Obama says use of nuclear weapons to fight al-Qaida 'not on the table,'  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday he would not use nuclear weapons «in any circumstance.  —  «I think it would be a profound mistake for us to use nuclear weapons …

Minn. bridge problems uncovered in 1990  —  MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota officials were warned as early as 1990 that the bridge that plummeted into the Mississippi River was "structurally deficient," yet they relied on a strategy of patchwork fixes and stepped-up inspections.

A Statement on Scott Thomas Beauchamp  —  Scott Thomas Beauchamp is a U.S. Army private serving in Iraq.  He came to THE NEW REPUBLIC's attention through Elspeth Reeve, a TNR reporter-researcher, whom he later married.  Over the course of the war, we have tried to provide our readers with a sense of Iraq as it is seen by the troops.

Edwards assails rivals over News Corp.  —  WASHINGTON - John Edwards criticized Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday for taking more than $20,000 in donations from News Corp. officials, arguing that the company's Fox News Channel has a right-wing bias and Democrats should avoid the company.

With Rove Absent, Aide Is Grilled by Senate Panel  —  The Senate Judiciary Committee grilled a young political aide from the White House today about the firings of nine United States attorneys and voiced disdain for a man who was not there: the aide's boss, Karl Rove, President Bush's chief political adviser.

Public anger will follow our sorrow  —  The cloud of dust above the Mississippi that rose after the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed Wednesday evening has dissipated.  But there are other dark clouds still hanging over Minneapolis and Minnesota.  —  The cloud of dust above the Mississippi …

The Vast Left-Wing Establishment  —  Today more than a thousand Kossacks — adherents of the left-wing website DailyKos — are gathering for their annual convention in Chicago.  It's the second YearlyKos, in circumstances far different from the first, held in June 2006 in Las Vegas.

Out of the Theater, Into the Courtroom  —  Jhannet Sejas and her boyfriend were celebrating her 19th birthday by taking in a matinee showing of the hit movie "Transformers" at the theater at Ballston Common mall.  —  Sejas was enjoying the movie so much that she decided to film a short clip …

Students must remember 'God' in Texas pledge  —  Texas students will have four more words to remember when they head back to class this month and begin reciting the state's pledge of allegiance.  —  This year's Legislature added the phrase "one state under God" to the pledge …

Edwards: "Giuliani is Bush on Steroids"  —  Just got back from an Edwards event in San Francisco.  He threw out a lot of red meat — in particular savaging the big oil, drug, and insurance companies — and these deep blue Americans loved every minute of it.  —  Edwards is awesome on the stump.

Minister In Skirt Charged With Indecent Exposure  —  Police Say Man Urinated In Front Of Kids, Offered Oral Sex To Cops  —  JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — A Baptist minister has been charged in Tennessee with indecent exposure and driving under the influence.  —  Police said 58-year-old Tommy Tester …