Ex-Aide Says Gonzales Was Involved in Firings  —  The former chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales testified today that contrary to Mr. Gonzales's earlier assertions, the attorney general was involved in discussions to fire United States attorneys.

Blair: Britain Won't Negotiate With Iran  —  LONDON (AP) - Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday that Britain would not negotiate over British sailors and marines held hostage by Iran.  In an interview with ITV News, Blair again called for the unconditional return of the 15 Royal Navy personnel …

Giuliani Says Wife Could Go to Cabinet Meetings  —  Rudolph W. Giuliani says that if he were president, his wife would be permitted to attend cabinet meetings and advise him on federal policy, an unusually overt role in government decision-making for a first lady.

Gunmen Go On Rampage In Iraqi City  —  Killings Are Revenge For Blasts in Tall Afar  —  A day after twin truck bombings laid waste to predominantly Shiite neighborhoods in the northern Iraqi city of Tall Afar, marauding Shiite gunmen and police executed dozens of Sunnis in retaliatory attacks …

Fox's Ann Coulter 2.0  —  Conserva-babe and star-in-the-making Rachel Marsden has a, um, colorful past.  What was Fox thinking?  —  "Maybe [Pakistani cricket fans] should focus less on cricket and a little more on hygiene," opined Rachel Marsden on a recent episode of Fox News' middle-of-the-night talk oddity "Red Eye."

Chastized head of local FBI office anounces retirement  —  SAN DIEGO - San Diego FBI chief Dan Dzwilewski, who was rebuked by superiors for publicly defending ousted U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, has announced his retirement.  —  Dzwilewski, who has been at the helm of the San Diego office since July 2003 …

Democrats Fail to Impress in First 100 Days  —  Government Faulted on Vets' Care, Military Ratings Slip Post-Walter Reed  —  Summary of Findings  —  Also inside...  Reps see McCain, Giuliani and Romney as more moderate than "self"  —  Hillary and Obama Backers differ little on Iraq

Bush's long history of tilting Justice  —  The administration began skewing federal law enforcement before the current U.S. attorney scandal, says a former Department of Justice lawyer.  —  THE SCANDAL unfolding around the firing of eight U.S. attorneys compels the conclusion …

FEAR, FEAR, FEAR....In the LA Times today, L.J. Williamson writes about one of my all-time pet peeves: the insane fear that modern suburban parents have of sexual predators: … "Huh" indeed.  As Williamson says, child abduction by strangers is very, very rare.  About as likely as being hit by lightning.

Senate OKs war bill with Iraq timeline  —  WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats ignored a veto threat and pushed through a bill Thursday requiring President Bush to start withdrawing troops from "the civil war in Iraq," dealing a rare, sharp rebuke to a wartime commander in chief.