WASHINGTON – The Bush administration and its Republican supporters are now fighting back against what they call “weapons of mass distortion,” that is, Democratic charges that President Bush misled the country about pre-war intelligence on Iraq. At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld quoted President Clinton’s view of the former …

WASHINGTON – A government document raises doubts about claims Al Qaeda (search) members received training for biological and chemical weapons in Iraq, as Senate Democrats on Sunday defended their push for a report on how the Bush administration handled prewar intelligence. Democrats forced the Senate into an unusual closed session …

This is a partial transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” November 18, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Texas Republican Congressman John Culberson has introduced legislation to help law enforcement officials identify and to detain people who are sneaking in the U.S. illegally. He says known terrorists …

NEW YORK – “Desperate Housewives” on your iPod. Jay Leno’s monologue on your cell phone. Brian Williams delivering the night’s news on your computer. And “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” available whenever you want to watch it — not just Thursday night. Each of those developments became possible in the past …

NEW YORK – Former WorldCom chief Bernard Ebbers (search) testified Tuesday he “just didn’t see” glaring irregularities in internal financial papers that he reviewed while the company’s $11 billion fraud was under way. In a daylong cross-examination by a federal prosecutor, Ebbers gave his most detailed denial yet that he …

VATICAN CITY – Pope John Paul II’s (search) condition is improving, the Vatican spokesman said Tuesday, as the pontiff has begun speech and respiratory therapy following last week’s surgery to ease his latest breathing crisis. “He is well, his condition is improving,” said papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls, speaking to reporters …

NEW YORK – A wrong number and an extra day simply delayed the inevitable for “American Idol” (search) contestant Mikalah Gordon (search). The 17-year-old Las Vegas resident was the latest “American Idol” singer knocked out of the game on Thursday, bringing the game down to 10 finalists. The nation’s favorite …

Patients taking the multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Avonex (search) should be watched for possible liver problems, says the drug’s maker. Rare cases of severe liver injury, including cases of liver failure (search), have been reported among Avonex users, says Avonex’s maker, Biogen (search), in a letter to doctors. “Patients should …

The FDA has approved a new inhaled asthma treatment, Asmanex, for patients aged 12 and older. Asmanex delivers anti-inflammatory medication for asthma through a dry powder delivery system. It is used to prevent asthma symptoms rather than treat asthma symptoms once they occur. Unlike many other asthma inhalers Asmanex is …

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The defense at Richard Scrushy‘s (search) fraud trial tried to show Tuesday that aides to the former HealthSouth Corp. (search) chief hatched an earnings overstatement and hid it from him to cover up their own mistakes handling mergers and expenses. Using a black marker to spin a …