Immigration Judges Often Picked Based On GOP Ties  —  Law Forbids Practice; Courts Being Reshaped  —  The Bush administration increasingly emphasized partisan political ties over expertise in recent years in selecting the judges who decide the fate of hundreds of thousands of immigrants …

U.S. Arming Sunnis in Iraq to Battle Old Qaeda Allies  —  With the four-month-old increase in American troops showing only modest success in curbing insurgent attacks, American commanders are turning to another strategy that they acknowledge is fraught with risk: arming Sunni Arab groups …

Her Way  —  On Meet the Press yesterday, Tim Russert asked Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta what was the most important thing in their new book, Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton.  —  Gerth: "She's now running for president, and we felt that people needed to understand how …

Studies say death penalty deters crime  —  Anti-death penalty forces have gained momentum in the past few years, with a moratorium in Illinois, court disputes over lethal injection in more than a half-dozen states and progress toward outright abolishment in New Jersey.

THAAAT'S What We Were All Waiting For?  Angry 'Sopranos' Fans Crash HBO Website  —  The line to cancel HBO starts here.  What a ridiculously disappointing end lacking in creativity to The Sopranos saga.  But if you're one of those who found it perversely interesting, then don't bother to read on.

Reagan's famous line nearly clipped from Berlin speech  —  SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Top administration officials said the speech was all wrong.  Too provocative, said the National Security Council.  Too tough, said the State Department.  —  The president overruled his advisers and …

Video: Dennis Miller goes nuclear on Harry Reid  —  The e-mails are flooding in.  You want it?  You got it.  —  If Rasmussen's right, this should resonate broadly.  —  Blowback

Romney's Run Has Mormons Wary of Scrutiny  —  LOGAN, Utah — In this wide valley where the twin spires of the Mormon temple dominate the landscape and some neighborhoods have a Mormon chapel every few blocks, Mitt Romney's bid for president is both a proud sign of progress and a cause of trepidation.

Free Porn Threatens Adult Film Industry  —  More Porn Viewers Are Getting It For Free On The Web; Industry Sales Start to Slip  —  "Free porn" just might be the two most exciting or frightening words in the English language, depending on your point of view.

U.S. relies on Sudan despite condemning it  —  The nation accused of aiding the killings in Darfur provides spies in Iraq.  In return, it gets access in Washington.  —  WASHINGTON — Sudan has secretly worked with the CIA to spy on the insurgency in Iraq, an example of how the U.S …

Marijuana Law in Connecticut Gains Ground  —  Seventeen years ago, Mark Braunstein dived 60 feet off a footbridge into a river, landed wrong and became a paraplegic.  A librarian at Connecticut College, Mr. Braunstein, 55, walks with the aid of crutches and leg braces.

'Political meddling' ruining learning in schools  —  The curriculum in state schools in England has been stripped of its content and corrupted by political interference, according to a damning report by an influential, independent think-tank.  —  It warns of the educational apartheid opening …