Judge nixes warrantless surveillance  —  DETROIT - 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 …

Ex-Wife Gives Alibi for JonBenet Suspect  —  BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A former American school teacher said publicly Thursday that he was with JonBenet Ramsey when she died in what he called "an accident," a stunning admission after a decade without answers in the 6-year-old girl's murder.

Hagee's Office Responds: Contradicts L.A. Times  —  I heard back from General Hagee's office yesterday regarding my inquiry about when Gen. Hagee briefed John Murtha about Haditha.  The bottom line: Gen. Hagee's office has directly contradicted an assertion by the L.A. Times …

Eye on Election, Democrats Run as Wal-Mart Foe  —  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 …

Top al Qaeda Man In Pakistan Nabbed  —  Gretchen Peters and Habibullah Khan Report:  —  A senior al Qaeda commander allegedly tied to the London airplane bomb plot has been arrested in Pakistan, Pakistani intelligence and law enforcement officials have told ABC News.

Insurgent Bombs Directed at G.I.'s Increase in Iraq  —  A recent bombing in Baghdad.  Most of the roadside bombs are directed at American-led forces, officials say.  —  The number of roadside bombs planted in Iraq rose in July to the highest monthly total of the war, offering more evidence …

NRSC Takes Lieberman  —  It's no coincidence that a purposeful silence has replaced the well-publicized calls from Republicans last month for no-hope GOP Senate candidate Alan Schlesinger to make way for someone more credible.  —  The state and national party, it seems …

Tramm Hudson Destroys Himself  —  Tramm Hudson is the current front runner in the GOP primary in FL-13, the Congressional District being vacated by Katherine Harris.  RedState has happened upon the clip below of Tramm talking to a group of people.  His words will, justifiably …

Hatch says Demo win could help terrorists  —  Sen. Orrin Hatch, who continuously decries the bitter partisanship in Washington, implied this week that Democratic success in November's election could result in terrorist attacks on America.  —  Hatch was quoted in Tuesday's Tooele Transcript Bulletin …

Petitioning for Life  —  "I had an abortion," Ms. Magazine urges its readers to declare.  How about "I wasn't aborted"?  —  The Web site of Ms. Magazine—yes, it still exists—is calling on readers to sign a petition: "I have had an abortion.  I publicly join the millions of women …

Faces, Too, Are Searched at U.S. Airports  —  As the man approached the airport security checkpoint here on Wednesday, he kept picking up and putting down his backpack, touching his fingers to his chin, rubbing some object in his hands and finally reaching for his pack of cigarettes, even though smoking was not allowed.

Democrats' Stock Is Rising on K Street  —  Washington lobbying firms, trade associations and corporate offices are moving to hire more well-connected Democrats in response to rising prospects that the opposition party will wrest control of at least one chamber of Congress from Republicans in the November elections.

Backing Harris?  Her list shortens … In the U.S. Senate primary, Rep. Katherine Harris has been touting key political endorsements from fellow Republican lawmakers.  The problem is, some of them never endorsed her.  —  Several members of the U.S. House called the Harris campaign …

Stroessner, Paraguay's Enduring Dictator, Dies  —  Gen. Alfredo Stroessner, the former president of Paraguay whose 35-year hold on power made him South America's most enduring dictator during the cold war, died today in exile in Brazil.  He was 93.  —  General Stroessner had developed pneumonia …