Iraqi claims U.S. GIs beat wounded man  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi man who was one of the first people on the scene of the U.S. airstrike targeting Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said he saw American troops beating a man who had a beard like the al-Qaida leader.  —  The witness, who lives near …

Gathering Highlights Power of the Blog  —  LAS VEGAS, June 9 — If any more proof were needed of the rising influence of bloggers — at least for the Democratic Party — it could be found here on Friday on the Las Vegas Strip, where the old and new worlds of American politics engaged …

Gingrich May Run in 2008 If No Front-Runner Emerges  —  Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) expects to run for president in 2008 if the contest for the Republican nomination still seems wide open late next year, he said yesterday.  —  In remarks that were critical of both parties' recent performance …

Brown: E-mail shows Bush glad FEMA took Katrina flak  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — The former emergency management chief who quit amid widespread criticism over his handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina said he received an e-mail before his resignation stating President Bush was glad …

U.S.: 3 Guantanamo inmates commit suicide  —  WASHINGTON - Three detainees at Guantanamo Bay apparently committed suicide amid protests of the U.S. military prison by inmates, the Defense Department said Saturday.  They were the first reported deaths at the controversial detention center …

Lucrative Life in Revolving Door for Capitol Hill Staff Member and Lobbyist  —  WASHINGTON, June 9 — For months, Jeffrey S. Shockey has seemed to exemplify the revolving door between K Street and Capitol Hill.  —  He left a job with the House Appropriations Committee in 1999 for a partnership …

Wind-Power Projects Halted  —  Supporters See Political Motive Behind Defense Dept. Study  —  CHICAGO — More than 130 wind turbines are proposed for the hilltops of central Wisconsin, but that project and at least 11 others have been halted by the Defense Department as it studies whether …

Councilman asks Geno's to lose 'Speak English' sign  —  PHILADELPHIA -  —  At a City Council meeting Thursday, Councilman Jim Kenney asked Geno's Steaks to take down its sign that says, "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING SPEAK ENGLISH."  —  That's just the latest example of how an English …

9/11-LINKED PILOT ON THE LOOSE  —  But don't worry.  He's been sent to...Saudi Arabia!  —  Great, just great: … Radio interview with the NZ immigration minister here.  —  Prediction: Some on the Left will condemn President Bush for letting Rayed Abdullah go in the first place …

James Webb Accused of Anti-Semitism in Democratic Primary  —  Former Reagan Navy Secretary and now Democratic Senate hopeful from Virginia James Webb is being accused of anti-Semitism for a flier produced against his opponent Harris Miller. … While I would love to see Miller defeat Webb in the primary …

9/11 Commissioner Criticizes Coulter  —  A member of the Sept. 11 commission on Friday lashed out at conservative pundit Ann Coulter for a "hate-filled attack" in saying the widows whose husbands died in the World Trade Center used the deaths for their own political gain.

Teacher witnessed transformation of some bomb-plot suspects  —  A Muslim religious leader in Toronto who knows some of those charged in the suspected bomb plot says the young men underwent rapid transformations from normal Canadian teenagers to radicalized introverts.

Army Meets Recruiting Goal Again  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army said Friday it surpassed its recruiting goal for May, marking the 12th consecutive month of meeting or exceeding its target.  —  Before it began the streak in June 2005, the active Army had missed its target four consecutive months.

Freedom Nears for JI Spiritual Leader Abu Bakar Ba'asyir: A Real Setback in the War on Terror  —  On Wednesday, Indonesian authorities will release Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, a 68 year old cleric and the spiritual leader of the Southeast Asian affiliate of Al Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah.

Officer's 'omissions' targeted in lacrosse motion  —  DURHAM — The exotic dancer who has accused three Duke lacrosse players of gang-raping her was drinking while taking medication that night, and had sex with at least four men and a sexual device in the days immediately leading up to the off-campus party …