Bernard Kerik: America's Cop Indicted  —  Federal Grand Jury Indicts Kerik on Various Corruption Charges  —  A federal grand jury has voted to indict former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik on charges stemming from the acceptance of free rent and apartment renovations …

Mukasey Wins Vote in Senate, Despite Democrats' Doubts  —  The Senate confirmed Michael B. Mukasey as attorney general Thursday night, approving him despite Democratic criticism that he had failed to take an unequivocal stance against the torture of terrorism detainees.

Police Block Bhutto From Attending Rally  —  The opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was placed under house arrest this morning, her political party said.  Streets were filled with police officers carrying batons and shields, and trucks blocked roads, trying to prevent access to a protest rally …

Tidal wave heading for England's east coast poses 'extreme danger to life'  —  Tens of thousands of householders are today preparing for some of the worst coastal floods in decades.  —  Sea levels could rise up to 9ft this morning along part of the East Coast, putting lives at risk.

PAT ROBERTSON ENDORSES RUDY GIULIANI FOR PRESIDENT  —  The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee today announced that Pat Robertson has endorsed Rudy Giuliani for President of the United States.  —  "It is my pleasure to announce my support for America's Mayor, Rudy Giuliani …

Exclusive: FBI: Al Qaeda May Strike U.S. Shopping Malls in LA, Chicago  —  Richard Esposito and Vic Walter Report:  —  The FBI is warning that al Qaeda may be preparing a series of holiday attacks on U.S. shopping malls in Los Angeles and Chicago, according to an intelligence report distributed …

59 schoolchildren died in Afghan blast  —  KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan's deadliest suicide attack since the Taliban regime's ouster killed 59 schoolchildren, while 96 other students were wounded in the blast, the Education Ministry spokesman said Friday.

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF....Responding to my suggestion earlier today that the American public increasingly opposes the Iraq war regardless of how well it's going, Tobin Harshaw of the Opinionator says: … Not only is this baseless (read the post and judge for yourself), it's craven.  Even worse, it's bad writing.

WaMu and The Rep War  —  Via PJ at Housing Wire, I see that WaMu put a PR out yesterday on the matter of Mr. Cuomo's investigation into its appraisal practices.  As PJ notes, this is the part that matters: … That last sentence is clearly a direct response to the last sentence of this part of Fannie Mae's PR from earlier yesterday:

Prostitute tells her Vitter tale in skin mag  —  She says he bristled about 'these damn politicians' out to get him  —  WASHINGTON — A former New Orleans prostitute who has said David Vitter was a regular customer in 1999 says the soon-to-be congressman and U.S. senator was sometimes stressed during …

From Back of G.O.P. Pack, Huckabee Is Stirring  —  Mike Huckabee's field staff had expected a modest crowd for a campaign event at a tiny rural community college near here on Wednesday.  But as people began to cram into the shoe-box-size room, campaign organizers scurried to roll back a dividing wall and set up extra chairs.

Saddam's Damn Dam  —  The surge of U.S. troops in Baghdad is succeeding but deeper structural problems continue to plague the American presence in Iraq.  The country's largest dam, 40 kilometers northwest of Mosul, near the Turkish border, spectacularly symbolizes this predicament.