VATICAN CITY – Struggling to breathe, Pope John Paul II (search) mumbled his final words weakly in Polish: “Let me go to the house of the Father.” Six hours later, the comatose pontiff died, the Vatican (search) says. The account of John Paul’s final hours appears in a meticulously detailed …

GALVESTON, Texas – Taking a cue from the suffering in New Orleans, officials called for a voluntary evacuation of this island city as Hurricane Rita (search) threatened to blow across the Gulf of Mexico and slam into the Texas coast by this weekend. This month marks the 105th anniversary of …

NEW ORLEANS – The plan for rebuilding New Orleans and other hurricane-ravaged areas should rest among local residents, not the federal government, President Bush said Monday as he called on Congress to come up with recommendations to improve the country’s disaster response system. “It’s important for Congress to take a …

WASHINGTON – Congress rushed to provide a $10.5 billion down payment in relief aid for Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina (search) on Thursday as President Bush (search) ordered new action to minimize disruptions in the nation’s energy supplies. The Senate approved the measure Thursday night, and the House will …

Need another reason to stop smoking? Cigarette smokers are far more likely than nonsmokers to go blind late in life, but few people are aware of the risk, new research suggests. Smoking was associated with a two- to threefold increase in the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in …

Join host Brit Hume and FOX’s Team Washington weekdays at 6 p.m. ET for “Special Report” — Find out what’s happening inside the Beltway and on the world stage. Real journalism: fair and balanced. That’s why we’re No. 1 — FOX News Channel. Thursday, September 8: Team FOX goes around …

DES MOINES, Iowa – A man who immigrated from Kenya to the United States found prosperity beyond his expectations on the day he became a U.S. citizen. Shortly after Moses Bittok (search), of West Des Moines, took the oath of citizenship on Friday, he discovered he had a $1.89 million …

DALLAS – A flat bus tire brought grumbles from the 37 nursing home patients fleeing Houston in anticipation of Hurricane Rita (search). Then Edna Briant heard a rumble and the driver stopped a second time. But it wasn’t another flat. Briant was sitting two rows behind the driver of the …

It wasn’t the greatest wedding night. Eleven men from a New York City-area wedding party — including the groom, his father, his new father-in-law and his best man — spent the night in jail after a boozy brawl with another bridal party, report New York newspapers. “It was pure bedlam,” …

This is a partial transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” Sept. 13, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Earlier today, Alan Colmes, co-host, sat down with Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) COLMES: Governor Dean, welcome. Thank you for being with us. HOWARD DEAN, DEMOCRATIC PARTY …