Pat Robertson Endorses Rudy: Deems Him 'More Than Acceptable to People of Faith'  —  Pat Robertson, one of the most influential figures in the social conservative movement, announced his support for Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid this morning at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. [Watch the video below]

Election 2008: New Hampshire Democratic Primary  —  New Hampshire: Clinton Lead Shrinks to 10 Points  —  Senator Hillary Clinton's lead in the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire Primary has fallen to its lowest level of the season.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone poll …

Girl gets detention for hugging  —  Illinois middle school bans public displays of affection; parents urge change  —  MASCOUTAH, Ill. - Two hugs equals two days of detention for 13-year-old Megan Coulter.  —  The eighth-grader was punished for violating a school policy banning public displays …

In Pakistan, Echoes of Iran  —  JERUSALEM — As we struggle to make sense of the current political crisis in Pakistan, it's useful to think back nearly 30 years to the wave of protests that toppled the shah of Iran and culminated in the Islamic Republic — a revolutionary earthquake whose tremors are still shaking the Middle East.

'All modern discoveries are by Muslim scientists'  —  LAHORE: Muslim scientists have made all discoveries of the current age, said University of Columbia's Arabic and Islamic Studies prof George Saliba at a seminar at the Government College University (GCU) on Monday.

Democrats Split Over Bill Affecting Backers  —  In early June, as the Senate Finance Committee began examining how a new breed of Wall Street titan could be paying a special low tax rate on executives' salaries, one of the richest of them, hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen of SAC Capital Advisors …

Democrats and Waterboarding  —  The party will lose the presidential race if it defines itself as soft on terror.  —  I recently had occasion to discuss the Bush administration's war on terrorism with one of the highest ranking former officials responsible for planning that war.

GOP turns impeachment resolution against Dems  —  House Republicans on Tuesday nearly forced Democratic leaders to vote on a resolution to impeach Vice President Cheney.  —  Anti-war presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) introduced a privileged resolution, used to circumvent the committee process …

Robertson and Falwell: America "deserved" 9/11  —  As we'll be discussing more through the day, the Robertson endorsement Rudy Giuliani bagged today is perhaps the ultimate fusion of right-wing religious extremism and war on terror mania.  —  Giuliani's claim to the presidency is based …

Court strikes down Jan. 15 primary  —  Voter participation lists called unconstitutional  —  Michigan's star-crossed bid to leap to the head of the presidential primary nominating process appeared to go up in smoke Wednesday as an Ingham County Circuit Court judge ruled that a provision …

Minuteman's high-tech border barrier called 'a cow fence'  —  COCHISE COUNTY, Arizona (CNN) — It was supposed to be 14 feet high and topped with razor wire.  It was also supposed to send a message to Washington that if the government wouldn't seal off the southern border, volunteers could.

Ex-Navy Instructor Promises to Hit Back If Attacked on Torture  —  Malcolm Nance, good-spirited though he is, is a pugnacious guy.  Nearly 20 years' service in the Navy, including time instructing would-be Navy SEALs how to resist and survive torture if captured.  Intelligence and counterterrorism expert.

House Passes ENDA  —  The House has just passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), H.R. 3685, by a vote of 235-184.  Watch highlights of the afternoon's debate >>  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke in favor of the bill shortly before passage:

Report: Abstinence not curbing teen sex  —  WASHINGTON - Programs that focus exclusively on abstinence have not been shown to affect teenager sexual behavior, although they are eligible for tens of millions of dollars in federal grants, according to a study released by a nonpartisan group that seeks to reduce teen pregnancies.