Faith vs. the Faithless  —  Jon Meacham is the editor of Newsweek and the author of "American Gospel," which describes the history of religious liberty in the United States.  Richard John Neuhaus is the editor in chief of First Things and the author of "The Naked Public Square," …

C.I.A. Destroyed 2 Tapes Showing Interrogations  —  The Central Intelligence Agency in 2005 destroyed at least two videotapes documenting the interrogation of two Qaeda operatives in the agency's custody, a step it took in the midst of Congressional and legal scrutiny about its secret detention program …

Judith Nathan got security earlier  —  Judith Nathan got taxpayer-funded chauffeur services from the NYPD earlier than previously disclosed - even before her affair with then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani was revealed, witnesses and sources tell the Daily News.  —  "It went on for months before the affair …

Review of Iran Intelligence to Be Sought  —  As Conservatives Reject New NIE, Republican Senators to Urge Congressional Panel  —  Senate Republicans are planning to call for a congressional commission to investigate the conclusions of the new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran …

Candidate Ron Paul's devotees a mixed bag  —  WASHINGTON — If Ron Paul's supporters got together for a family portrait, it would be one of those pictures in which no one seems to resemble anyone else.  —  "You have old-school Republicans, the conservatives who backed Barry Goldwater (in 1964).

For Some, Negative Turn is a Turn-Off  —  DES MOINES — Once, Garry Thomas counted himself a Hillary Clinton supporter — even signing up to be one of her 25 co-chairs in Iowa alongside with former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack.  —  But Thomas now says he felt obliged to switch sides in recent weeks.

Senate passes AMT patch  —  The Senate late Thursday passed a one-year fix to the alternative minimum tax (AMT), setting up a potential confrontation with the House, which passed a much different version of the bill earlier.  —  Democrats want to offset the cost of the patch …

On Mortgage Relief, Who Gains the Most?  —  At least one thing is clear about President Bush's plan to help people trapped by the mortgage meltdown: it is an industry-led plan, not a government bailout.  —  Although Mr. Bush unveiled the plan at the White House on Thursday …

Islam's Silent Moderates  —  The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication, flog each of them with 100 stripes: Let no compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.  (Koran 24:2)  —  IN the last few weeks …

I HEARD NEAL BOORTZ holding forth on the Omaha mall shooting this morning on the way to work, and I realized I haven't posted on it.  I don't really have anything to say that I haven't said before.  But it's worth noting — since apparently most of the media reports haven't — that this was another mass shooting in a "gun-free" zone.

Huckabee Second in National GOP Race  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Mike Huckabee has vaulted from nowhere into second place in the Republican presidential race, riding a burst of support from evangelicals, Southerners and conservatives, a poll showed Friday.  —  The upsurge by the former Arkansas governor …

The Army's $200 Billion Makeover  —  March to Modernize Proves Ambitious and Controversial  —  EL PASO — A $200 billion plan to remake the largest war machine in history unfolds in one small way on a quiet country road in the Chihuahuan Desert.  —  Jack Hensley, one of a legion of contractors …

SF radio personality Bernie Ward indicted on child porn charges  —  (12-06) 15:29 PST San Francisco - —  Bernie Ward, a popular liberal San Francisco radio talk show host and former Catholic priest, has been indicted on federal child pornography charges, authorities said today.