Senator Obama's Announcement  —  Following is the prepared text of Senator Barack Obama's announcement for president on Saturday in Springfield, Ill., as provided by his campaign:  —  Let me begin by saying thanks to all you who've traveled, from far and wide, to brave the cold today.

The Build-a-War Workshop  —  It took far too long, but a report by the Pentagon inspector general has finally confirmed that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's do-it-yourself intelligence office cooked up a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda to help justify an unjustifiable war.

Putin Says U.S. Is Undermining Global Stability  —  President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia accused the United States on Saturday of provoking a new nuclear arms race by developing ballistic missile defenses, undermining international institutions and making the Middle East more unstable through its clumsy handling of the Iraq war.

Cosmic rays blamed for global warming  —  Man-made climate change may be happening at a far slower rate than has been claimed, according to controversial new research.  —  Scientists say that cosmic rays from outer space play a far greater role in changing the Earth's climate than global warming experts previously thought.

Congress Finds Ways to Avoid Lobbyist Limits  —  The 110th Congress opened with the passage of sweeping new rules intended to curb the influence of lobbyists by prohibiting them from treating lawmakers to meals, trips, stadium box seats or the discounted use of private jets.

Mark Weisbrot and Robert Naiman: "People Without Names" (PWN) Using New York Times to Escalate Tensions With Iran  —  Articles Reminiscent of Reporting That Led to Iraq War  —  It's Déjà Vu All Over Again  —  By Mark Weisbrot and Robert Naiman

McCain Taps Cash He Sought To Limit  —  Just about a year and a half ago, Sen. John McCain went to court to try to curtail the influence of a group to which A. Jerrold Perenchio gave $9 million, saying it was trying to "evade and violate" new campaign laws with voter ads ahead of the midterm elections.

A DOUBLE STANDARD AT GOOGLE-OWNED YOUTUBE: … Christians who want similar consideration from Google will presumably have to start blowing things up and beheading people.  As I've noted before, it's quite unwise to create this kind of incentive structure.  I thought the Google people were supposed to be smart.

Harvard Plans to Name First Female President  —  Harvard, the nation's oldest university, plans to name Drew Gilpin Faust, a historian of the Civil War South, to be the first female president in its 371-year history, university officials said Friday.  —  Her selection by a search committee …

Australian leader: Al-Qaida wants Obama  —  SYDNEY, Australia - Australia's conservative prime minister slammed Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) on Sunday over his opposition to the Iraq war, a day after the first-term U.S. senator announced his intention to run for the White House in 2008.

Roughnecks  —  Mosul, Iraq  —  There is a hidden passion for Chuck Norris among some of the troops.  His name seems to appear in every corner of Iraq—especially in outhouses.  Sometimes lurid, mostly unprintable, always funny.  —  The Latest: … Chuck Norris, the workingman of action movies, remains an improbable icon.

Death Penalty Bears Down on O'Malley, Kaine  —  Legislatures Are Preparing to Debate Bills on Repealing or Expanding Executions  —  The governors of Maryland and Virginia have much in common: Both Martin O'Malley and Timothy M. Kaine are considered rising stars in the Democratic Party.

Bush's uncle linked to options lawsuit  —  Defendants' backdating benefited a board he was on, the SEC alleges.  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush's uncle William H.T. "Bucky" Bush was among directors of a defense contractor who together reaped $6 million from what federal regulators …