Journalist Jill Carroll Released in Iraq  —  BAGHDAD, March 30 — American journalist Jill Carroll, abducted in early January by gunmen in Baghdad, was released to a Sunni Arab political party in the capital Thursday morning after 82 days in captivity.  —  "I was never hurt, ever hit," she told a Washington Post reporter.

NYT Abandons Reporting for Assertion  —  Via Power line, New York Times reporter Eric Lichtblau appears to have asserted something in his wiretapping story today that just isn't supported by his own reporting, much less a transcript of the hearing.  In the second paragraph of the story, Lichtblau wrote:

Senate Approves Lobbying Limits by Wide Margin  —  WASHINGTON, March 29 — The Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed the first major restrictions on lobbying in more than a decade, banning lobbyists from giving gifts and meals to lawmakers and tightening rules for pet projects known as earmarks.

Afghan Christian Given Asylum in Italy  —  ROME - The Afghan man who faced the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity received asylum in Italy Wednesday, despite requests by lawmakers in Afghanistan that he be barred from fleeing the conservative Muslim country.

Congressional Candidate Slams Press Coverage of Iraq—With Bogus Photo  —  NEW YORK How far will critics of media coverage of the Iraq war go to prove reporters are wrongly focusing on the negative?  —  One answer came this week, in a shocking if amusing episode featuring one Howard Kaloogian …

Iran Defiantly Rejects New U.N. Demands  —  BERLIN (AP) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Iran on Thursday the "international community is united" in the dispute over its nuclear program, but a Tehran envoy defiantly rejected a U.N. call to reimpose a freeze on uranium enrichment.

Photographer: Herald got it right  —  Amid a growing national controversy about the gesture U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia made Sunday at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the freelance photographer who captured the moment has come forward with the picture.

Borders, Waldenbooks Won't Carry Magazine  —  Borders and Waldenbooks stores will not stock the April-May issue of Free Inquiry magazine because it contains cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that provoked deadly protests among Muslims in several countries.  —  "For us, the safety and security …

Gallup Throws Doubt On Political Polling  —  Editor & Publisher noted yesterday that Gallup reported a shift in party identification in the US; Democrats outpoll Republicans in party identification — by a single point: … However, that's not exactly how Gallup itself headlines its results:

When History, Destiny Converged  —  The Assassination Attempt on President Reagan Changed the Future Not Only for Those Involved but for the Rest of the U.S. as Well  —  The shots came from the crowd outside the Washington Hilton that drizzly afternoon — six shots that would show …

Patriots, Then and Now  —  With nations as with people, love them or lose them.  —  I had a great experience the other night.  I met some of the 114 living recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award.  It was at their annual dinner, held, as it has been the past four years, at the New York Stock Exchange.

Senate GOP Fears Frist's Ambitions Split Party  —  By pushing his way to the front of the volatile debate over immigration, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has reignited complaints that his presidential ambitions conflict with his leadership duties at times and put him at odds with his GOP caucus.

'SOUTH PARK' SLAMS GEORGE CLOONEY'S OSCAR ACCEPTANCE SPEECH  —  ... and dug at environmentalists and San Francisco liberals!  In all, a tour de force in "Smug Alert!"  — the second episode of the new season.  —  In the episode, Kyle's dad buys a hybrid car (called a "Pious") …

G.O.P. Risking Hispanic Votes on Immigration  —  WASHINGTON, March 29 — The battle among Republicans over immigration policy and border security is threatening to undercut a decade-long effort by President Bush and his party to court Hispanic voters, just as both parties are gearing up for the 2006 elections.