NBC: N. Korea prepares 2nd missile test  —  The revelations from South Korean media follow Wednesday's confirmation by the United States that it had prepared its missile interceptors to meet a specific threat - North Korea's launch of a long-range missile said to be capable of reaching Alaska.

Breaking: Decision reached on Yale Taliban; Update: Talibanned  —  Just got an e-mail from Clinton Watson Taylor of the "Nail Yale" blog, which is currently offline while Town Hall works out the bugs.  A reporter from the New York Times called him this afternoon for reaction to the news …

Senate Colleagues to Help Lieberman  —  WASHINGTON — Embattled Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman is getting a little help from his Senate friends as he tries to fend off an anti-Iraq war challenger in an intraparty fight.  —  Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware, Barbara Boxer of California and Ken Salazar …

Mexico election - liveblogging the District counts  —  The 300 federal election District Committees are reporting their vote package counts.  Remember, they are not counting vote by vote.  The votes from each casilla (poll) are sealed in "paquetes" and may not be opened except in 4 very special cases.

Ken Lay's Last Evasion  —  To Some, CEO Is Cheating Them One More Time  —  Ah, Kenneth Lay of Enron: America hardly knew you before your trial, but learned after your big-hammer jury conviction that you had left countless suckers broke, employees cheated and stockholders betrayed.

Consultant Breached FBI's Computers  —  Frustrated by Bureaucracy, Hacker Says Agents Approved and Aided Break-Ins  —  A government consultant, using computer programs easily found on the Internet, managed to crack the FBI's classified computer system and gain the passwords of 38,000 employees …

N.Y. Court Says Lawmakers Should Consider Gay Marriage  —  The New York Court of Appeals ruled this morning that the state Constitution does not guarantee a right to marriage for same-sex couples, and that state lawmakers, not the courts, are better suited to consider the issue.

UPDATE: Coulter's Syndicate Requests Report From Plagiarism Prober — As She Hits Back at 'NY Post'  —  NEW YORK Universal Press Syndicate has requested a copy of a report about Ann Coulter's alleged plagiarism, according to a post on the TPMmuckraker.com blog.

Iraq How-to Manual Directed Arab Military Operatives In Afghanistan  —  An Arab regime, possibly Iraq, supplied how-to manuals for Arab operatives working throughout Afghanistan before 9/11, and provided military assistance to the Taliban and Al Qaeda.  —  That's the most likely conclusion drawn …

A Touchy Topic: Boomer in Chief Hits the Big 6-0  —  WASHINGTON, July 5 — Let us now peek into the psyche of America's most powerful baby boomer, George W. Bush.  —  He is not given to self-analysis — "George is not an overly introspective person," his wife, Laura, once said with dry understatement …

Lady Liberty Trades In Some Trappings  —  MEMPHIS, July 4 — On Independence Day, Lady Liberty was born again.  —  As the congregation of the World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church looked on and its pastor, Apostle Alton R. Williams, presided, a brown shroud much like a burqa was pulled away …

Stop The ACLU Smeared  —  Update 2: Kudos to this post.  Look, here is how it goes....I personally would not expose the personal details of anyone's private info.  I don't defend this.  It is a personal decision of an individual to do so.  If you are looking for a condemnation from me …

Bloggers battle old-school media for political clout  —  Online journals gaining greater influence, scrutiny  —  WASHINGTON — When a writer for The New Republic, the 92-year-old doyen of elite Washington opinion journals, accused the nation's most prominent political blogger of using …

Bush told Cheney to discredit diplomat critical of Iraq policy  —  President George Bush directed his vice-president, Dick Cheney, to take personal charge of a campaign to discredit a former ambassador who had accused the administration of twisting prewar intelligence on Iraq, it emerged yesterday.