N.J. court opens door to gay marriage  —  TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey's highest court opened the door Wednesday to making the state the second in the nation to allow gay marriage, ruling that lawmakers must offer homosexuals either marriage or something like it, such as civil unions.

Connecticut Crucible for a War Debate  —  When the three candidates in Connecticut's celebrated Senate race met for their final debate on Monday night in New London, only one of them appeared to be having a good time.  —  It was not Ned Lamont, the tense and fidgety businessman who had captured …

Youths torch two buses near Paris  —  Youths in the Paris suburbs have attacked two buses on the eve of the first anniversary of rioting among immigrant communities.  —  In Nanterre, northwestern Paris, about 10 passengers fled a bus as masked youths set it ablaze, police said.

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 …

Argentine lawyer asks to jail Iran officials for Jewish center blast  —  Argentine prosecutors on Wednesday asked a federal judge to issue an arrest warrant against former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani and seven others for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center that killed scores of people.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Olbermann Gives Us The Visual To Limbaugh's Attack On Michael J. Fox  —  By now everyone has heard Limbaugh's little commentary about Michael J. Fox's appearance in the ad for Claire McCaskill.  Well tonight Keith Olbermann supplied us with the visual to accompany Rush's latest show of idiocy.

Media blamed for Islam bias  —  AUSTRALIAN Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty believes the media is fuelling a growing bias against Islamic Australians, warning that increased vilification of Muslims is fomenting home-grown terrorism.  —  In a speech delivered in Adelaide …

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.

Watchdog Group Accuses Churches of Political Action  —  A nonprofit group has filed a complaint asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the role that two churches may have played in the re-election campaign of Kansas' attorney general.  —  The complaint by Citizens for Responsibility …

Jane Pauley Sues New York Times  —  Broadcaster claims fraud over appearance in drug industry advertorial  —  Claiming that The New York Times duped her into granting an interview for what turned out to be a drug company-funded advertising supplement, Jane Pauley has sued the newspaper for fraud.

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.