends Vallejo woman while talking on cell phone.  Vallejo woman reportedly suffered minor injuries Friday when her car was rear-ended by an SUV driven by a state senator talking on a cell phone while driving through Solano County. State Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, was driving her new state-issued 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV when the crash occurred. Migden last year voted for a new law that takes effect in July 2008 that will impose a minimum fine of $20 for anyone caught using a cell phone while driving without a headset, ear bud or other technology that frees both hands. 

· Bush 'told British troops will leave Iraq.'  President George W. Bush has been told to prepare for a British U-turn on Iraq once Gordon Brown becomes prime minister. Bush has been briefed by White House officials to expect an announcement on British troop withdrawals during Brown's first 100 days in office, the weekly said. 

· Blair could be next World Bank president, says economist.  Tony Blair is a contender for the job of president of the World Bank, according to one of America's most respected economists. 

· White House to Quickly Replace Wolfowitz.  Trying to put a controversy behind it, the Bush administration was wasting no time finding a successor to World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, who will resign over his handling of a pay package for his girlfriend. 

· Deal Struck on Immigration Bill.  Key senators in both parties announced agreement with the White House Thursday on an immigration overhaul that would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and fortify the border. The plan would create a temporary worker program to bring new arrivals to the U.S. 

· No. 2 official at Justice Department resigns.  The No. 2 official at the Justice Department, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, submitted his resignation to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the Justice Department announced Monday. McNulty cited personal reasons for his resignation. 

· Reagan diaries reveal president's private musings.  Ronald Reagan saved his most private and dramatic thoughts for a handwritten book - a diary in which he recalled his running frustration with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, his fear that Armageddon was near and coughing up blood on the day he was shot.  Reagan hand-wrote diary entries every day of his eight years in office from 1981 to 1989 except for when he was in the hospital after being shot on March 30, 1981, about which he wrote, "Getting shot hurts." 

· Bush vetoes 'date for failure' war-spending bill.  President Bush said Tuesday he vetoed a $124 billion war-spending bill that called for U.S. combat troops to leave Iraq in 2008, arguing that it replaced "the opinion of politicians for the judgment of our military commanders." He said: "Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure." 

· Chavez seizes control from big oil.  President Hugo Chavez's government took over Venezuela's last remaining privately run oil fields today, intensifying a decisive struggle with big oil over one of the world's most lucrative deposits. The companies giving up control include BP, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Chevron. 

· N.J. governor will pay for medical costs of crash.  Multimillionaire Gov. Jon S. Corzine will forgo his state health insurance and spend hundreds of thousands of his own money to pay for his medical care from a serious car accident, a spokesman said Friday. 

· Dems Fault Bush Over Iraq in 1st Debate.  Democratic presidential hopefuls flashed their anti-war credentials Thursday night, heaping criticism on President Bush's Iraq policy in the first debate of the 2008 campaign. "The first day I would get us out of Iraq by diplomacy," said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, one of eight rivals on the debate stage. "If this president does not get us out of Iraq, when I am president, I will," pledged Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. 

· 15 British sailors "pardoned" by Iranian president.  Iran is to free the 15 UK sailors and marines taken captive a fortnight ago as a "gift" to Britain. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said they would be released after a news conference currently being held in the capital Tehran. 

· Obama Bests Clinton in Primary Fundraising.  ABC News has learned that the $23.5 million Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., raised for his presidential campaign for use in the primaries is more than that raised by the Democratic frontrunner, Sen. Hillary Clinton. 

· Aide: U.S. attorneys fired over politics.  Eight federal prosecutors were fired last year because they did not sufficiently support President Bush's priorities, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' former chief of staff says in remarks prepared for delivery Thursday to Congress. 

· Tests Show Tony Snow's Cancer Has Returned.  Presidential spokesman Tony Snow's surgery to remove a small growth showed that his cancer has returned and spread to his liver, the White House said Tuesday. 

· Senate ‘emergency’ war bill includes $100 million for presidential conventions.  Like their counterparts in the House, the Senate has larded its version of an “emergency” war spending bill with nearly $20 billion in pork-barrel outlays, including $100 million for the major political parties’ 2008 presidential conventions. 

· Fifty percent of adults would not vote for Clinton.  Half of voting-age Americans say they would not vote for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) if she became the Democratic nominee for president in 2008, according to a Harris Interactive poll released Tuesday. 

· U.N. Approves Tougher Sanctions on Iran.  The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted Saturday to impose new sanctions against Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium - a move intended to show Tehran that defiance will leave it increasingly isolated. Iran immediately rejected the sanctions and said it had no intention of suspending its enrichment program, prompting the United States to warn of even tougher penalties. 

· Senate aide charged with carrying weapon.  A Senate aide was arrested Monday on charges of bringing a firearm into the Russell Senate building, U.S. Capitol police told NBC News.  Kimberly Schneider, a spokeswoman for the police, said the aide worked for Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. He entered the building at 10:50 a.m., she said, and was in possession of an unregistered firearm. 

· Ex-Deputy to Plead Guilty in Lobby Case.  Former Deputy Interior Secretary Steven Griles has decided to plead guilty to one count of obstruction of justice in the Jack Abramoff corruption investigation, The Associated Press has learned.  Griles, an oil and gas lobbyist who became an architect of President Bush's energy policies while at the Interior Department between July 2001 and July 2005, is the highest ranking Bush administration official implicated in the Washington lobbying scandal. 

· Congressman: Parts Of Iraq Are As Safe As Detroit.  Republican congressman Tim Walberg from Michigan said that parts of Iraq are no more dangerous than Detroit is drawing criticism from the mayor's office and the state Democratic Party. 

· Update: Edwards Will Continue Presidential Run.  John Edwards said Thursday his wife's cancer has returned, but said he will continue his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. "The campaign goes on. The campaign goes on strongly," Edwards told reporters, his wife by his side. 

· Schwarzenegger on Limbaugh show after calling him 'irrelevant.'  Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made nice with Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday, calling in to his radio program a day after he dismissed the conservative host as "irrelevant."  Limbaugh, who a day earlier had accused the governor of abandoning the conservative cause, treated Schwarzenegger cordially. But he pressed him on recent political moves, such as his $12 billion universal health care proposal, that have angered conservatives. 

· Boxer criticized for Gore e-mail.  Al Gore, global warming rock star, will grab the media spotlight today before Sen. Barbara Boxer's Environment and Public Works Committee - and Boxer is using Gore's appearance to help raise money for her 2010 re-election campaign.  In an e-mail sent earlier this month, Boxer asked her supporters to sign an online thank-you card to Gore "for his many years of leadership and hard work," which she plans to give to him today. So far, more than 63,000 people have signed the card, according to a campaign consultant.  Next to the link for signing the card is a link to "contribute today" to the Friends of Barbara Boxer, which takes the user to instructions on how to donate online. 

· Study Finds One-Third in Washington D.C. Illiterate.  About one-third of the people living in the national's capital are functionally illiterate, compared with about one-fifth nationally, according to a report on the District of Columbia. Adults are considered functionally illiterate if they have trouble doing such things as comprehending bus schedules, reading maps and filling out job applications. 

· Halliburton to move headquarters to Dubai.  Texas-based Halliburton is moving its headquarters and chief executive to Dubai in a move that immediately sparked criticism from some U.S. politicians.  The company said it was making the moves to position itself better to gain contracts in the oil-rich Middle East. 

· Judge rules against Sudan in bombing.  A federal judge said Wednesday that Sudan is responsible for the bombing of the USS Cole but he needs more time to determine damages for the families of the 17 sailors killed when terrorists bombed the ship in 2000. 

· $18 million emergency communications system not used in tornado chaos.  In the chaos after a tornado killed nine people in Enterprise, Alabama, emergency workers had trouble talking to one another because they tried to use their cell phones instead of the state's $18 million emergency communications upgrade, officials say.  "People were frustrated, but all they had to do was turn on their radios," state Homeland Security Director Jim Walker said. 

· Immigration bill may finally get jump-start.  After years of debate and deadlock, Congress seems to have all the ingredients this year to revamp a broken immigration system and devise a way to handle up to 12 million undocumented immigrants while tightening border security. 

· Democrats cancel Fox News debate.  Nevada Democratic Party officials said on Friday they were canceling a presidential debate co-sponsored by Fox News, following a joke chairman Roger Ailes made about Democratic candidate Barack Obama. 

· Justice Dept.: FBI Misused Patriot Act.  The FBI improperly and, in some cases, illegally used the USA Patriot Act to secretly obtain personal information about people in the United States, a Justice Department audit concluded Friday.  And for three years the FBI underreported to Congress how often it forced businesses to turn over the customer data, the audit found. 

· Gingrich had affair during Clinton probe.  Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich acknowledged he was having an extramarital affair even as he led the charge against President Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky affair, he said in an interview with a conservative Christian group. 

· Libby Found Guilty in CIA Leak Trial.  Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted Tuesday of obstruction, perjury and lying to the FBI in an investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's identity.  Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was accused of lying and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to reporters. 

· Evangelical leader says Giuliani's divorce a problem.  A Southern Baptist leader said Tuesday that evangelical voters might tolerate a divorced presidential candidate, but they have deep doubts about GOP hopeful Rudy Giuliani, who has been married three times. 

· Senate: Airport screeners can unionize.  The Senate voted Tuesday to give 45,000 airport screeners the same union rights as border patrol, customs and immigration agents, despite a veto threat from the White House.  "It's absolutely absurd," said Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. "Terrorists don't go on strike. Terrorists don't call their union to negotiate before they attack." 

· Hillary Clinton adopts Southern Drawl.  New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has traveled farrrr on her road to running for the Democratic nomination for president. 

· Companies pull ads from Coulter's Web site.  At least three major companies want their ads pulled from Ann Coulter's Web site, following customer complaints about the right-wing commentator referring to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards as a "faggot."  Verizon, Sallie Mae and Georgia-based NetBank each said they didn't know their ads were on AnnCoulter.com until they received the complaints. 

· Army Secretary Resigns in Scandal's Wake.  Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey abruptly stepped down Friday as the Bush administration struggled to cope with the fallout from a scandal over substandard conditions for wounded Iraq soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 

· McCain to formally announce bid in April.  Republican Sen. John McCain will officially enter the presidential race — his second run after a bitter loss to George W. Bush in 2000 — with a formal announcement in early April after a trip to Iraq. The Arizona senator discussed the timing of the long-expected announcement with reporters at an awards reception Wednesday evening a few hours after taping an appearance on CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman.” 

· Oscars for Al Gore Global Warming Film.  Former vice president Al Gore used the success of his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth" to expand his efforts to educate people about global warming - and to tell a few jokes. The film turned Gore's road show about climate change into a film that won Academy Awards for best documentary and best song. 

· Cheney unhurt in blast outside Afghan base.  A suicide bomber attacked the entrance to the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan Tuesday during a visit by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, killing up to 23 people and wounding 20 more.  The Taliban claimed responsibility and said Cheney was the target. 

· Judge Dismisses CIA Leak Trial Juror.  A juror was dismissed from the trial of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on Monday after court officials learned she had been exposed to information about the case over the weekend. 

· Clinton-Obama tussle reveals real issues.  The long-term impact of the Tinseltown tussle between the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns is no big deal, but it raises a big issue in the 2008 race for president. CNN's Bill Schneider asks if either can be elected. "There are some Democrats that wonder if either one can win," political analyst Stu Rothenberg says. 

· Blair to announce Iraq withdrawal plan.  Prime Minister Tony Blair will announce on Wednesday a new timetable for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, with 1,500 to return home in several weeks. The announcement comes even as President Bush implements a surge of 21,000 more troops for Iraq. 

· Obama, Clinton Rivalry Flares Over Donor.  The Clinton campaign demanded that Obama denounce comments made by the DreamWorks movie studio founder, who told New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd in Wednesday's editions that while "everybody in politics lies," the former president and his wife "do it with such ease, it's troubling." 

· San Francisco mayor to seek rehab for alcohol use.  Mayor Gavin Newsom said he plans to seek counseling for alcohol use, following the disclosure that he had an affair with the wife of a trusted aide.  Newsom, 39, said that although "my problems with alcohol are not an excuse for my personal lapses in judgment," he had stopped drinking and wanted professional help staying sober. 

· Iraqi lawmaker is embassy bomber.  A man sentenced to death in Kuwait for the 1983 bombings of the U.S. and French embassies now sits in Iraq's parliament. 

· Giuliani Moves Closer To Presidential Run.  Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor whose popularity soared after his response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, moved closer to a full-fledged campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday. 

· Bush Sends Congress $2.90 Trillion Spending Plan.  President Bush sent a $2.90 trillion spending plan to a Democratic-controlled Congress on Monday, proposing a big increase in military spending, including billions more to fight the war in Iraq, while squeezing the rest of government to meet his goal of eliminating the deficit in five years. 

· Edwards' health care plan includes taxes.  Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards wants to provide health care coverage for the 47 million people who currently lack it and reduce the cost of coverage for middle-class families.  The plan could cost up to $120 billion a year, and the candidate acknowledged it would require higher taxes. 

· Sharpton Takes Biden to Task on Remarks.  Civil rights activist Al Sharpton on Thursday took Sen. Joe Biden to task for calling Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama "articulate" and "clean," questioning how the description reflects on other blacks. 

· Louisiana Governor Lashes Out at Bush.  Gov. Kathleen Blanco angrily criticized President Bush on Wednesday for not mentioning 2005's destructive hurricanes in his State of the Union speech, and said Louisiana is being shortchanged in federal recovery funding for political reasons. "I guess the pain of the hurricane is yesterday's news in Washington," Blanco said. 

· Obama: Name Not an Advantage in Campaign.  Sen. Barack Obama doesn't think name recognition is necessarily a plus as he seeks the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 2008. "When your name is Barack Obama, you're always an underdog in political races. 

· State of the Union: Bush Urges Congress to Embrace Iraq Policy.  President Bush wants Congress to give his controversial strategy for Iraq a chance to work. Defiant Democrats say they'll give it a vote, and use their newly won control over the House and Senate to oppose the deployment of an additional 21,500 troops.  "And we will continue to hold him accountable for changing course in Iraq," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday night in a blunt response issued before the applause had fully faded on Bush's State of the Union address. 

· Clinton Launches 2008 White House Bid.  Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton embarked on a widely anticipated campaign for the White House today, a former first lady intent on becoming the first female president. "I'm in and I'm in to win," she said on her Web site.  Clinton's announcement, days after Sen. Barack Obama shook up the contest race with his bid to become the first black president, establishes the most diverse political field ever. 

· Pelosi Won't Block Iraq Funding to Stop Troop Surge.  There may be a growing battle between Congress and the president over the Iraq War strategy, but new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she won't block funding for additional troops. 

· Ford's assessment of fellow presidents released.  In 25 years of interviews with his hometown paper that could only be released upon his death, former President Ford once called Jimmy Carter a "disaster" who ranked alongside Warren Harding, and said Ronald Reagan received far too much credit for ending the Cold War. 

· Speaker looking for way to pay for tax cuts for middle-class.  Democrats are not ruling out raising taxes for the wealthiest people to help pay for tax cuts for middle-income families, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. 

· Cunningham on way to work camp.  Former Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham is headed to a federal prison camp outside Tucson, Ariz., his lawyer said yesterday. Ex-lawmaker Randy "Duke" Cunningham is serving eight years for taking bribes. Cunningham was sentenced March 3 to eight years, four months in prison for conspiracy and tax evasion after admitting he took more than $2.4 million in bribes from federal contractors. 

· Israel's "secret plan" no longer a secret.  Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons. Two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear “bunker-busters”, according to several Israeli military sources. 

· Pelosi becomes first woman House speaker.  Rep. Nancy Pelosi became the first woman speaker of the House of Representatives on Thursday, as Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress.  "I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship," Pelosi said, taking the symbol of her new job from Republican minority leader John Boehner. 

· Pelosi says no to C-SPAN's request on floor proceedings.  Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi cited the need to preserve the "dignity and decorum" of the House as she rejected a request Friday that C-SPAN operate its own cameras in covering the chamber. 

· Obama admits to cocaine use.  According to the Washington Post, "Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has become the first potential presidential contender to admit trying cocaine. What remains to be seen is whether the candor he offered will be greeted with a new-style acceptance by voters." 

· U.S. Deaths in Iraq Exceed 9/11 Count.  The U.S. military on Tuesday announced the deaths of six more American soldiers, pushing the U.S. military death toll since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003 to at least 2,978 - five more than the number killed in the Sept. 11 attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. 

· U.N. Official Pleads Guilty to Bribery Charges.  Nishan Kohli has pleaded guilty to providing a former U.N. procurement officer with cash and pricey Manhattan real estate in exchange for help winning more than $65 million in contracts with the world body, a U.S. attorney said Thursday. 

· Congress Rebukes Okla. City Probe.  The FBI failed to fully investigate information suggesting other suspects may have helped Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols with the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, allowing questions to linger more than a decade after the deadly attack, a congressional inquiry concludes. 

· Bush Says U.S. Not Winning War in Iraq.  President Bush, who has contended that the U.S. was winning the war in Iraq, said Tuesday for the first time that American forces were not winning there. He also said the military would be expanded to fight a long-term battle against terrorism. 

· Florida professor admits he was Cuban spy.  A Florida professor admitted Tuesday he had been a Cuban spy for nearly 30 years, and his wife - also a professor - admitted she knew of his conduct, authorities said. Authorities said U.S. agents eavesdropped as Alvarez received sophisticated communications equipment from Cuban intelligence designed to keep his activities secret. 

· Half of Tsunami donations still unused.  About half of the billions of dollars donated by individuals, companies and governments worldwide to help the victims of the southeast Asian tsunami two years ago has still not been spent, the BBC said. According to figures obtained by the broadcaster from a database compiled by the United Nations Department for Aid and Development, several foreign governments have also only given only a small proportion, and at times none, of the money they promised. 

· Cynthia McKinney's parting shot: Bill to impeach Bush.  In what was likely her final legislative act in Congress, outgoing Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney announced a bill Friday to impeach President Bush.  The legislation has no chance of passing and serves as a symbolic parting shot not only at Bush but also at Democratic leaders. Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, has made clear that she will not entertain proposals to sanction Bush and has warned the liberal wing of her party against making political hay of impeachment. 

· Foley panel: GOP left pages vulnerable.  Republican lawmakers and aides left male pages vulnerable to Rep. Mark Foley's improper sexual advances even though the first concerns surfaced more than a decade ago, the ethics committee said Friday in a report into an election-year scandal that convulsed the House. The committee said one witness testified that he warned one lawmaker, Illinois Rep. John Shimkus, a year ago that he viewed Foley as a "ticking time bomb" who had been confronted repeatedly. 

· Congress open to passing bill on immigration.  Congress will approve an immigration bill that will grant citizenship rights to most of the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the U.S. after Democrats take control next month, predict both sides on Capitol Hill. 

· Bolton front and center of U.N. Security Council issues.  The resignation of John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations ends an era when the focus of U.S. diplomacy often rested, for better or for worse, on the man himself. 

· Democrats Reject Key 9/11 Panel Suggestion.  It was a solemn pledge, repeated by Democratic leaders and candidates over and over: If elected to the majority in Congress, Democrats would implement all of the recommendations of the bipartisan commission that examined the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.  Now Democrats are balking, just as Republicans did before them. 

· Likability poll bad news for Kerry.  Democratic Sen. John Kerry, mulling a second bid for the U.S. presidency, finished dead last in a poll released on Monday on the likability of 20 top American political figures. 

· U.S. Embassy Asks Bush Twins to Leave Country.  Amid a growing barrage of front-page headlines, U.S. embassy officials "strongly suggested" President Bush's twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara Bush, cut short their trip to Buenos Aires because of security issues. 

· Streisand basks in "Happy Days" after Dems victory.  Barbra Streisand ended her latest farewell tour on Monday at a celebrity-studded Los Angeles love-in that included incoming Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi among the thousands of rapt fans.  Taking note of the recent Democratic takeover of both houses of Congress, Streisand said, "My depression is over." 

· Kerry: 'Botched' war joke won't hurt me.  Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry insisted on Sunday his "botched joke" about President Bush's Iraq policy would not undermine a possible White House campaign in 2008. 

· Colorado legal system explained to Saudi king.  Colorado's attorney general flew home after meeting with Saudi Arabia's king in Riyadh about a Saudi-born man convicted in Denver of enslaving a woman.  John Suthers went to Riyadh at the request of the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia and the state department to ease the Saudi royal family's concerns about the 20-years-to-life sentence for Homaidan Al-Turki, 37, of Aurora, Colorado. 

· Rep. Rangel Will Seek to Reinstate Draft.  Americans would have to sign up for a new military draft after turning 18 if the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has his way.  Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said Sunday he sees his idea as a way to deter politicians from launching wars and to bolster U.S. troop levels insufficient to cover potential future action in Iran, North Korea and Iraq. 

· Foley at dad's grave: 'I disappointed him so much.'  Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley sobbed Saturday as he delivered a eulogy at his father's grave, alluding to his resignation from Congress amid a sex scandal as disheartening to his dad.  "I disappointed him so much," said Foley, surrounded by about 50 friends and family. "But he was so good of a man." 

· Democrats to quickly target oil industry tax breaks.  House Democrats are targeting billions of dollars in oil company tax breaks for quick repeal next year. A broader energy proposal that would boost alternative energy sources and conservation is expected to be put off until later. 

· Secret Service agent wounded in triple shooting at mall.  An off-duty Secret Service agent was shot after intervening in a fight in a shopping mall food court Saturday evening, and he returned fire, wounding the shooter, police said. 

· San Francisco votes to impeach Bush.  The latest round of San Francisco-bashing started on Election Day, when San Francisco voters—80 percent of whom re-elected Pelosi—also got a chance to approve Proposition J, a measure calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. 

· Foley: 'It's just been a real hard time.'  Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record), who has been in seclusion for weeks, attended a visitation Friday for his father, who died this week of complications from cancer. Foley checked himself into an Arizona facility Oct. 1 for what he said was treatment for alcoholism. "It's just been a real hard time," Foley said. 

· Alaska 'bridge to nowhere' funding stopped.  Fiscal conservatives in Congress won a rare victory Wednesday when lawmakers scuttled plans to spend $230 million to help build "the bridge to nowhere," a span that would lead to an Alaskan island populated by about 50 people. 

· $90 million in Cuban assets go to families of executed men.  The families of two men executed by Fidel Castro's government will receive more than $90 million in Cuban assets held in the United States, a federal judge ruled Friday. 

· Half-baked attempt to kill Supreme Court crumbles.  Cookies mailed to the U.S. Supreme Court last year contained enough rat poison to kill all nine justices, retired member Sandra Day O'Connor said at a conference last week. 

· White House Resubmits 6 Court Nominees.  The Bush administration, trying to push through judicial nominations before Republicans lose control of the Senate, resubmitted six nominees deemed by Democrats too conservative for the federal bench. 

· Ted Turner Speaks.  Ted Turner, the Mouth of the South, didn't disappoint at the Slate 60 Philanthropy Conference. "I'm proud to be here," he told the crowd in Little Rock, Ark. "Aren't you all proud to be here? . . . I'd rather be here than with a bunch of Nazis, you know, trying to kill people or at the Pentagon figuring who we're going to bomb next - Afghanistan or Iraq . . . Too bad we didn't have a presidential election last week." 

· Pelosi Faces Leadership Test With Vote.  House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi faces a major leadership test Thursday, barely a week into her new role, as Democrats vote on her choice for majority leader. She's supporting a lawmaker once caught up in a bribery scandal and known more recently for trading votes for pork projects. 

· San Francisco: Supervisors ban plastic to-go boxes, ease pot enforcement.  The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to outlaw the use of plastic foam to-go containers by city restaurants and to effectively decriminalize the use, sale and cultivation of marijuana by adults. 

· Dominick's Dunne it again, Condit says in defame suit.  Famed writer Dominick Dunne can't stop blabbing about Gary Condit, the ex-California congressman who was forced to fend off claims that he withheld information from authorities about the slaying of Washington intern Chandra Levy. For the second time in four years, Condit is suing Dunne for defamation.  After leaving Congress in 2003, Condit moved to Arizona, where for a time he and his family were reportedly running a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store. 

· Immigrants May Be Held Indefinitely.  Immigrants arrested in the United States may be held indefinitely on suspicion of terrorism and may not challenge their imprisonment in civilian courts, the Bush administration said Monday, opening a new legal front in the fight over the rights of detainees. 

· Arkansas governor registered for "wedding gifts."  “Wedding” registries in the names of Gov. Mike Huckabee and his wife of 32 years, Janet, have been set up at two department store chains in advance of the Huckabees’ move out of the Governor’s Mansion into a private home.  Arkansas law prohibits public servants from accepting any gift worth more than $100, except for wedding or engagement gifts. 

· Democrats say will push for Iraq withdrawal.  Democrats, who won control of the U.S. Congress, said on Sunday they will push to begin withdrawing American troops from Iraq in the next few months but the White House cautioned against fixing timetables. 

· Democrats Now Look to Sustain Majority.  Voters gave Democrats control of Congress but did not undergo an ideological conversion. The Democrats' success had more to do with anger toward President Bush, weariness over the war and contempt for the corruption and scandal in Congress - a confluence of negatives that became a political force. 

· McCain Begins Preliminary White House Run.  His party may have taken "a thumpin'," in the words of President Bush, but ABC News has learned that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his political team have decided it's full steam ahead for his 2008 presidential campaign though he has yet to make the final, official decision. 

· Germany to persue criminal prosecution of Rumsfeld.  A lawsuit in Germany will seek a criminal prosecution of the former Defense Secretary and other U.S. officials for their alleged role in abuses at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo. 

· NY congressman says no offense intended with Mississippi remark.  Rep. Charles Rangel , D-N.Y., was quoted in a Thursday article in The New York Times, saying: "Mississippi gets more than their fair share back in federal money, but who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?" 

· RNC Chairman steps down.  Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, whose party lost both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, will step down from his post when his two-year term ends in January, GOP officials said Thursday. 

· Update: Democrats Also Take Control of Senate.  Democrat Jim Webb won Virginia's pivotal U.S. Senate race Wednesday, unseating Republican George Allen and giving the Democrats total control of Congress. 

· Dems take House, CNN projects; Senate still undecided.  Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives for the first time since the 1994 Republican revolution, while control of the Senate hangs in the balance, CNN projects.  Democratic challengers have picked up four seats in the Senate, CNN projects. Republicans would need to take just one of the two remaining competitive races to keep control of the chamber. Results are still too close to call in Montana and Virginia. 

· Rumsfeld quitting as defense secretary.  President Bush announced Wednesday that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down from his post.  "The timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon," Bush said at the White House Wednesday afternoon. 

· Minnesota sends first Muslim to Congress.  Voters elected a black Democrat as the first Muslim in Congress on Tuesday after a race in which he advocated quick U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and made little mention of his faith. 

· Voters to finally have their say.  Republican control of Congress is on the line Tuesday in an election colored by voters' dismay over the Iraq war and misbehavior in Washington.  At stake in the midterm election were all 435 House seats, 33 in the Senate, 36 races for governor, ballot measures on gay marriage, embryonic stem cell research, the minimum wage and more - plus the overarching fate of President Bush's agenda in the last two years of his presidency. 

· Iran ready to share missile systems with others.  Iran is ready to share its missile systems with friends and neighbors, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards said, after he showed off missiles including some he said had cluster warheads. 

· Phonebank accents irk congressman.  A Republican congressman in Indiana complains that telemarketers calling voters on his behalf have such heavy foreign accents they cannot be understood.  Rep. Mark Souder told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette that in one call left on his daughter's answering machine, the only word he could understand was "Hayhurst" - the name of his Democratic opponent, Tom Hayhurst. 

· Saddam Hussein sentenced to death by hanging.  The Iraqi High Tribunal on Sunday sentenced a combative Saddam Hussein and two other defendants to death by hanging for a brutal crackdown in 1982 in the Shiite town of Dujail.  Iraqis under a curfew in Baghdad spilled out into the streets in celebration of the verdict. But protests were held in Saddam Hussein's hometown. 

· Texas puts 'virtual border watch' online.  Texas has started broadcasting live images of the U.S. border on the Internet in a security program that asks the public to report signs of illegal immigration or drug crimes.  A test Web site went live Thursday at texasborderwatch.com with views from eight cameras and ways for viewers to e-mail reports of suspicious activity. 

· Scandal-tainted Ohio congressman resigns.  Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio, who pleaded guilty last month in the influence-peddling investigation of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, has resigned his seat in Congress, his chief of staff said. 

· Update: Judge blocks town's illegal immigration law.  A federal judge Tuesday temporarily barred Hazleton, Pennsylvania, from implementing a law designed to prevent illegal immigrants from living in the town.  Judge James Munley of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania issued a temporary restraining order against Hazleton City Council, preventing it from enforcing its Illegal Immigration Relief Act Ordinance.  The measure has become a model for other U.S. towns that blame illegal immigrants for a range of social problems. 

· Illegal immigration laws having an effect.  Tomorrow, a tough, first-of-its-kind law targeting illegal immigrants goes into effect in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. But the evidence suggests many Hispanics - illegal or otherwise - have already left.  That, in turn, has hobbled the city's Hispanic business district, where some shops have closed and others are struggling to stay open. 

· Maine lawyer arrested after dressing as bin Laden.  A Maine attorney who released information in 2000 about President George W. Bush's drunken driving conviction was arrested on Tuesday after he dressed up as al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden carrying fake dynamite and waving a fake gun at traffic. 

· Update: Kerry says sorry for "botched joke."  After refusing to apologize yesterday, Democratic Sen. John Kerry changed his mind today and apologized for a "botched joke" where he urged students to do well in school or "you get stuck in Iraq." 

· Baldwin Wants Off Political Documentary.  Actor Alec Baldwin wants to be removed as narrator of an Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary called "Running with Arnold," saying filmmakers went too far by including images of Nazi rallies. 

· Vermont poised to elect America's first socialist senator.  Amid the furious debate over Iraq and the speculation that George Bush may be a lame duck after next Tuesday's mid-term elections, an extraordinary political milestone is approaching: a cantankerous 65-year-old called Bernie looks set to become the first socialist senator in US history. 

· Illegal immigration laws seem to be working.  Tomorrow, a tough, first-of-its-kind law targeting illegal immigrants goes into effect in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. But the evidence suggests many Hispanics - illegal or otherwise - have already left.  That, in turn, has hobbled the city's Hispanic business district, where some shops have closed and others are struggling to stay open. 

· Fla. Lawmaker Urged to Resign Over Slur.  The chairman of Florida's House rules committee urged Rep. Ralph Arza, a fellow Republican, to resign over a racist message left on a colleague's voice mail and spare legislators a vote on whether to expel him.  Arza has admitted leaving the message on the voice mail of Republican Rep. Gus Barreiro earlier this month but said he was drunk and felt "deeply ashamed." 

· $50 Million Abstinence Funding Can Focus On Twentysomethings.  States can use their U.S. grants for abstinence education to reach out to people in their 20s rather than just focusing on teenagers, new federal guidance says. The guidelines for this year's $50 million program, known as Title V, include new wording that targets ages 12 through 29 years old. 

· Cross fire shakes Crist from sound bites.  Republican Charlie Crist and Democrat Jim Davis squared off in the last Florida debate. Crist explained his opposition to gay marriage. Marriage, he said, is a “sacred” relationship — “like I had, before I got divorced.” 

· Mexican president criticizes U.S. fence.  Mexico's president sharply criticized President Bush's signing Thursday of a bill to build 700 miles of additional fencing on its southern border, calling the move an "embarrassment."  President Vicente Fox told reporters that the fence would not stop millions of Mexicans from heading north in search of jobs. 

· In Clean Politics, Flesh Is Pressed, Then Sanitized.  Campaigns are filthy. Not only in terms of last-minute smears and dirty tricks. But also as in germs, parasites and all the bacterial unpleasantness that is spread around through so much glad-handing and flesh-pressing. “You can’t always get to a sink to wash your hands,” said Anne Ryun, wife of Representative Jim Ryun, Republican of Kansas. Hands would be the untidy appendages that transmit infectious disease. Like so many other people involved in politics these days, Mrs. Ryun has become obsessive about using hand sanitizer and ensuring that others do, too. She squirted Purell, the antiseptic goop of choice on the stump and self-proclaimed killer of “99.99 percent of most common germs that may cause illness.” 

· Muslim cleric who called women "uncovered meat who invite rape" blames Bush.  Muslim cleric Sheikh Taj al-Din al-Hilali has inflamed the controversy around him, declaring that he would only resign when the world was "clean of the White House first." 

· Bush acknowledges U.S. concern on Iraq.  In a somber, pre-election review of a long and brutal war, President Bush conceded Wednesday that the United States is taking heavy casualties in Iraq and said, "I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation" there. 

· Judge Sentences Ex-Bush Official To Prison.  A federal judge sentenced a former Bush administration official to 18 months in prison in the Jack Abramoff lobbying case Friday — after delivering a 30-minute eulogy for good government in Washington.  "There was a time when people came to Washington because they thought government could be helpful to people," said U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman. "People came to Washington asking not what government could do for them and their friends but what they could do for the public." 

· 2nd Fla. Altar Boy Accuses Foley Priest.  Another former altar boy says he was sexually abused in the 1970s by the same retired Catholic priest who acknowledged fondling former Rep. Mark Foley when Foley was a teenager, the man's attorney said. 

· Congressman Asks Pentagon to Remove Embedded CNN Reporters.  The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee asked the Pentagon on Friday to remove CNN reporters embedded with U.S. combat troops, saying the network's broadcast of a video showing insurgent snipers targeting U.S. soldiers was tantamount to airing an enemy propaganda film. 

· Drug Bust Leads To Los Alamos Docs.  Authorities in northern New Mexico have stumbled onto what appears to be classified information from Los Alamos National Laboratory while arresting a man suspected of domestic violence and dealing methamphetamine from his mobile home. 

· Chicago Voter Database Hacked.  As if there weren't enough concerns about the integrity of the vote, a non-partisan civic organization today claimed it had hacked into the voter database for the 1.35 million voters in the city of Chicago. 

· Limbaugh: Fox `shilling' in stem cell ad.  A political ad in which a Parkinson's-afflicted Michael J. Fox talks about stem cell research was criticized Monday by conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who asserted that Fox was "either off his medication or acting" while filming the commercial. 

· Candidate Suggests Kevlar For Kids' Books.  A candidate for state school superintendent in Oklahoma says school books could have covers made from Kevlar - the material used for military body armor.  The comment from Bill Crozier comes days after he said used textbooks could be used as shields by students in case of a school shooting. 

· Diplomat: U.S. arrogant, stupid in Iraq.  A senior U.S. State Department diplomat told Arab satellite network Al Jazeera that there is a strong possibility history will show the United States displayed "arrogance" and "stupidity" in its handling of the Iraq war. 

· Iranian president: Israel cannot survive.  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called Israel a "counterfeit and illegitimate regime that cannot survive", in a live broadcast on state television. 

· McCain jokes about suicide if Democrats win Senate.  Arizona Sen. John McCain, a likely Republican presidential contender in 2008, joked on Wednesday he would "commit suicide" if Democrats win the Senate in November. 

· Court may give Saddam verdict on November 5.  An Iraqi court trying Saddam Hussein for the killing of Shi'ite villagers in the 1980s could deliver a verdict on November 5 - just two days before the U.S. polls open.  The U.S.-backed court was due to announce on Monday a final date for verdicts on Saddam and seven of his former top lieutenants for crimes against humanity, a charge which carries a maximum penalty of death by hanging. 

· Assemblyman indicted in corruption probe.  Federal investigators have charged state Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin (D-Flushing) with stealing more than $2 million from local unions, not-for-profits, his campaign committee and a local Little League, according to an 186-page indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney's office. 

· Lawyer: Foley to name alleged abuser.  Disgraced former U.S. Congressman Mark Foley will reveal to the Archdiocese of Miami the name of the Roman Catholic clergyman he says abused him as a teenager, Foley's civil attorney said Tuesday.  Attorney Gerald Richman said criminal charges cannot be filed because the statute of limitations on sexual assault expired long ago. Richman said Foley has not told him the name of the clergyman but has told another attorney. He said the clergyman is still alive. 

· North Korea: Sanctions Are Declaration of War.  North Korea on Tuesday blasted U.N. sanctions aimed at punishing the country for its nuclear test, saying the measures amount to a declaration of war and that the nation wouldn't cave in to such pressure now that it's a nuclear weapons power. 

· Ex-FDA chief to plead guilty in stock case.  Former FDA chief Lester Crawford will plead guilty for failing to disclose a financial interest in companies his agency regulated, his lawyer said Monday.  The Justice Department accused the former head of the Food and Drug Administration with falsely reporting that he had sold stock in companies when he continued holding shares in the firms governed by FDA rules. 

· 'Care Vans' for homeless being shut down.  Denver is trying to stop many homeless people in the East Colfax Avenue corridor from getting free meals and medical care on the street. The volunteer groups have been told that the City of Denver is getting many complaints about transients hanging around waiting for handouts. 

· Many taking military shortcut to U.S. citizenship.  The U.S. military has provided legal immigrants a fast track to citizenship, and they are taking advantage of it in record numbers, even if it means facing the risk of death or injury in Iraq or Afghanistan. 

· Reid Decides to Amend Ethics Reports.  Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid announced Monday he is amending his ethics reports to Congress to more fully account for a land deal that allowed him to collect $1.1 million for property he hadn't personally owned for three years.  Reid also announced he failed to disclose two other land transactions on his prior ethics reports and would account for those on his amended reports. 

· Calif. Lawmaker: I Wouldn't Kick Arnold Out Of Bed.  Teachers aides and parents are angry about Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia allegedly telling students at La Quinta High School that she wouldn't kick Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger out of her bed. 

· Woman Sues Over Anti-Bush Bumper Sticker.  A woman who was ticketed for having an obscene anti-President Bush bumper sticker filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday against DeKalb County and its officials.  Denise Grier, 47, of Athens, Ga., got a $100 ticket in March after a DeKalb County police officer spotted the offensive bumper sticker  Grier is seeking damages for "emotional distress." 

· Venezuela runs for UN Security Council seat.  Armed with petrodollars, Venezuela has made a major push to defeat Guatemala in Monday's elections for five open U.N. Security Council seats. 

· San Francisco Mayor's 20-year-old squeeze drinking with him?  San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's new squeeze, Brittanie Mountz, just turned 20 last month - and that raises a couple of questions about the couple's nights on the town, and whether she was drinking. 

· Louisiana Congressman rejected by his party.  The Louisiana Democratic Party turned down eight-term U.S. Rep. William Jefferson on Saturday and endorsed state Rep. Karen Carter, one of a dozen challengers who emerged after Jefferson became the target of a federal bribery investigation. 

· Israeli president faces rape charges.  Israeli police say they have built a strong sexual misconduct case against President Moshe Katsay, the Jerusalem Post reported Sunday. Police investigated allegations that Katsay committed acts ranging from sexual harassment to rape against women in his employ, the Post said. 

· Airport screener arrested on theft charge.  A security screener at the General Mitchell International Airport was arrested this morning on a theft charge for allegedly stealing money from a passengers wallet, the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department said today. The Genoa City passenger told deputies he was awaiting screening in the Concourse D security checkpoint area around 6:10 a.m. when he saw the TSA screener lift $20 from his wallet. Deputies found $235 in all, hidden behind a magazine rack where a co-worker said the screener was storing items. 

· Man Allegedly Climbs White House Fence.  Alexis Janicki, 24, jumped the fence, said Secret Service spokeswoman Kim Bruce. He was immediately apprehended by the Secret Service uniformed division and taken into custody. Janicki was charged with trespassing and possession of a controlled substance, which was cannabis, Bruce said. 

· U.N. Approves Sanctions Against N. Korea.  The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday to impose punishing sanctions on North Korea for carrying out a nuclear test, declaring that its action posed "a clear threat to international peace and security." 

· Rep. Bob Ney Pleads Guilty to Bribery.  Rep. Bob Ney pleaded guilty Friday in the Jack Abramoff influence- peddling investigation, the first lawmaker to confess to crimes in a scandal that has stained the Republican-controlled Congress and Bush administration. 

· UK army head in Iraq pullout storm.  The chief of the British Army, who triggered a political storm by calling for troops to withdraw from Iraq "soon," has denied attacking government policy, insisting he meant a phased pullout of British forces over two years. 

· New Program Provides Quick Food Stamps To Illegals.  Advocates say immigrants, if here illegally, are worried about being deported if they apply for food stamps, and fear jeopardizing a pending application for residency or citizenship. Illegal immigrants can apply on behalf of their children here legally, and now offers a Spanish-language class called "Food Stamps in Four Hours." 

· Air America Radio files for Chapter 11.  Air America Radio, a liberal talk and news radio network that features the comedian Al Franken, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a network official told The AP.  The network had denied rumors just a month ago that it would file for bankruptcy. On Friday, Air America spokeswoman Jaime Horn told The Associated Press that the filing became necessary only recently after negotiations with a creditor broke down. 

· Unions organize Wal-Mart in China.  Wal-Mart workers in China have set up unions at all 62 outlets that the world's biggest retailer operates here in what a senior Chinese trade union official described Thursday as a breakthrough for organized labor. 

· 30 found in fake Border Patrol vehicle.  Thirty illegal entrants were found in a vehicle that had been made up to look like a U.S. Border Patrol transport van, authorities said. The vehicle was seized Wednesday near San Miguel on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation about 70 miles southwest of Tucson. 

· Gov't workers got fake diplomas.  At least 135 federal employees, including a White House staff member and National Security Agency employees, bought bogus online college degrees from a diploma mill, a lawyer in the case against the mill operators said. 

· Cindy Sheehan is Nobel Peace Prize Finalist.  Female candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize include U.S. anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan. 

· More than 50 Illegal Immigrants Found in Home.  More than fifty immigrants were taken into custody Wednesday after a raid at a west side home. Police were called to the home on Senisa Street after they received a tip about stolen cars. When they arrived, they saw four people running from the house. They looked inside the "stash house" and found 51 illegal immigrants - 38 men, 12 women and a teenage girl – all crammed into three bedrooms. 

· Reid Got $1M in Land Sale.  Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid collected a $1.1 million windfall on a Las Vegas land sale even though he hadn't personally owned the property for three years, property deeds show. 

· Congressman on Foley handling: At least no one died.  Republican Rep. Christopher Shays defended the House speaker's handling of a congressional page scandal, saying no one died like during the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident involving Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy.  "I know the speaker didn't go over a bridge and leave a young person in the water, and then have a press conference the next day," the Connecticut congressman said. 

· Lawmaker accuses NBC's Jay Leno of bias.  A California congressman lodged a federal complaint Tuesday against "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," for featuring Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as a guest one month before the election while snubbing his Democratic opponent. 

· Body exhumed in Nevada death probe.  The body of the second husband of slain Nevada state Controller Kathy Augustine was exhumed Tuesday so investigators can seek evidence that would show if he also died as a result of foul play. 

· North Korea Threatens War Against U.S.  North Korea stoked regional tensions Wednesday, threatening more nuclear tests and saying additional sanctions imposed on it would be considered an act of war, as nervous neighbors raced to bolster defenses and punish Pyongyang. 

· Candidate touts sex with Packers in campaign.  The usually ho-hum race for Wisconsin secretary of state is being spiced up by one candidate's naughty tell-all book about her bed-hopping exploits with Green Bay football legends during the team's glory days under Vince Lombardi in the 1960s.  Sandy Sullivan, a 65-year-old Republican with no political experience, self-published a gushing memoir in 2004 titled "Green Bay Love Stories and Other Affairs."  If the book is to be believed, the Packers did a lot of their scoring off the field, and Sullivan got her share of playing time. 

· Rep. Kolbe visited Grand Canyon with pages.  Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) took two male pages with him on a three-day camping trip in 1996, former congressional pages and National Park Service officials have told NBC News.  The pages, who were 17 at the time, went rafting and camping with Kolbe in the Grand Canyon over the July 4th holiday that year. Kolbe is the only openly gay Republican congressman. 

· McCain criticizes Clinton on N. Korea.  Republican Sen. John McCain on Tuesday accused former President Clinton, the husband of his potential 2008 White House rival, of failing to act in the 1990s to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.  "I would remind Senator (Hillary) Clinton and other Democrats critical of the Bush administration's policies that the Koreans received millions and millions in energy assistance. They've diverted millions of dollars of food assistance to their military," he said. 

· Streisand's "Bash Bush" concert.  The most riveting moment of Barbra Streisand's Madison Square Garden concert was one of the only unscripted ones. Streisand endured jeers as she interjected a political skit into Monday night's show, exchanging zingers with a celebrity impersonator playing George Bush as a bumbling idiot. Though most of the crowd offered polite applause during the slightly humorous routine, it went on a bit too long, especially for those who just wanted to hear Streisand sing. 

· North Korea claims successful nuclear weapons test.  North Korea came under harsh international criticism after claiming to have carried out a successful underground nuclear weapons test on Monday.  China, a close ally of North Korea, denounced the claimed test as "brazen" and South Korea said it would respond "sternly." The United States said a test would constitute a "provocative act." 

· Bush Signs Homeland Security Bill.  President Bush on Thursday signed a homeland security bill that includes an overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $1.2 billion for fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration. 

· Chavez Says He Has White House Informant.  Venezuela President Hugo Chavez said Sunday he has received warnings from within the White House that the Bush administration is plotting to assassinate him or topple his left-leaning government.  Citing what he said were warnings from an alleged White House informant, Chavez told thousands of supporters at a campaign rally that President Bush has ordered him to be killed before he leaves office in 2008. 

· Congress kills a measure to keep felons out of U.S. ports.  Congress is patting itself on the back for passing the Port Security Act last Saturday. But the day before, a House-Senate conference committee stripped out a provision that would have barred serious felons from working in sensitive dock security jobs. Port security isn't just about checking the contents of cargo containers, it also means checking the background of the 400,000 workers on our docks.  Such a political deal was made possible because of the clout of the unions who were able to gut the felon ban in the House-Senate conference committee. 

· Internet gambling ban added to U.S. port security bill.  Congress was pushing on Friday to finish legislation that would boost security at U.S. ports, but at the last minute lawmakers added provisions to prohibit Internet gambling.  Another proposed add-on that was rejected would have tightened security at courthouses and stiffened penalties for attacks on judges. 

· Fatah militants set Palestinian parliament building on fire.  Militants from the opposition Fatah Party set the Palestinian Cabinet building on fire Sunday to protest the Hamas-led government. The torching of the building in the West Bank city of Ramallah came after Hamas militiamen fought running gunbattles with Fatah-allied security forces in Gaza City in violence that killed three people. 

· Congressman resigns after sending "sick" e-mails to teen.  Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley resigned from Congress on Friday in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote a former male page, according to a congressional official. Foley apparently sent the e-mails in August 2005, when the male page was 16 years old. According to ABC News, the young man who received the e-mails called them "sick, sick, sick." 

· Intelligence analysts puzzled over NIE release.  National Intelligence Estimates are notorious for being watered down, partly because analysts spread across 16 different spy agencies often have difficulty settling on just the right words.  That’s what makes the tough language in this week’s terrorism analysis all the more striking. And it has left many puzzling over why the White House decided to release it. 

· Cali cartel leaders plead guilty, forfeit $2.1 billion.  Two Colombian brothers pleaded guilty Tuesday to U.S. drug trafficking and money laundering charges stemming from their roles as founders of the Cali cocaine cartel. Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela each received a 30-year sentence and agreed to forfeit $2.1 billion in assets including properties and businesses around the world. 

· Comair pilots in wrong runway crash not impaired.  Neither of the pilots of Comair Flight 5191, which crashed last month in Lexington, Kentucky, had any illegal drugs or alcohol in his blood, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday. 

· Illegals fill North Carolina jail.  Illegal immigrants facing criminal charges are crowding a North Carolina jail that serves as the model for Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall's plan to hold such immigrants here for deportation hearings.  The Charlotte, N.C., jail is full because federal authorities can't pick up inmates facing deportation hearings quickly enough, the Mecklenburg County sheriff said in a congressional hearing last month. 

· Mel campaigns for new movie, against war in Iraq.  Mel Gibson has returned to the spotlight to promote his upcoming movie "Apocalypto," and to criticize the war in Iraq, according to the Hollywood Reporter.  Almost two months after he railed against Jews when he was arrested for driving drunk in Malibu, the actor made a surprise appearance Friday at Fantastic Fest, an event in Austin, Texas, devoted to new science fiction, horror and fantasy films. 

· Rules relaxed for carry-on liquids.  The government is partially lifting its ban against carrying liquids and gels onto airliners, instituted after a plot to bomb jets flying into the United States was foiled, officials said today. "We now know enough to say that a total ban is no longer needed from a security point of view," said Kip Hawley, head of the Transportation Security Administration. 

· Wrong Danny.  Life has become hell for Washington journalist Danny Glover - thanks to actor Danny Glover, who last week stood with Hugo Chavez when the Venezuelan president called George Bush "an alcoholic and a sick man." 

· Afghan women's affairs chief dead.  Gunmen riding motorcycles shot dead the head of a women's department in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar on Monday, a security official and a relative said.  There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the shooting of Safia Ama Jan. Taliban insurgents have killed numerous government officials as part of their war against the government and foreign forces supporting it. 

· Bill Clinton: I got closer to killing bin Laden.  In a contentious taped interview that aired on "Fox News Sunday," former president Bill Clinton vigorously defended his efforts as president to capture and kill al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. 

· French newspaper says Saudis believe bin Laden dead.  A French newspaper published what it said was a report by the country's intelligence services that said Saudi Arabia believes Osama bin Laden died of typhoid in Pakistan this month. France's foreign intelligence service, the DGSE, refused to confirm the substance of the report, and no immediate official reaction was forthcoming from Saudi officials Saturday. But European and Pakistani officials tracking bin Laden's whereabouts told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that the report could not be seen as reliable. 

· Abbas says unity effort 'back to zero.'  Efforts to form a Palestinian government acceptable to the West have gone "back to zero," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday, a day after Hamas said a coalition government that recognizes Israel is unacceptable. 

· Church to fight IRS demand for documents.  A Pasadena church that has been threatened with the loss of its tax-exempt status over an anti-war sermon delivered just days before the 2004 presidential election said Thursday it will fight an IRS order to turn over documents on the matter.  Religious leaders on the right and left have expressed fear that the dispute could make it more difficult for them to speak out on moral issues such as gay marriage and abortion during the midterm election campaign. 

· Census Bureau Loses Hundreds of Laptops.  The Census Bureau collects the most personal information about Americans, from how much money they earn and where they spend it to how they live and die. It's all confidential - as long as no one steals it.  Lost or stolen from the Census Bureau since 2003 are 217 laptop computers, 46 portable data storage devices and 15 handheld devices used by survey takers. 

· Reporters Ordered Jailed In BALCO Case.  Two San Francisco Chronicle reporters were ordered jailed Thursday for a maximum of 18 months, pending an appeal, for refusing to testify about who leaked them secret grand jury testimony from Barry Bonds and other elite athletes. 

· VA forgot there was a war going on.  The government used prewar data to estimate the cost of caring for veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, contributing to a $3 billion budget shortfall at the Veterans Affairs Department since 2005, congressional investigators say. 

· At U.N., Chavez Calls Bush 'The Devil.'  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took his verbal battle with the United States to the floor of the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, calling President Bush "the devil." "The devil came here yesterday," Chavez said. "He came here talking as if he were the owner of the world."  The Venezuelan leader, who joined Iran last week in an alliance against U.S. influence, accused Washington of "domination, exploitation and pillage of peoples of the world." 

· US threatened to bomb Pakistan 'back to stone age' after 9/11.  The United States threatened to bomb Pakistan "back to the stone age" unless it cooperated in the US-led war on terror, President Pervez Musharraf said in an interview.  Musharraf, whose support for the US-led invasion of Afghanistan was instrumental in the fall of the hardline Taliban regime after the September 11, 2001 attacks, said the threat came from former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage. 

· Houston school recites pledge of allegiance to the Mexican flag.  A Houston-area school principal said he has been taken aback by a controversy that has arisen from his campus’ Mexican Independence Day celebration, and he apologizes for offending parents.  During a school assembly Friday, several parent volunteers read a pledge of allegiance to the Mexican flag. “It’s been overwhelming,” said longtime Principal Sam Williams. 

· Congress Debates Immigration Bills.  The House neared action Wednesday on requiring Americans to show proof of citizenship in order to vote, and the Senate moved to build a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border, sharpening attacks on illegal immigration before the midterm elections.  Republican House sponsors of the voter identification bill insisted that it was a commonsense way to stop fraud at the polls. But Democrats assailed the legislation, saying it could hurt minorities, the poor and the elderly - groups that tend to vote Democratic. 

· Thailand in chaos after coup.  Thailand's army commander ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a military coup while he was in New York, circling his offices with tanks, declaring martial law and revoking the constitution. A televised announcement from the commander ordered all troops to report to duty. 

· Gore says tax pollution, not payrolls.  Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore on Monday suggested taxing carbon dioxide emissions instead of employees' pay in a bid to stem global warming.  "Penalizing pollution instead of penalizing employment will work to reduce that pollution," Gore said in a speech at New York University School of Law. 

· Gonzales wants ISPs to save user data.  Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday that Congress should require Internet service providers to preserve customer records, asserting that prosecutors need them to fight child pornography.  Gonzales acknowledged the concerns of some company executives who say legislation might be overly intrusive and encroach on customers' privacy rights. But he said the growing threat of child pornography over the Internet was too great. 

· Man arrested after crashing through Capitol barricade.  A man crashed his vehicle into a security barricade at the U.S. Capitol on Monday and was arrested, forcing the complex to briefly be locked down, authorities said. 

· U.S. holds AP photographer in Iraq 5 months.  The U.S. military in Iraq has imprisoned an Associated Press photographer for five months, accusing him of being a security threat but never filing charges or permitting a public hearing. 

· JFK sister Patricia Lawford dies.  Patricia Kennedy Lawford, the sister of President John F. Kennedy and wife of actor Peter Lawford, died at her New York home of complications of pneumonia on Sunday, according to a spokeswoman for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. She was 82. 

· Pool repairs, other improvements at Detroit mayor's residence cost $200,000.  Some $200,000 of a $22 million bond issue for capital improvements is being spent to fix the swimming pool and make other repairs at the mayor's mansion.  The money will be used to repair damaged pool tiles, cracked pavement walkways, a front porch and outside lighting and to replace dead plants at the Manoogian Mansion. 

· David Geffen may buy Los Angeles Times.  Tribune Co. is under increasing pressure to sell its largest paper, the Los Angeles Times, and recording mogul and Dreamworks partner David Geffen has made an "all-cash" offer. 

· Senate Panel Defies Bush on Terror.  A rebellious Senate committee defied President Bush on Thursday and approved terror-detainee legislation he has vowed to block, deepening Republican conflict over terrorism and national security in the middle of the election season. 

· Oil lease mistake costs government billions.  Interior Department staffers knew back in 2000 they had bungled offshore lease agreements signed with oil companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico but covered up their multibillion-dollar mistake for six years, an investigator said today.  As a result, the federal government has already lost some $2 billion in royalty payments and could be out another $8 billion, the Government Accountability Office has estimated. 

· Plame Sues Armitage Over CIA Leak.  One-time covert CIA officer Valerie Plame on Wednesday sued the former No. 2 official at the State Department for violating her privacy rights. 

· House to Hear Measure on Tracking Money.  Curious about how much of your money is going to encourage hydroponic tomato production in Ohio - or to build bridges to nowhere in Alaska? A user-friendly Web site is going to help you find out.  The Senate bill passed last week only after bloggers, from both the right and the left, launched a vigorous campaign to expose senators who had secretly put up parliamentary barriers to action on the measure. 

· Sen. Reid asks for polygamy task force.  The U.S. Senate's top Democrat called Tuesday for a federal investigation into the activities of polygamists in Western states.  Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales that a task force should be formed to look into interstate activities of polygamists. 

· Minn. Could Elect Muslim Congressman.  A state lawmaker could become the first Muslim elected to Congress after edging out three rivals Tuesday for his district's Democratic nomination.  Keith Ellison, 43, prevailed after overcoming questions about parking tickets, overdue taxes and his ties to the Nation of Islam. Because the district has long been dominated by Democrats, he will be a heavy favorite to win the Minneapolis-area seat in November. 

· Judge Won't Block Voter ID Law.  federal judge on Monday refused to block a law that requires Arizona voters to present identification before casting a ballot.  U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver's order came a day before Tuesday's primary, the first statewide election for which voters will be required to show identification. 

· Foe Admits Role In 'Hot' Schwarzenegger Quote.  The campaign of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Democratic rival acknowledged Tuesday that it downloaded - and leaked to the media - a recording of a private meeting in which the governor described a Hispanic legislator as having a "very hot" personality.  But Cathy Calfo, campaign manager for Democrat Phil Angelides, said the campaign had done nothing wrong because the file was available publicly on the governor's Web site. 

· Nation reflects, mourns on 9/11 anniversary.  Five years after the terror attacks of September 11, the nation is observing a solemn anniversary with plans for silent reflection and fresh mourning for the nearly 3,000 lives lost.  On the 16-acre New York City expanse where the World Trade Center once stood, four moments of silence were planned Monday for 8:46, 9:03, 9:59 and 10:29 a.m., the times when jetliners struck each of the twin towers, and when each tower fell.  Spouses and partners of the 2,749 people who died at the trade center were to read the names of the victims as families of the victims descend to roam the site and lay flowers. 

· Al Gore says he hasn't ruled out 2nd run.  Former Vice President Al Gore said Sunday he hadn't rule out making a second bid for the White House.  Gore spoke to reporters in Sydney, where he was promoting the local premiere of his documentary on global warming.  "I haven't completely ruled out running for president again in the future but I don't expect to," Gore said before the Sunday night premiere of "An Inconvenient Truth." 

· Town strengthens illegal immigration law.  Officials in the Pennsylvania town of Hazleton on Friday strengthened a local law designed to drive illegal immigrants away in a bid to defend the measure against legal challenges.  It has since been copied by other cities where illegal immigration is blamed for rising crime and overburdened social services.  The new law, approved by a vote of 4-1, increases pressure on local employers to avoid hiring illegal immigrants and raises fines for landlords who rent rooms to them. 

· The Slenderized Governor, With Advice to Share.  Mike Huckabee has been the governor of Arkansas for a decade, but he is most famous for what he has done in the last three years: lose more than 100 pounds and encourage other Arkansans to follow his example.  While his campaign to fight against obesity may have raised Mr. Huckabee’s national profile, not everyone here appreciates a governor whose policies include weighing schoolchildren and sending home report cards on their body mass index. 

· Phoenix anti-illegal immigrant group plans appeal.  Backers of a measure to force Phoenix police and other employees to enforce federal immigration law on Saturday vowed to fight a judge's ruling that knocked the initiative off the November 7 ballot in the Arizona capital. 

· Armitage Says He Was Source In CIA Leak.  The former No. 2 State Department official said Thursday he inadvertently disclosed the identity of CIA employee Valerie Plame in conversations with two reporters in 2003.  Confirming that he was the source of a leak that triggered a federal investigation, former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said he never intended to reveal Plame's identity. He apologized for his conversations with syndicated columnist Robert Novak and Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward. 

· Former Illinois governor sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison.  Former Gov. George Ryan was sentenced to 6½ years in prison today following his historic conviction for steering lucrative state business to cronies in return for vacations, gifts and other benefits for himself and his family. Ryan's co-defendant in the case, businessman-lobbyist Lawrence Warner, 67, was sentenced to 41 months in prison. 

· Rappers claim First Amendment protection.  Members of the rap group Three 6 Mafia have asked for the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a Pennsylvania teen, citing their First Amendment rights.  The suit alleges that one of the group's songs led to the 2003 beating of Ramone Williams at an area night club. 

· Latest stunt: Sheehan to live in a tree.  In a Q&A with a Waco Tribune reporter, Cindy Sheehan said "We’re going to start building a permanent structure soon [in Crawford]. This may sound weird, but I’m going to live here. My residence is going to be a tree house. We’ve got some plans for amazing tree houses!" 

· Vast Oil Pool Tapped in Gulf of Mexico.  A trio of oil companies led by Chevron Corp. has tapped a petroleum pool deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico that could boost the nation's reserves by more than 50 percent.  Chevron on Tuesday estimated the 300-square-mile region where its test well sits could hold between 3 billion and 15 billion barrels of oil and natural gas liquids. The U.S. consumes roughly 5.7 billion barrels of crude-oil in a year. 

· Family of Massachusetts Man Killed by Fugitive Mobster Awarded $3 Million.  A federal judge awarded $3.1 million Tuesday to the family of a man who was killed by fugitive mobster James "Whitey" Bulger, ruling that the federal government is liable for the man's death because a former FBI agent leaked his identity to Bulger.  The family of John McIntyre, 32, a fisherman from Quincy, sued the federal government for $50 million, alleging that McIntyre was killed by Bulger in 1984 after former FBI Agent John Connolly Jr. tipped him that McIntyre had talked to U.S. Customs agents in an investigation of Bulger and Flemmi's involvement in a failed plan to send guns to the Irish Republican Army aboard a Gloucester fishing boat. 

· Detroit Public Schools Cancel Classes Indefinitely Amid Teachers Strike.  It was supposed to have been the first day of school for the district's 130,000 students. But instead, students returning from summer vacation were greeted by teachers on picket lines instead of in classrooms. 

· Jewish man removed from airplane for praying.  Some fellow passengers are questioning why an Orthodox Jewish man was removed from an Air Canada Jazz flight in Montreal last week for praying.  "He was clearly a Hasidic Jew," said Yves Faguy, a passenger seated nearby. "He had some sort of cover over his head. He was reading from a book.  "He wasn't exactly praying out loud but he was lurching back and forth," Faguy added. 

· Memo: Ky. Airport Supervisor Warned About Short-Staffing in 2004.  Nearly two years before the fatal crash of Comair Flight 5191, a control tower supervisor at the Lexington airport reported staff shortages that "can cost lives."  The memo complained that staffing in Lexington was a "low priority to the powers above us" who were more focused on solving problems at larger airports, such as Louisville and Cincinnati.  "Those types of poorly thought out decisions can cost lives," said the supervisor. 

· Missile fired at McCain escort helicopter during European visit.  A missile was fired at a helicopter escorting Sen. John McCain during a visit to the Republic of Georgia last week.  A statement from that nation’s interior ministry says the surface-to-air missile was aimed at a chopper involved in a visit of a U.S. Senate delegation to the former Soviet republic. McCain was mentioned as the leader of the group. 

· Republicans put immigration on hold.  As they prepare for a critical pre-election legislative stretch, Congressional Republican leaders have all but abandoned a broad overhaul of immigration laws and instead will concentrate on national security issues they believe play to their political strength. 

· Angry voters threaten shake-up, poll finds.  Most Americans are angry about "something" when it comes to how the country is run, and they're more likely than in previous years to vote for a challenger this November, a new poll suggests. More than 60 percent of those surveyed said government policies need either major changes or a complete overhaul. 

· Islamic Militant Gets 8-Year Sentence for 2005 Bali Blasts.  Judges sentenced an Islamic militant to eight years in prison Tuesday for harboring the alleged mastermind of last year's homicide bombings on Indonesia's resort island of Bali — the first verdict in the terrorist attack.  Twenty people were killed in near-simultaneous strikes on three crowded restaurants, and nearly 200 others wounded. 

· Annan urges end to Iran standoff.  U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the world to avoid confrontation with Iran over its nuclear goals, after Tehran told him it wanted a negotiated solution but would not halt uranium enrichment before any talks. 

· Report: U.S. Secretly Negotiated with Gaza Kidnappers.  The U.S. secretly agreed to the "real demands" set by the group behind the August 14 kidnapping of two Fox News journalists in Gaza, according to a report in the pan-Arab newspaper al Hayat. 

· 14 Arrested in U.K. Anti-Terrorism Raids.  Fourteen people were arrested in London overnight on suspicion they were involved in training and recruiting for acts of terrorism, police said Saturday. Police said the arrests were not linked to last month's alleged plot to bomb U.S.-bound passenger jets or to the July 2005 attacks on London's transport network. Twelve suspects were arrested at a Chinese restaurant in south London that caters to Muslims, the British Broadcasting Corp. said. 

· Anti-Bush Shirt OK in School, Court Says.  A middle school that censored the anti-drug, anti-Bush message on a student's T-shirt violated the boy's right to free speech, an appeals court ruled Wednesday.  The shirt bore images of cocaine and a martini glass in addition to messages calling President Bush a lying drunk driver who abused cocaine and marijuana, and the "chicken-hawk-in-chief" who was engaged in a "world domination tour." 

· AFL-CIO to spend $40 million on elections.  AFL-CIO announced Wednesday it will spend $40 million on get-out-the-vote operations for the midterm elections in an effort to try to drive congressional Republicans from power as well as win governorships in 21 states across the country. 

· Poll Worker Fired For Comments.  A New Smyrna Beach voting equipment inspector was fired after she said she didn't like the new touch-screen voting machines being used for the first time in Volusia County.  Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall fired 76-year-old Drusilla Synal, a poll worker for more than a decade, for making the derogatory remarks as she cast her ballot during an early voting session last week.  McFall said Synal told everyone in the polling place that she disliked the touch-screen voting machines because they don't leave a paper trail. 

· Sen. Stevens is 'the secret senator.'  The identity of the blogosphere's "secret senator" has been revealed.  CNN has confirmed that Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has placed a hold on a bill that would require the government to publish online a database of federal spending.  "He does have a hold on the bill," Stevens' spokesperson Aaron Saunders told CNN.  The bill has become a cause célèbre for both liberal and conservative bloggers as they tried to uncover the "secret senator" who had blocked passage of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. 

· Immigration ads prove tricky for candidates.  Capturing the immigration debate in political ads this campaign season - without upsetting Hispanic voters - is proving tricky for candidates.  An ad criticizing Stephen Laffey, who is challenging incumbent Sen. Lincoln Chafee for the Republican nomination in Rhode Island, set off grumbling in the Latino community. The ad criticized Laffey, mayor of Cranston, for allowing city police to accept ID cards issued by the Mexican government as identification. 

· Jewish veterans, local ACLU latest to sue over cross.  The local chapter of The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit yesterday to force the Mount Soledad cross to be moved in the latest challenge over the La Jolla landmark's constitutionality. The suit, filed in San Diego federal court on behalf of a national Jewish war veterans organization and three San Diego residents, is the newest development in an increasingly high-profile, 17-year legal battle over the cross. On Aug. 14, President Bush signed a bill that transferred the ownership of the cross and war memorial site to the federal government, specifically the Department of Defense. The bill halted a legal process that seemed destined to lead to the removal of the cross, which has stood on city-owned land for decades. 

· Brutal Ugandan rebels to stop fighting.  leaders of a shadowy rebel movement that has terrorized Ugandans for nearly two decades went on local radio with a special announcement: As of Tuesday, their war is over — the Lord's Resistance Army will stop fighting.  The rebels, notorious for cutting off the tongues and lips of innocent civilians, enslaving tens of thousands of children and driving nearly 2 million people from their homes, have agreed to end one of the most brutal, but least known conflicts in the world. 

· Democrats See Victory in U.S. House Races, Senate Within Reach.  Democratic insiders, who months ago thought their chances of winning a majority in the House were no better than even, and that the Senate was a lost cause, have become far more optimistic. Now, they say, winning the House is a lock, and the Senate is within reach.  James Carville, who ran Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign said ``If we can't win in this environment, we have to question the whole premise of the party.'' 

· Biden not worried about Southern Dems.  Sen. Joseph Biden says he can hold his own in a 2008 presidential primary against Democratic contenders from the South, noting that his home state of Delaware was a "slave state."  "You don't know my state," he said. "My state was a slave state. My state is a border state. My state has the eighth-largest black population in the country. My state is anything from a Northeast liberal state." 

· Harris clarifies comments on religion.  U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris (news, bio, voting record) told a religious journal that separation of church and state is "a lie" and God and the nation's founding fathers did not intend the country be "a nation of secular laws." The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate also said that if Christians are not elected, politicians will "legislate sin," including abortion and gay marriage. 

· Kidnapped Fox journalists released.  Two Fox journalists kidnapped two weeks ago in Gaza were released Sunday and appeared to be in good health, video from the Palestinian news service Ramattan TV showed.  Fox reporter Steve Centanni and photographer Olaf Wiig were released shortly after noon and dropped off at the Beach Hotel in Gaza City, where they were greeted by a swarm of people offering hugs, video from Ramattan showed. The hotel is a popular place for journalists. 

· Alabama Democrats ban candidate for extremist views.  Democratic Party leaders want a former candidate for attorney general who denies the Holocaust occurred to stay out of their future primaries.  The party's executive committee passed a resolution Saturday informing Larry Darby that "he is not welcome in the Alabama Democratic Party."  Darby, the founder of the Atheist Law Center, denied that millions of Jews died in the Holocaust during World War II. He also called for martial law and the posting of troops on interstates entering Alabama to check for illegal immigrants 

· Texas Immigration Proposal Draws Protest.  Clutching American flags and signs that read "America was formed by immigrants," more than 300 protesters on Saturday denounced a city proposal that would prohibit landlords from leasing to illegal immigrants.  About two dozen counter-protesters staged a demonstration nearby.  The proposal by City Councilman Tim O'Hare would also make it tougher for illegal immigrants to work in the Dallas suburb, penalize businesses that employ undocumented workers and make English the city's official language. 

· Iran Opens Nuclear Reactor, Defying U.N.  Iran's hard-line president on Saturday inaugurated a heavy-water production plant, a facility the West fears will be used to develop a nuclear bomb, as Tehran remained defiant ahead of a U.N. deadline that could lead to sanctions.  The U.N. has called on Tehran to stop the separate process of uranium enrichment - which also can be used to create nuclear weapons - by Thursday or face economic and political sanctions. 

· Obama gets bribe money back for TV crews.  Swamped by thousands of Kenyan fans at the memorial to victims of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing here, Barack Obama also pressured the Kenyan government Friday to refund what he said was shakedown money two Chicago TV crews were forced to pay at the airport to get their equipment out of customs. 

· Long-Awaited FEMA Trailer Explodes.  New Orleans couple waited nearly a year for a FEMA trailer, only to have it explode minutes after they got inside. A neighbor said the man appeared to have been burned to the bone on his arms. Fire officials said flammable vapors somehow ignited, causing an explosion and a rolling wave of fire throughout the trailer. 

· IRS Warns Against Phony Debt Collectors.  The IRS warned taxpayers Wednesday not to be duped by scammers posing as private debt collectors the agency has hired to chase unpaid tax debts.  The Internal Revenue Service designed the debt collection program to minimize that risk "because we know what it's like out there with regard to identity theft nowadays," said Brady Bennett, IRS director of collection.  But some critics of the program see so many pitfalls that they're urging debtors to insist on negotiating payment directly with the IRS. 

· McCain heads overseas to observe global warming effects.  Arizona Sen. John McCain will visit Greenland, Turkey, Georgia, Montenegro and Italy as part of a Senate delegation headed overseas during Congress' summer break.  McCain and the other Republican senators want to observe the effects of global warming while in Greenland. They also will attend an A-list economic and political conference at a swanky northern Italian resort. 

· Syria opposes U.N. force on its border.  Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has expressed strong opposition to the deployment of U.N. troops along his country's border with Lebanon, saying such a move would be "hostile" to Syria and create problems between the two nations.  "This negates the sovereignty of Lebanon," Al-Assad said in an interview Wednesday with Dubai TV. "No country in the world accepts having soldiers of another nationality patrolling its border." 

· U.S. Ends 'Catch-And-Release' at Border.  Nearly all non-Mexican illegal immigrants caught sneaking into the United States are being held until they can be returned to their home countries.  Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said this marks the end of the so-called "catch-and-release" policy that for years helped illegal immigrants remain in the United States unhindered. 

· New Stem-Cell Procedure Doesn't Harm Embryos.  A biotechnology company has developed a new way of creating stem cells without destroying human embryos, billing it as a potential solution to a contentious political and ethical debate.  "This will make it far more difficult to oppose this research," said Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology. 

· Sheehan Undergoes Surgery.  Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan was recovering Wednesday at Providence Health Center in Waco after undergoing a hysterectomy on Tuesday.  Sheehan, 49, of Berkeley, Calif., is expected to remain in the hospital for several days before she rejoins the peace vigil near the president’s Texas ranch. 

· The Political Fertility Gap.  Liberals have a baby problem. They don't have enough of them, compared to conservatives. And this failure to replenish their ranks is a reason why they lose elections.  "The political right is having a lot more kids than the political left," Syracuse University professor Arthur Brooks says. "The gap is actually 41 percent."  Brooks found that 100 unrelated liberal adults have 147 children, while 100 unrelated conservatives have 208 kids - and 80% of the offspring vote like their parents. 

· Judge in wiretap case under fire.  Judicial Watch, a nonpartisan foundation based in Washington, D.C., called on Tuesday for a closer look at the links between U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor and the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Taylor is the secretary and a trustee on the board of the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, which has given money to the ACLU Michigan office, including a $45,000 grant to support gay and lesbian rights. 

· US facing wave of murders and gun violence.  In a shift from trends of the past decade, violent crime is on the rise, fueling criticism of Bush administration policies as a wave of murders and shootings hits smaller cities and states with little experience with serious urban violence.  Explanations vary - from softer gun laws to budget cuts, fewer police on the beat, more people in poverty and simple complacency. But many blame a national preoccupation with potential threats from abroad. 

· Video of Kidnapped Journalists Released.  A previously unknown Palestinian group released video Wednesday of two kidnapped Fox News journalists and demanded that Muslim prisoners in U.S. jails be released within 72 hours in exchange for the men, a Palestinian news agency broadcast by Al-Jazeera reported.  The video was the first sign of American correspondent Steve Centanni, 60, of the San Francisco area, and cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36, of New Zealand, since they were kidnapped Aug. 14. 

· Hizbollah hands out cash to Lebanese.  Hizbollah handed out bundles of cash from Iran on Friday to people whose homes were wrecked by Israeli bombing, consolidating the Iranian-backed group's support among Lebanon's Shi'ites and embarrassing the Beirut government.  "This is a very, very reasonable amount. It is not small," said Ayman Jaber, 27, holding a wad he had just picked up from Hizbollah of $12,000 in banknotes wrapped in tissue. 

· Alaska governor could be unseated.  Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski is fighting to survive Tuesday's primary after a rocky first term.  Murkowski's approval ratings have skidded over the past four years because of much-criticized decisions such as appointing his daughter Lisa to his U.S. Senate seat and purchasing a $2.6 million state jet after his request for the aircraft was denied by both the federal government and state Legislature. 

· UK cops find martyr tapes.  Several martyr videos were reportedly discovered on at least six laptops owned by some of the 23 suspects being questioned in the foiled terror plot to bomb as many as 10 jetliners bound for the United States.  The British Broadcasting Corp., citing an unofficial police source, said Friday that several videos of the type that suicide bombers sometimes leave had been found as part of the intense investigation into the alleged plot. 

· Senator Biden blasts Wal-Mart.  Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, a likely Democratic presidential candidate in 2008, delivered a 15-minute, blistering attack to warm applause from Democrats and union organizers here on Wednesday. But Mr. Biden’s main target was not Republicans in Washington, or even his prospective presidential rivals. It was Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer.  “My problem with Wal-Mart is that I don’t see any indication that they care about the fate of middle-class people,” Mr. Biden said. “They talk about paying them $10 an hour. That’s true. How can you live a middle-class life on that?” 

· Israeli army chief sold stocks hours before war.  Israel's army chief Dan Halutz reportedly offloaded his stock portfolio hours before the Jewish state unleashed a massive offensive in Lebanon and the stock market tumbled. "The country was under fire and all that was important to him was his stock portfolio," Colette Aviattal, a Labor MP said. 

· Federal judge says government's warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional.  A federal judge ruled Thursday that the government's warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional and ordered an immediate halt to it.  U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit became the first judge to strike down the National Security Agency's program, which she says violates the rights to free speech and privacy as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. 

· Orlando Mayor's Mug Shot May Appear On Billboard.  The mug shot of Orlando's mayor could be coming to a billboard near you. Someone mailed postcards criticizing Mayor Buddy Dyer and promised to put the same message on ten, 40-foot billboards around the city. 

· Town sued over strict immigration law.  Civil rights campaigners sued the Pennsylvania town of Hazleton on Tuesday, seeking to block one of America's toughest local laws against illegal immigrants.  The suit says Hazelton's City Council violated the U.S. constitution when it passed a law denying business permits to companies that hire illegal aliens and fining landlords who rent homes to them. 

· Congressman delivers his own son.  Rep. Bobby Jindal barely had time to call 911 when his wife woke with labor pains Tuesday. Minutes later, he helped deliver his own son.  Slade Ryan Jindal arrived before the ambulance did at about 3:25 a.m. Jindal, coached over the phone by a nurse. 

· Son of Jimmy Carter Wins Nevada Senate Primary.  Jimmy Carter's son, Jack Carter, won the Democratic nomination Tuesday to face Republican U.S. Sen. John Ensign in November in Nevada, where voters also picked candidates in a sometimes-zany pair of primaries to replace popular Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn. 

· Diversity growing in nearly every state.  America’s growing diversity has reached nearly every state. From South Carolina’s budding immigrant population to the fast-rising number of Hispanics in Arkansas, minority groups make up an increasing share of the population in every state but one, according figures from the Census Bureau.  West Virginia is the exception, with its struggling economy and little history of attracting immigrants. 

· Lover's traffic stop forces state's top lawyer to quit.  New Jersey's attorney general resigned Tuesday after a special prosecutor concluded she violated state ethics laws by intervening in a traffic stop involving her boyfriend. 

· Republicans Raise Money For Lieberman.  Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut will be able to raise the funds necessary to mount a campaign to keep his Senate seat, both Democratic and Republican donors say.  A Republican campaign fund-raiser based in Washington, who spoke on condition that he not be identified by name, said, “There’s a definite sense among a significant number of the Republicans who I deal with that Joe Lieberman is a man of principle and a man we should support.” 

· Hezbollah still firing - on Lebanon.  After a tenuous cease-fire ended 34 days of vicious combat between Israel and Hezbollah overnight, Hezbollah guerrillas fired at least 10 Katyusha rockets that landed in southern Lebanon early Tuesday, the Israeli army said, adding that nobody was injured. The army said that none of the rockets, which were fired over a two-hour period, had crossed the border and so it had not responded. 

· Gunmen kidnap Fox News journalists in Gaza.  Palestinian gunmen kidnapped two foreign journalists working for the Fox News Channel in Gaza on Monday, a witness and the U.S. television network said.  A Fox spokeswoman in New York named the two journalists as correspondent Steve Centanni, an American, and cameraman Olaf Wiig, from New Zealand. 

· Another land grab in Africa.  South Africa has told white farmers it may seize their properties under the land restitution program if they fail to agree on a selling price within six months.  The program aims to hand back land or offer financial compensation to black people who were forcibly removed from their ancestral homes under apartheid.  A similar takeover of land from white farmers in Zimbabwe proved to be an overwhelming economic failure. 

· Hizbullah claims 'big victory.'  Hizbullah distributed leaflets on Monday congratulating Lebanon on its "big victory" and thanking citizens for their patience during the 34-day war with Israel.  Supporters of the terror group were seen passing out leaflets to cars heading south on the Zahrani highway, which connects the hard-hit southern cities of Nabatiyeh, Tyre and Sidon.  "Congratulations to you on the big victory, with the support of God, the mujahedeen (holy warriors) and your patience," it read. 

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