Two held after ad campaign triggers Boston bomb scare … BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) — Authorities have arrested two men in connection with electronic light boards depicting a middle-finger-waving moon man that triggered repeated bomb scares around Boston on Wednesday and prompted the closure …

BREAKING: DOUBLE THE TROOPS IN "SURGE" (UPDATED)  —  President Bush and his new military chiefs have been saying for nearly a month that they would "surge" an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq, in a last, grand push to quell the violence in Baghdad and in Anbar Province.

The Arrogant and Intolerant Speak Out  —  Well, one thing's abundantly clear about who will actually defend our rights to say what we believe: It isn't the hundreds who have written me saying they are soldiers or veterans or war supporters or real Americans and who also advise me to move to another country …

Al Gore nominated for Nobel Peace Prize  —  OSLO, Norway - Former Vice President Al Gore was nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his wide-reaching efforts to draw the world's attention to the dangers of global warming, a Norwegian lawmaker said Thursday.

TWO SENIOR IRAQI GENERALS EYED IN BRAZEN ATTACK ON U.S. SOLDIERS  —  Two senior Iraqi generals are being questioned in connection with last week's attack in Karbala that left five U.S. soldiers dead, Pentagon officials told FOX News Thursday.  —  Military officials also said the level …

U.S. delays report on Iranian role in Iraq  —  WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has postponed plans to offer public details of its charges of Iranian meddling inside Iraq amid internal divisions over the strength of the evidence, U.S. officials said.  —  U.S. officials promised last week …

The soft bigotry of blowhards  —  Wesley Clark et al should watch what they say and how they say it.  —  WESLEY CLARK, the retired general and once — and no doubt future — presidential candidate, says the United States is going to attack Iran.  How does he know?

Now That a Penny Isn't Worth Much, It's Time to Make It Worth 5 Cents  —  How dumb do you have to be to mint money at a loss?  In the latest only-in-Washington episode, we find that the government may have lost as much as $40 million coining pennies and nickels last year.

Request for Ideological Comment  —  "As in a church, everyone has an opinion how things ought to run.  Internet users express their opinions through meetings of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).  The IETF is another volunteer organization...  [Requests for Comment] RFCs are the documents that define the Internet.

In Fighting Troop Increase, Senator Finds Few Old Allies  —  Senator John W. Warner, a lawmaker often admired for his demeanor and experience, has long wielded influence on military policy given his own years at the Pentagon and his tenure as the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

IGNATIUS ON RICE  —  David Ignatius: "But as with any strategy, Rice's realignment idea has the virtue of offering a basis for discussion and careful thinking about a region perched on the edge of a volcano."  Ignatius, sorry to say, is too easily impressed here.  Snippets:

Mary Cheney Publicly Defends Her Pregnancy  —  Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, today for the first time publicly defended her decision to become pregnant and asserted that same-sex couples are equally capable of raising children as heterosexual couples.

Shakes on a Campaign  —  I've got some news, Shakers.  —  I have been offered and have accepted a position as the Netroots Coordinator for John Edwards' presidential campaign, joining an outstanding internet team that now also includes Pandagon's Amanda Marcotte, with whom I'll be working closely.

MATIER AND ROSS  —  AIDE QUITS AS NEWSOM'S AFFAIR WITH HIS WIFE IS REVEALED  —  Campaign manager confronts mayor, who is 'in shock'  —  San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's re-election campaign manager resigned Wednesday after confronting the mayor about an affair Newsom had with his wife …

Biden Unwraps His Bid for '08 With an Oops!  —  In an era of meticulous political choreography, the staging of the kickoff for this presidential candidacy could hardly have gone worse.  —  Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, who announced his candidacy on Wednesday with the hope …

Exxon Mobil posts record annual profit  —  HOUSTON - Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. on Thursday posted the largest annual profit by a U.S. company — $39.5 billion — even as earnings for the last quarter of 2006 declined 4 percent.  —  The 2006 profit topped the previous record, also by Exxon Mobil, of $36.13 billion set in 2005.