memeorandum: Moving the Needle — Friends on the Hill have been tracking movement … (The Corner)

Spitzer Grants Illegal Immigrants Easier Access to Driver's Licenses — New York State, home to more than 500,000 illegal immigrants, will issue driver's licenses without regard to immigration status under a policy change announced yesterday by Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Discussion: TalkLeft

WWW.NY.GOV:

DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES CHANGES LICENSE POLICY TO INCLUDE MORE NEW YORKERS AND IMPLEMENTS NEW REGIME OF ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN THE SECURITY OF THE SYSTEM — Improves Safety of New York Streets, Lowers Auto Insurance Rates and Brings more New Yorkers into the System

Discussion: CWA-NJ Conservatives …, Inside Long Island Politics and ImmigrationProf Blog

Andrew Kirtzman / WCBS-TV:

N.Y. Drops Citizenship Proof For Driver's Licenses — Move Should Cut Down Unlicensed Illegal Immigrants — Featured Slideshows: — Reporting — (CBS) NEW YORK They were celebrating outside the governor's office Friday as Eliot Spitzer handed a landmark victory to a half-million illegal immigrants.

Discussion: Macsmind and The American Pundit

Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:

Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented — U.S. Effort More Extensive Than Previously Known — The U.S. government is collecting electronic records on the travel habits of millions of Americans who fly, drive or take cruises abroad, retaining data on the persons with whom they travel …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Norwegianity, Prairie Weather, The Raw Story and skippy the bush kangaroo

The Politico:

Protecting kids at the expense of politics — The current debate in the Congress over reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will play an important role in shaping the future of health care in America. — Fundamental questions over which direction our country takes …

Discussion: The Swamp

Christopher Lee / Washington Post:

Senate and House Reach Accord on Health Insurance for Children — Senate and House negotiators from both parties reached a final deal yesterday on an expansion of a health insurance program for the children of the working poor, just a day after President Bush vowed to veto it.

Discussion: TIME: Swampland and Connecting.the.Dots

Martin Kady II / The Politico:
Children's health deal sets up veto fight

Discussion: New York Times

Matthew Lee / Associated Press:

Feds target Blackwater in weapons probe — WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors are investigating whether employees of the private security firm Blackwater USA illegally smuggled into Iraq weapons that may have been sold on the black market and ended up in the hands of a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, officials said Friday.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, CTron, Majikthise, CANNONFIRE, Captain's Quarters, Brilliant at Breakfast and CNN

Andrew E. Kramer / New York Times:

Blackwater Resumes Guarding U.S. Envoys in Iraq — American diplomats on Friday resumed travel in convoys escorted by Blackwater USA, the private American security contractor, three days after the Iraqi government banned the company following a shooting in which at least eight Iraqis were killed.

Discussion: BAGnewsNotes

The Atlantic Online:

Giuliani Claims An Evolution On Gun Rights — Glossing over the less appealing line items on his gun control resume, ex-NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani presented himself as sympathetic to the aims of the National Rifle Association and pledged, as president, to protect gun rights.

Discussion: MSNBC, Don Surber, Stop The ACLU and Vox Popoli

The Washington Post / The Trail:
For Mrs. Giuliani, the NRA Can Wait

Discussion: Dick Polman's American Debate and Betsy's Page

Washington Wire:
Republicans Aim for Bull's-Eye at NRA

Discussion: The Fix

New York Times:

Israeli Raid on Syria Fuels Debate on Weapons — American concerns about ties between Syria and North Korea have long focused on a partnership involving missiles and missile technology. Even many hawks within the Bush administration have expressed doubts that the Syrians have the money …

Discussion: TIME: Swampland and The Newshoggers

Associated Press:

SoCal investors sue Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu — SANTA ANA, Calif.—A Laguna Beach investment firm filed a lawsuit against Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu on Friday, claiming he defrauded investors out of at least $23 million and required them to donate to Democratic candidates.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters

Simon Caldwell / Daily Mail:

Pope in 'freedom' blast at Islam — The Pope has again risked provoking the wrath of the Islamic world, by criticising its treatment of Christians. — Benedict XVI attacked Muslim nations where Christians are either persecuted or given the status of second-class citizens under the Shariah Islamic law.

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs

CBC News:

U.S., France agree on new sanctions against Iran: Rice — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner spoke Friday of a common front against Iran's nuclear program that included support for new sanctions against Tehran.

Discussion: Don Surber and Wizbang

Sarah Kershaw / New York Times:

Immigrants' Emergency Care Is Limited by U.S. Rule — The federal government has told New York State health officials that chemotherapy, which had been covered for illegal immigrants under a government-financed program for emergency medical care, does not qualify for coverage.

Discussion: TalkLeft

Mary Ann Akers / The Sleuth:

Sen. Specter Asks: Who's This Jenna Jameson? — Guess who got a V.I.P. tour of the Capitol Thursday? — Porn star - no, make that former porn star - and big Hillary Clinton fan Jenna Jameson. — Jameson, who quit the porn business and got a breast reduction last month …