Outrage as Muslim cleric likens women to 'uncovered meat'  —  A Muslim cleric's claim that women who do not wear the veil are like 'uncovered meat' who attract sexual predators sparked outrage around Australia yesterday.  —  Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali, the nation's most senior Muslim cleric …

Voters Increase Support for Stem Cell Research After Viewing Michael J. Fox Ad  —  Republicans' Support for Republican House Candidates Declines  —  FLEMINGTON, N.J.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—A new national study revealed that American voters' support for stem cell research increased after they viewed …

New Jersey Court Backs Full Rights for Gay Couples  —  Cindy Meneghin, right, and her partner, Maureen Kilian, heard about the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision on gay marriage Wednesday at their lawyer's office in Newark.  With them was Sarah, left, their daughter.

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 …

GOP retires 'Playboy' ad in Tennessee  —  Day after Mehlman defended anti-Ford spot, party says it's 'run its course' … Norah O'Donnell  —  The Republican National Committee said Wednesday it was taking off the air an attack ad that critics said was a racial slur against Democratic …

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 …

Bush signs U.S.-Mexico border fence bill  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush signed a bill Thursday authorizing 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping to give Republican candidates a pre-election platform for asserting they're tough on illegal immigration.

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.

In Iraq, Journalist Richard Engel Sticks to the Story  —  NBC Correspondent Has Made War Coverage His Life  —  NEW YORK — After struggling for years to make it as a Middle East journalist, Richard Engel was living in Cairo, married to his college girlfriend and itching for a new adventure.

A New Campaign Tactic: Manipulating Google Data  —  If things go as planned for liberal bloggers in the next few weeks, searching Google for "Jon Kyl," the Republican senator from Arizona now running for re-election, will produce high among the returns a link to an April 13 article from The Phoenix New Times, an alternative weekly.

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.

A Match Made In Washington: It's A Quote Off!  Round 1...  (H/T to Steve Clemons for the pix.)  —  It's down to the final decisions on the Match Made in Washington Quote Off.  But I need your help to determine the winners.  Voting begins now, and will continue until tomorrow …

Trandahl Names Kolbe as a 'Problem' With Page Program, Source Says  —  Rhonda Schwartz and John Yang Report:  —  A source close to former House Clerk Jeff Trandahl told ABC News that Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) was one of a small number of "problem members" …

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.

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.

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.

Revolt of the fairly rich  —  Today's lower upper class is seething about the ultrawealthy.  —  (Fortune Magazine) — Not long ago an investment banker worth millions told me that he wasn't in his line of work for the money.  "If I was doing this for the money," he said, with no trace of irony, "I'd be at a hedge fund."

Atheist Evangelist  —  In His Bully Pulpit, Sam Harris Devoutly Believes That Religion Is the Root of All Evil  —  NEW YORK There are really just two possibilities for Sam Harris.  Either he is right and millions of Christians, Muslims and Jews are wrong.  Or Sam Harris is wrong and he is so going to hell.

The Rape of Europe  —  The German author Henryk M. Broder recently told the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant (12 October) that young Europeans who love freedom, better emigrate.  Europe as we know it will no longer exist 20 years from now.  Whilst sitting on a terrace in Berlin …

KENNEDY SURGING  —  Last Friday, we posted Mark Kennedy's new television ad, which takes the Iraq war head-on.  We expected it to be effective, and it has been.  The Kennedy campaign has just finished its latest round of polling, and the new ad, combined with Kennedy's matchless work ethic …

The Supreme Court's Crusade: Fairness for the Powerful  —  When Jesse Williams died of lung cancer, his widow sued Philip Morris, claiming it misled him about the danger of smoking.  A jury agreed, awarding her $79.5 million in punitive damages.  The Oregon Supreme Court affirmed the award …

Terrorism rehearsal on Oslo flight  —  Czech security police (BIS) have reported an attempt to storm the cockpit of a flight from Oslo to Prague.  —  The BIS annual report for 2005, released on Tuesday, mentions flight OK 447 in September 2005, where three Egyptian citizens tried to gain access to the pilots.