Thousands of Islamic fanatics wielding knives demand jailed teddy bear teacher is executed  —  Thousands of Islamic fanatics wielding clubs and knives are marching through the streets of Khartoum demanding the execution of teddy bear teacher Gillian Gibbons.

CNN Admits Holes in Screening of Questioners  —  CNN expressed regret yesterday for allowing a Hillary Clinton adviser to ask a question at Wednesday's Republican presidential debate, even as controversy swirled about two other questioners who have declared their support for Democratic candidates.

Murtha's surge comments a problem for Dems  —  Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), one of the leading anti-war voices in the House Democratic Caucus, is back from a trip to Iraq and he now says the "surge is working."  This could be a huge problem for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic leaders …

Mandates and Mudslinging  —  From the beginning, advocates of universal health care were troubled by the incompleteness of Barack Obama's plan, which unlike those of his Democratic rivals wouldn't cover everyone.  But they were willing to cut Mr. Obama slack on the issue, assuming that in the end he would do the right thing.

RUDY PIN$ BLAME ON NYPD  —  CLAIMS 'SLOW' DEPT. SPURRED 579G JUGGLING ACT  —  Rudy Giuliani said yesterday that obscure city agencies were billed for the out-of-town credit-card charges of his mayoral security detail because the NYPD was so slow in paying its bills.

Why Science Can't Save the GOP  —  No one is happier than I am about the latest development in stem-cell research.  Scientists in Japan and Wisconsin have independently figured out how to turn ordinary human skin cells into something like pluripotent stem cells.

The Candidate's 'Catch Me if You Can'  —  Reporters Following Hillary Clinton on the Campaign Trail Are Covered in Dust  —  CONCORD, N.H. — ABC correspondent Kate Snow was ready to push through the crowd and ask Hillary Clinton a question until an aide blocked the path of Snow's sound man …

Obama, Bloomberg Hold Mystery Breakfast Meeting  —  Obama Picks Up Check; Subject Of Senator-Mayor's Get-Together Anyone's Guess  —  Featured Slideshows:  —  Reporting  —  It's a mystery meeting that's sure to have the Clinton camp concerned - Mayor Bloomberg had a breakfast meeting …

Republicans Report Much Better Mental Health Than Others  —  Relationship persists even when controlling for other variables  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats or independents to rate their mental health as excellent, according to data …

A New Push to Roll Back 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'  —  Marking the 14th anniversary of legislation that allowed gay men and lesbians to serve in the military but only if they kept their orientation secret, 28 retired generals and admirals plan to release a letter on Friday urging Congress to repeal the law.

Card Rejects Rove's Claim That Congress Pushed Bush To War: 'His Mouth Gets Ahead Of His Brain'  —  Karl Rove asserted on the Charlie Rose show recently that it was Congress that pushed the Bush administration into war with Iraq.  "The administration was opposed" to voting for a war resolution in the fall of 2002, Rove claimed.

Biden: Impeachment if Bush bombs Iran … aleech@seacoastonline.com  —  Check back mid morning on Friday for a photo gallery from this event  —  PORTSMOUTH — Presidential hopeful Delaware Sen. Joe Biden stated unequivocally that he will move to impeach President Bush if he bombs Iran without Congressional approval.

A surprise turn in Iowa's Republican race  —  Huckabee suddenly appears poised to challenge Romney to win the first GOP presidential contest.  —  DES MOINES — With 34 days remaining, the Republican presidential race in Iowa has broken wide open, as Mike Huckabee surges into contention with the longtime front-runner, Mitt Romney.