Congressman Tom DeLay, the Republican Agenda and Texas Politics

Although President Bush got a rare bit of good news today with Senate confirmation of Judge John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States, Capitol Hill is still rattled by Tom DeLay's suspension as Majority Leader after yesterday's indictment in his home state of Texas. The Congressman says he's innocent of conspiracy to violate campaign laws, but Republican caucus rules forced him to step down as House Majority Leader. Will DeLay continue to run the Republican show from behind the scenes? We get the latest from Capitol Hill and go to Texas for more on the criminal case against him and get a taste of partisan politics--Texas style.

• Making News:

  Chief Justice Roberts Confirmed, Who's Next for the Court?

  The United States now has its 17th Chief Justice with Senate confirmation of Judge John Roberts by a vote of 78-to-22. All the Republicans and half of the Democrats voted yes. Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor and legal correspondent for the online magazine Slate, looks at today's vote, the dynamic behind it and to whom might be named to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

• Reporter's Notebook:

  Arctic Sea Ice Continues to Decline

  This summer, for the fourth year in a row, the Arctic ice cap got smaller, reduced from its average size by 500,000 square miles, about twice the size of Texas. Good news for whales and cod, the shrinkage is bad news for polar bears, Eskimo seal hunters and for coastal developments all over the world. Senior research scientist Mark Serreze of the University of Colorado's National Snow and Ice Data Center says greenhouse gasses are at least partially responsible.

• US Chief Justice John Roberts

• Senate confirmation of US Chief Justice John Roberts

• DeLay indictment

• Congressman Tom DeLay's response

• House Republican Leaders on Leadership Changes

• Babington's article on Texas Grand Jury's indictment of DeLay

• Copelin's article on DeLay resignation, blaming vengeful politics for indictment

• Texas GOP Chairman Tina Benkiser on DA Earle's

• National Snow and Ice Data Center on intensifying decline of Arctic sea ice