N.J. Ruling Mandates Rights for Gay Unions  —  State Court Does Not Specify 'Marriage'  —  The New Jersey Supreme Court left the door ajar for the approval of same-sex marriage Wednesday, ruling that gay couples are entitled to rights no different from those of heterosexual couples.

Youths torch 3 buses in suburban Paris  —  PARIS - Youths forced passengers off three buses and set the vehicles on fire overnight in suburban Paris, raising tensions Thursday ahead of the first anniversary of the riots that engulfed France's rundown, heavily immigrant neighborhoods.

Patricia Heaton, Sports Stars Rebut Michael J. Fox on Missouri Stem Cell Ad  —  St. Louis, MO (LifeNews.com) — Pro-life advocates in Missouri have prepared a response ad to one that actor Michael J. Fox has made in numerous states that contains misleading information about pro-life candidates and their views on stem cell research.

Kerrey Offers His Support to Lieberman  —  As Senator Joseph I. Lieberman stood beside Bob Kerrey, the former Nebraska senator, to accept his endorsement on Wednesday, the two seemed to differ about whether the war in Iraq had made the United States safer.  —  Like Mr. Lieberman …

Argentina charges Iran, Hezbollah in 1994 Jewish center bombing  —  BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - Argentine prosecutors charged Iran and the Shiite militia Hezbollah with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish charities office in Argentina that killed 85 people and injured 300.

Interview of the Vice President by Scott Hennen, WDAY at Radio Day at the White House  —  Q I've had the honor of introducing our next guest at Cabela's in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.  I've interviewed him just off the MSUM Dragon gym floor in Moorehead, even at his hotel suite in St. Paul …

Rights Group Fires Publisher of Foley E-Mail  —  A liberal gay rights group said Wednesday that one of its employees, acting anonymously, had created the Web site that first published copies of unusually solicitous e-mail messages to teenagers from former Representative Mark Foley, which led to his resignation.

Airport taxi flap about alcohol has deeper significance  —  The airport taxi controversy may go deeper than the quandary over whether to accommodate Somali Muslim cabdrivers who refuse to carry passengers carrying alcohol.  Behind the scenes, a struggle for power and religious authority is apparently playing out.

Ad Seen as Playing to Racial Fears  —  The Tennessee Senate race, one of the most competitive and potentially decisive battles of the midterm election, became even more unpredictable this week after a furor over a Republican television commercial that stood out even in a year of negative advertising.

Schmidt angry to see 'cowards' speech in TV ad  —  Political Notebook  —  Rep. Jean Schmidt blasted Democrat Victoria Wulsin on Wednesday for allegedly breaking a U.S. House rule that prohibits using the broadcast of House floor proceedings in campaign ads.

MilBlogs: Losing a Precious Resource  —  "I see this expanding considerably with the communications tools that are out there now," said Sgt. 1st Class Irwin Walters, who oversees personnel issues for the Manassas unit, and works in the IT procurement office for the IRS in his civilian life.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Gov. Mark Warner on Politics, Family, and Not Running for President  —  Mark Warner looked to be the strongest Democratic contender for President in 2008 except for Hillary Clinton.  We'd been slated to interview him when he decided not to run …

An Ascent Shadowed By Questions on Race  —  In February 2004, Sen. George Allen was on a bus taking him from Birmingham to Selma, Ala. On a video screen in front of him was "Eyes on the Prize," the acclaimed documentary chronicling the civil rights movement.

What Osama Wants  —  THE French saying, often attributed to Talleyrand, that "this is worse than a crime, it's a blunder," could easily describe America's invasion of Iraq.  But for the United States to pull entirely out of that country right now, as is being demanded by a growing chorus of critics …

Five US troops killed in Iraq as Bush under fire  —  Source: Reuters  —  The military said on Thursday five more American troops were killed in Iraq, bringing the U.S. death toll for October to 96, as President George W. Bush sought to deflect mounting election-year pressure over the war.

Love Me, I'm a Journalist  —  A PROFESSION'S ROMANCE WITH ITSELF.  —  On Monday, I singled out Tim Rutten of the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz as I admonished journalists for overreacting to staff cuts at newsrooms around the country.

BUT HE STARTED IT.  I've long been of the opinion, in all seriousness, that Republicans have it in for the disabled.  First there is their positioning regarding discrimination against people with disabiilties in the workplace (President Bush, for instance, has repeatedly appointed judges …

Democrats lead in US election-Reuters poll  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Voters strongly favor Democratic candidates over Republicans in the Nov. 7 congressional election and harbor growing doubts about the Iraq war and the country's future, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released Thursday.