Sen. Johnson in Critical Condition After Surgery  —  Control of Chamber Could Be in Question if He Cannot Serve  —  Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) underwent emergency brain surgery overnight after falling ill at the Capitol and was in critical condition early this morning, introducing a note …

Voters favor McCain over Clinton in '08  —  But the Republican faces hurdles within his own party.  Overall, those surveyed in a Times/Bloomberg poll say they want a Democrat in the White House.  —  WASHINGTON — Democrats have an overwhelmingly favorable view of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton …

Former CNN News Chief To Launch 'IraqSlogger' Site  —  NEW YORK For the past four years there has been no shortage of news and views on Iraq and the long-running war there.  What's been missing: a one-stop-shopping clearinghouse for nonpartisan information, including material coming …

Judge Rejects Detention Challenge of Bin Laden's Driver  —  A federal judge dismissed yesterday a challenge from Osama bin Laden's driver over his more than four years of detention at the Guantanamo Bay military prison, saying a new anti-terrorism law approved by Congress this fall removes the lower court's jurisdiction in the matter.

Federal Judge Asked to Decide if Padilla Is Competent for Trial  —  Saying that he was mentally damaged as a result of his three years and eight months in a naval brig in South Carolina, lawyers for Jose Padilla asked a federal judge in Miami yesterday to determine his competency to stand trial on terrorism conspiracy charges.

The real purpose behind the imam publicity blitz  —  On Dec. 1, a curious report on the grounded-imams incident at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport appeared on the website of the Iranian Quran News Agency.  The report quoted extensively from Madhi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.

Male circumcision greatly reduces HIV risk: studies  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Circumcising men cuts their risk of being infected with the AIDS virus in half, and could prevent hundreds of thousands or even millions of new infections, researchers said on Wednesday.

Joint Chiefs Advise Change In War Strategy  —  Leaders Seek No Major Troop Increase, Urge Shift in Focus to Support of Iraqi Army  —  The nation's top uniformed leaders are recommending that the United States change its main military mission in Iraq from combating insurgents to supporting Iraqi troops …

Edwards leads in poll of likely caucusgoers  —  Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is in fourth place; Sen. Hillary Clinton is second.  —  Washington, D.C. - John Edwards came out far ahead of the rest of the pack of possible Democratic presidential candidates in a poll of Iowa Democrats conducted …

Reagan Would Not Repeat Amnesty Mistake  —  This is the fifth in an occasional series of exclusive articles in which leading conservatives who served in the Reagan Administration explain how they believe the principles of Reagan conservatism ought to be applied today and in the coming years.

An Online Newscaster's Appealing Bafflement  —  Amanda Congdon, the comely online newsreader, has a new job.  After her whirlwind departure from the webcast news show Rocketboom, in July, Ms. Congdon — a droll, blond Rosalind Russell for the digital generation — has at last landed at ABCNews.com.

Pentagon's plan: More U.S. troops in Iraq  —  Boosting presence and aid, and an anti-Sadr offensive, carry risks but offer the best path to victory, military officials say.  —  WASHINGTON — As President Bush weighs new policy options for Iraq, strong support has coalesced in the Pentagon behind …

Democrats Plan to Take Control of Iraq Spending  —  Frustrated by the Bush administration's piecemeal financing of the Iraq war, Democrats are planning to assert more control over the billions of dollars a month being spent on the conflict when they take charge of Congress in January.