James Tobin--the New England chairman for President Bush's 2004 campaign and the Northeast field representative for the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2002's congressional elections--was sentenced to ten months' jail time and two years' probation for supposedly being part of a conspiracy that for about two hours on Election Day 2002 blocked some incoming calls to Democratic phone banks arranging transportation for voters.

FORBES: Do Bad Economic Ideas Ever Die?

For the equivalency exam field tests, the state Education Department is trying to select a representative group of schools and students, including schools in rural, urban and suburban areas, as well as students who speak Spanish as their first language.

WSJ: Test Maker Pays New York State Students to Take a Trial Exam

Farah struggled to cope with a world-class field in the men's 3, 000m, where he was the only European representative.

BBC: SPORT | Athletics | Powell maintains unbeaten stretch