Audio of Larry Craig's Bust!  —  Download (3735) |  Play (4516) … Seems that Larry doesn't know what hand his gold ring is on...Sadly, No! has more...

Panel Will Urge Broad Overhaul of Iraqi Police  —  An independent commission established by Congress to assess Iraq's security forces will recommend remaking the 26,000-member national police force to purge it of corrupt officers and Shiite militants suspected of complicity in sectarian killings …

BREAKING NEWS: Polk judge rules against gay marriage ban  —  A Polk County judge on Thursday struck down Iowa's law banning gay marriage.  —  The ruling by Judge Robert Hanson concluded that the state's prohibition on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and he ordered the Polk County recorder …

Reid Opens Door to Pact With Antiwar Republicans  —  LAS VEGAS — Saying the coming weeks will be "one of the last opportunities" to alter the course of the war, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said he is now willing to compromise with Republicans to find ways to limit troop deployments in Iraq.

Democrats Turn From Big Donor Who's Fugitive  —  From $62,000 for Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York, to $10,000 for the Tennessee Democratic Party, the full extent of fund-raising by Norman Hsu came into focus yesterday, as campaigns across the country began returning his money in light of revelations that he is a fugitive in a fraud case.

Secret Report: Corruption is "Norm" Within Iraqi Government  —  As Congress prepares to receive reports on Iraq from General David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and readies for a debate on George W. Bush's latest funding request of $50 billion for the Iraq war …

Taliban vows more abductions as hostages freed  —  The seven remaining South Korean hostages taken captive last July by the Taliban have been released, and insurgents have vowed they will abduct more foreigners.  —  "We will do the same thing with the other allies in Afghanistan …

Clinton says she'll be more vigilant about donors  —  Hillary Clinton said today that her presidential campaign will be more careful about vetting donors after discovering that a major fund-raiser is wanted by California authorities in connection with a fraud case.

Exclusive: Where Bush went wrong, by Sharansky  —  Former minister Natan Sharansky, whose book, The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror has inspired US President George W. Bush, gives Bush a "C" grade for implementing his vision.

New Muslim cartoon protests grow  —  By Harry de Quetteville  —  Fears grew of a new confrontation over images deemed blasphemous by Muslims as Pakistan joined Iran in protest over a sketch by a Swedish artist portraying the prophet Mohammed as a dog.  —  Pakistan's foreign ministry …

Lawmakers Describe 'Being Slimed in the Green Zone'  —  The sheets of paper seemed to be everywhere the lawmakers went in the Green Zone, distributed to Iraqi officials, U.S. officials and uniformed military of no particular rank.  So when Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) …

More Realism, Less Spin  —  A new report from Congress's investigative arm provides a powerful fresh dose of nonpartisan realism about Iraq as President Bush tries to spin people into thinking that significant — or at least sufficient — progress is being made.

S.F. citywide Wi-Fi plan fizzles as provider backs off  —  Mayor Gavin Newsom's high-profile effort to blanket San Francisco with a free wireless Internet network died Wednesday when provider EarthLink backed out of a proposed contract with the city.  —  The contract, which was three years in the making …