McCain Orders Shake-Up of His Campaign  —  WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain's presidential campaign has gone through its second shake-up in a year as Mr. McCain, responding to Republican concerns that his candidacy was faltering, put Steve Schmidt in charge of day-to-day operations and abandoned …

15 Hostages Held by Colombian Rebels Are Rescued  —  CARACAS, Venezuela — Colombia announced Wednesday that it had rescued 15 captives held by the FARC rebel group, including Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate, and three American military contractors held by the guerrillas for more than four years.

Justice Dept. Admits Error in Not Briefing Court  —  WASHINGTON — In a highly unusual admission of error, the Justice Department acknowledged on Wednesday that government lawyers should have known that Congress had recently made the rape of a child a capital offense in the military …

Well Known Liberal Blogger Shot In Washington, D.C.  —  Brian Beutler, a well-known progressive blogger, was shot and seriously injured during a mugging last night in Washington, D.C.  —  One bullet damaged Beutler's spleen, and he had it removed during surgery this morning at the Washington Hospital Center.

YOU AND YOUR CELL....All modern cell phones are equipped with GPS capability that allows your location to be tracked within a few meters at all times.  Question: does the federal government have access to this tracking information without a warrant?  The ACLU filed a Freedom of Information request …

Judge Rejects Bush's View on Wiretaps  —  WASHINGTON — A federal judge in California said Wednesday that the wiretapping law established by Congress was the “exclusive” means for the president to eavesdrop on Americans, and he rejected the government's claim that the president's constitutional authority …

Conservative Activist Details McCain Support  —  Phil Burress is one of the mover and shakers in the conservative Evangelical movement.  —  He's one of the key guys in the room when James Dobson, Tony Perkins and others gather to discuss key social issues.  A month ago, he had this to say about John McCain:

Panel Questions State Dept. Role in Iraq Oil Deal  —  Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that ran counter to American policy and undercut Iraq's central government, a Congressional committee has concluded.

Fox News airs altered photos of NY Times reporters  —  On the July 2 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade labeled New York Times reporter Jacques Steinberg and editor Steven Reddicliffe “attack dogs,” claiming that Steinberg's June 28 article on the …

America's Days Aren't Numbered  —  I have a simple request.  As we celebrate the birth of the American Republic, can we all stop predicting its death?  It's getting depressing.  —  The last time I strolled through the local Barnes & Noble, there were so many books announcing the end of American power …

Lieberman Favs Shellacked  —  Running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary in 2006, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman did his best to avoid irritating the Democratic base in order to win at least some of their votes in November.  Now, having so publicly backed John McCain …

CNBC Contributor Blasts Limbaugh Deal: ‘What Are These People Smoking?’  —  Vanity Fair media columnist says popular host will be ‘oddity,’ claims ‘rise of conservatism’ ‘coming to an end.’  —  Business & Media Institute  —  It's time to short-sell Clear Channel Communications stock …

Can Barack Buy the Presidency?  —  On the money front, how do Sens. Obama and McCain stack up?  No contest, it seems.  Since the campaign began, Mr. Obama has raised a staggering $295-plus million, versus Mr. McCain's almost $122 million.  But that's misleading.  —  Mr. Obama spent a lot to win the nomination.

LA Times to cut 250 jobs, including 150 news jobs  —  LA Times to cut 250 positions, merge print and online departments, print 15 percent less pages  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Times plans to cut 250 positions, including 150 jobs in the print and online news departments …

Bush to Close Guantanamo?  —  President Bush will soon decide whether to close Guantanamo Bay as a prison for al-Qaeda suspects, sources tell ABC News.  High-level discussions among top advisers have escalated in the past week, with the most senior administration officials in continuous talks …

Losing the mullet, angling for veep  —  Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has a shot at being John McCain's No. 2 — and it's not just because of the snazzy new haircut.  —  Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty speaks to Republicans on behalf of John McCain during the Michigan GOP Convention in Grand Rapids on Feb. 10, 2007.