ABC News has learned that federal and New York City officials have received credible intelligence that al Qaeda has been plotting to carry out suicide attacks on corporations based in the city.

Sources at several law enforcement agencies tell ABC News that an "overseas source" has provided the information about the threat to New York and that it is more significant than the usual "chatter" intercepted from likely terrorists that has prompted warnings in the past.

Officials from dozens of local and federal agencies met into the night Friday and again this morning.

"Intelligence reporting indicates that al Qaeda continues to target for attack commercial and financial institutions, as well as international organizations, inside the United States," the New York City Police Department said in a statement released today on the "ongoing al Qaeda threat."

"The NYPD recommends that corporate and institutional security directors review their protection of HVAC systems, parking installations, and security in general," the statement added. "The alert level for New York City remains unchanged at 'orange' or 'high.'"

I honestly don't think it's a question of "will it happen", as much as it is "when will it happen?"

Some Democrats who signed up to hear Vice President Dick Cheney speak Saturday were refused tickets unless they signed a pledge to endorse President Bush.

The measure was a security step designed to avoid a disruption, which Bush campaign spokesman Dan Foley alleged Democrats were planning. Democratic Party officials denied it.

Was this a political campaign speech or was this some other "job related" speech? It does not matter. Either way, it was wrong to require people to sign a "pledge" to support President Bush. While we have the right to vote, we are not required at ANY time to tell anyone who we intend to vote for. But we all know that right?

Two men who had sought tickets reported they were required to give name, address, phone number, e-mail address and driver's license number, and then were presented the pledge of endorsement when they arrived to pick up the tickets Thursday.

Some might say they did it to reduce the risk of some sort of "protest". Some might say they should not be there if they did not support the President. No matter what they might say the reason was for doing this, it was wrong.

I wonder how they will explain this one?

First there was this report from the Sofia News Agency, yesterday:

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, head of the group suspected of beheading two Bulgarian hostages, has reportedly been arrested in Western Iraq.

Then today Al-Jazeera piped in with:

Reports in Kuwait on Friday said a man assumed to be Al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab Zarqawi has been captured near the Syrian border.

The report claimed that the man was captured during a joint operation by U.S. occupation forces and Iraqi police, Al Siyasah newspaper, quoting Iraqi sources, said Friday.

and now I see this on Al Bawaba:

Reports in Kuwait on Friday said a man assumed to be Al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab Zarqawi has been captured near the Syrian border.

Zarqawi, whose Tawhid and Jihad group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Iraq, was captured during a joint operation by US forces and Iraqi police, Al Siyasah newspaper, quoting informed Iraqi sources, said Friday.

The US and Iraqi investigators are trying to identify the captive and has sent his DNA sample for testing, the unconfirmed report indicated.

I don't know if I would trust the sources on this, but I do find it highly ironic that these are the sources for this story with no word from any of the major news networks.

Eugene Roche, a paunchy character actor who played the kitchen-cleaning "Ajax man" in commercials and had memorable roles in such television shows as "All in the Family" and "Magnum P.I" has died at age 75.

Roche died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack in an Encino hospital, family friend Timothy Wayne said Friday. He had been hospitalized Monday for tests after suffering a mild heart attack at his home in Sherman Oaks, Wayne said.

…

Plump and jovial with glinting eyes, Roche costarred on TV's "Webster" as a lovable landlord, and was Archie Bunker's neighborhood nemesis Pinky Peterson on "All in the Family."

…

Survivors include his wife, Anntoni, and their nine children.

Rest In Peace, Eugene.

You read between 350 – 400 words per minute. Well above average reading level. (The average rate is between 200 – 250 words per minute.) It is assumed that you did not skim the words nor fail to understand the meaning of what was read.

How many words-per-minute do you read?