Haggard steps down amid gay affair inquiry  —  Ted Haggard, one of the most prominent evangelical pastors in the nation, resigned today as president of the National Association of Evangelicals amid allegations that he carried on a three-year sexual relationship with a male prostitute.

U.S. Web Archive Is Said to Reveal a Nuclear Guide  —  Last March, the federal government set up a Web site to make public a vast archive of Iraqi documents captured during the war.  The Bush administration did so under pressure from Congressional Republicans who said they hoped to …

Penn President Poses with "Suicide Bomber"  —  University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann threw her annual Halloween costume party at her home Tuesday night.  Among the guests was Saad Saadi, who came dressed as a suicide bomber, complete with plastic dynamite strapped to his chest and a toy automatic rifle.

Mideast terror leaders to U.S.: Vote Democrat  —  Withdrawal from Iraq would embolden jihadists to destroy Israel, America  —  JERUSALEM - Everybody has an opinion about next Tuesday's midterm congressional election in the U.S. - including senior terrorist leaders interviewed by WND …

Exclusive: NRCC's Foley "Damage Control"  —  Two senior aides to National Republican Campaign Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds participated in "damage control" conference calls concerning correspondence between Congressman Mark Foley and a former congressional page — two days before the scandal became public …

Steele cuts Cardin's lead nearly in half … The race for Maryland's open U.S. Senate seat has narrowed, but Democrat Benjamin L. Cardin holds a 6-point edge, the result of firm support among black voters and strong leads in Baltimore and suburban Washington, according to a new poll for The Sun.

Last gasps in Iraq  —  I supported this war, but the deteriorating situation is starting to convince me that we can't win.  Those of us who hoped that the Iraqis could achieve democracy were wrong — and their failure has implications for the entire region.

Medic Aids Fallen Marine With Skill and a Prayer  —  Petty Officer Third Class Dustin E. Kirby clutched the injured marine's empty helmet.  His hands were coated in blood.  Sweat ran down his face, which he was trying to keep straight but kept twisting into a snarl.

Rep. Paying Ex-Mistress About $500K  —  ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A Republican congressman accused of abusing his ex-mistress agreed to pay her about $500,000 in a settlement last year that contained a powerful incentive for her to keep quiet until after Election Day, a person familiar with the terms of the deal told The Associated Press.

Blogwars: Me vs. Ace on Kerrygate  —  You are dead to me.  —  Just kidding.  I thought Ace's response deserved a link after I accused him of being in "nutroots territory" last night, which was in turn a response to him implying that I was "crazy" for thinking Kerry's remark might have been aimed at Bush and not the military.

Crystal Ball 2006: THE PREDICTIONS  —  Campaigns Clamor for Last-Minute Midterm "Mo"  —  Just how Democratic a year is 2006?  —  Five days out, let's rephrase the question this way: when's the last time a major political party has failed to capture a single House seat, Senate seat …

'Only 50 years left' for sea fish  —  Environment correspondent, BBC News website  —  There will be virtually nothing left to fish from the seas by the middle of the century if current trends continue, according to a major scientific study.  —  Stocks have collapsed in nearly one-third of sea fisheries …