Iranian President Says Nuclear Program Poses No Threat  —  KHONDAB, Iran — Iran's hard-line president on Saturday inaugurated a heavy-water production plant, a facility the West fears will be used to develop a nuclear bomb, as Tehran remained defiant ahead of a U.N. deadline that could lead to sanctions.

Mrs. Clinton Offers to Raise Money for Lamont Campaign  —  In a private meeting at her Chappaqua, N.Y., home on Friday, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton offered to help Ned Lamont in his battle to unseat Senator Joseph I. Lieberman by sponsoring a fund-raiser, campaigning by his side and lending him one of her top political strategists.

Case of kidnapped Fox journalists could be resolved … GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP // With a deadline looming in the case of two kidnapped Fox News journalists, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday that he hoped the crisis would be resolved "in the coming hours."

President's Radio Address  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.  —  Earlier this week, I had coffee with Rockey Vaccarella in the White House.  Rockey is from Saint Bernard Parish in Louisiana, and he and his family lost everything they owned to Hurricane Katrina.

Critic Alleges Deceit in Study On Stem Cells  —  A landmark scientific report that was supposed to bridge the gap between proponents and opponents of human embryonic stem cell research has become the focus of an escalating feud, with a prominent critic of the research alleging that scientists were deceptive in presenting their results.

Poll: Iraq, Lebanon Hurt the U.S. War on Terror  —  In survey, 59% say Bush has no clear policy to deal with terrorism, but his job-approval ratings improve  —  While President Bush may be getting a slight uptick in his job-approval numbers, the situation in Iraq and Lebanon has been a setback in the war on terrorism, Americans say.

Army Corps worries about Big Easy levees  —  NEW ORLEANS - Despite aggressive efforts to repair the New Orleans levee system following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, it isn't clear yet whether it could withstand a hurricane with heavy storm surge this year, the head of the Army Corps of Engineers conceded Saturday.

Rep. Harris Condemns Separation of Church, State  —  Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) said this week that God did not intend for the United States to be a "nation of secular laws" and that the separation of church and state is a "lie we have been told" to keep religious people out of politics.

Fined for Being a Christian  —  I was listening to the news this morning and caught the tail end of a piece which I thought said that a footballer had been arrested to making the sign of the cross during a football match.  Nah, I thought.  Must have misheard.

The McCain Makeover  —  IT'S FEBRUARY 15, 2000, a pivotal moment in the race for the Republican nomination for president, and at the televised candidates' debate in Columbia, S.C., temperatures are rising.  —  John McCain, fresh off an upset victory in the New Hampshire primary …

Israel seeks troops from Muslim nations  —  JERUSALEM - Israel said Saturday it was encouraging some Muslim countries to send peacekeepers to southern Lebanon, a contribution that would lend credibility to the heavily European force.  —  EU nations pledged 6,900 troops Friday …

JERRY McNERNEY: TURNING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE  —  If someone— like Charlie Cook or Larry Sabato— held a gun to my head and demanded I pick one congressional district that is the model for nationalizing a campaign I'd... try to get out of answering.  But if I heard the gun cock, I'd say CA-11.

Protests intrude on Bush's trip to Maine  —  KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine - President Bush came to his parent's century-old summer home on the Maine coast for a little relaxation, a distant cousin's wedding and some family time.  He got all that, along with a boisterous reminder nearly on his bucolic doorstep …

Screaming crowds welcome U.S. senator 'home'  —  Barack Obama uses spotlight to promote AIDS tests  —  KISUMU, Kenya (CNN) — Tens of thousands of Kenyans lined the streets of Kisumu on Saturday, giving U.S. Sen. Barack Obama a hero's welcome as he arrived to visit the nearby village where his late father and grandfather lived.