Iraqi PM: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida-linked militant who led a bloody campaign of suicide bombings, kidnappings and hostage beheadings in Iraq, has been killed in a U.S. air raid north of Baghdad, Iraq's prime minister said Thursday.

Hillary lashes out at Ann Coulter  —  WASHINGTON - New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton lashed out at Ann Coulter for a "vicious, mean-spirited attack" on a group of outspoken 9/11 widows, whom the right-wing television pundit described as "self-obsessed" and enjoying their husbands' deaths.

Narrow Victory by G.O.P. Signals Fall Problems  —  SAN DIEGO, June 7 — The victory that Republicans squeezed out in a high-profile race to fill a Congressional vacancy here eased party anxieties Wednesday but signaled future difficulties as they confront tougher Democratic challenges in increasingly contested districts this fall.

Bush Emphasizes English, Assimilation for Immigrants  —  OMAHA, June 7 — Continuing his campaign to build support for comprehensive immigration legislation, President Bush on Wednesday emphasized that illegal immigrants who want to stay here should learn English and demonstrate that they are committed …

Pride and prejudice: Macy's yanks gay display, blasted by both sides  —  Macy's department store found itself mired in a fierce national debate between conservatives and gay activists when it bowed to complaints and removed part of a window display marking Boston Pride Week.  —  Boston pride banned:

Self-Loathing and the Denial of Terrorism  —  You're an enlightened world citizen.  Your T-shirt says "9/11 was an inside job."  You're pretty sure we're living in a fascist state, that President Bush taps the Dixie Chicks' phones, Christian abortion clinic bombers outnumber jihadis …

RCMP foiled dozen plots in past two years  —  OTTAWA — The RCMP has quietly broken up at least a dozen terrorist groups in the past two years, according to documents obtained by The Globe and Mail.  —  "We have completed 12 disruptions of national-level terrorist groups across the country …

Gay Marriage Amendment Fails in U.S. Senate  —  The Senate, as expected, defeated a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage today in a procedural vote that fell far short of the number required to amend the Constitution.  —  The 49-48 vote on a motion to end debate …

Speech by U.N. Leader Draws Angry Response From U.S.  —  UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations' No. 2 official accused the U.S. government of keeping Middle America in the dark about the world body's good works, a rare direct criticism that drew an angry response Wednesday from Ambassador John Bolton.

Media Death Watch in action on purported kidnapped Canadian soldier  —  Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan: Earlier this week, Glenn Reynolds reproduced an informal email from Afghanistan, which included an anecdote about the Canadian media maintaining the "Death Watch" (their own words) at Kandahar Airfield.

The Meaning of Tester's Victory: A Win Against D.C. For the Rest of Us  —  The winds of change - they are a-blowin' hard out here in the heartland, no matter how much Washington, D.C. pretends they aren't.  Tonight, in a major upset, populist Democratic State Senate President Jon Tester crushed …

Senator slams Cheney for lobbying Congress on wiretaps  —  In a terse and highly unusual letter to Vice President Cheney, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today rejected the Bush administration's insistence that a secret wire tapping program being conducted on U.S. civilians …

DeLay's Parting Advice: Ignore the Press, Stand on Principle  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay urged colleagues Wednesday to "stand on principle" and ignore the media in a farewell speech to fellow House Republicans at their weekly private meeting.