Experts Doubt Drop In Violence in Iraq  —  Military Statistics Called Into Question  —  The U.S. military's claim that violence has decreased sharply in Iraq in recent months has come under scrutiny from many experts within and outside the government, who contend that some of the underlying statistics …

FBI Makes 11 Corruption Arrests In N.J.  —  NEW YORK — Eleven public officials were charged Thursday in a widespread FBI corruption investigation in New Jersey, officials said.  —  Among those charged were Passaic Mayor Sammy Rivera and Orange Mayor Mims Hackett, investigators said.

US Democratic hopeful Kucinich meets Assad, blasts Bush  —  US Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich, on a Mideast visit that included a stop in Syria, said the country lambasted by the Bush administration deserves credit for taking in more than a million Iraqi refugees.

Judge Strikes Down Part of Patriot Act  —  NEW YORK -  —  A federal judge struck down parts of the revised USA Patriot Act on Thursday, saying investigators must have a court's approval before they can order Internet providers to turn over records without telling customers.

Counterterrorism Officials Analyzing Islamic Web Post Warning of 'Special Gift'  —  DEVELOPING STORY: Federal counterterrorism officials are analyzing a posting on an Islamic forum Web site that warns of "a special gift" to be given on the sixth anniversary of Sept. 11, FOX News has learned.

Reacting to Fred on Jay Leno  —  I held off on assessing the transcript, I wanted to see how Fred Thompson came across to a viewing audience.  —  The Upsides: Thompson is a likeable figure.  He comes across as a decent man; there's none of the I-don't-trust-this-guy-slickness of John Edwards or the brittleness of Hillary.

The Making of the Front-Runner  —  As the serious stage of the presidential campaign begins this fall, Hillary Rodham Clinton has clearly established herself in the lead of the race for the Democratic nomination.  That makes her the most worthy subject for examination among all the White House prospects.

Transcript of the Fox News Republican Presidential Candidates Debate  —  The Fox News Republican Presidential Candidates Debate in Durham, N.H. with candidates: Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas); the former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani; the former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee …

"Muslim Student Association Harasses Women and Jews at University of Texas-San Antonio"  —  Happily, they shot their own video to document the occasion.  —  I'm interested to hear what the diversity czars and the risk-averse university bureaucrats have to say about this kind …

How I Didn't Dismantle Iraq's Army  —  "The Iraqi Army of the future cannot be an extension of the present army, which has been made into a tool of dictatorship."  — Report by the Department of State's Future of Iraq Project, May 2002  —  IT has become conventional wisdom that the decision …

SO I'M READING JACK GOLDSMITH'S NEW BOOK, The Terror Presidency: Law and Judgment Inside the Bush Administration, and so far it's quite good.  Excerpt: … As I've said before, this war has been overlawyered, which is not to say it has been well-lawyered.  Goldsmith notes that the Defense …

Tenor Luciano Pavarotti dead at 71  —  (CNN) — Famed opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who appeared on stage with singers as varied as opera star Dame Joan Sutherland, U2's Bono and Liza Minnelli, died Thursday in Italy after suffering from pancreatic cancer, manager Terri Robson said in a statement.

Iraq government near collapse, secret report says  —  WASHINGTON - Lawmakers returning here this week got hit with more bad news about Iraq in a confidential report that says the fragile democracy is "collapsing," the Daily News has learned.  —  The boycott of the government by certain Shiite …

Petraeus for President?  —  "Senators and distinguished guests, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to testify in respect of progress in the Battle of Iraq.  Before I do however, there are a few things I'd like to get off of my chest.  Although your house of Congress confirmed …

A Wall Street Trader Draws Some Subprime Lessons: Michael Lewis  —  Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) — So right after the Bear Stearns funds blew up, I had a thought: This is what happens when you lend money to poor people.  —  Don't get me wrong: I have nothing personally against the poor.

GOP senators hold 'spirited' discussion on Craig  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republican senators held what one participant called a "passionate" and "spirited" closed-door discussion Wednesday afternoon about how their leaders responded to the sex scandal involving their colleague Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, CNN has learned.