Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice-presidential runningmate early Saturday, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues. Obama announced the pick on his Web site with a photo of the two men and an appeal for donations. A text message went out shortly afterward that said, "Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee," as reported by AP. The announcement comes two days before the start of the Democratic National Convention.

Biden, 65, has twice run for the Democratic nomination for president, is Catholic with blue-collar roots, a generally liberal voting record and a reputation as an orator and for speaking his mind. He's spent 30 years in the Senate. Known as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, he's also been chair of the Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over Supreme Court nominees. 

On Friday, Judge David Groner entered a not guilty plea for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in the assault case against him. Prosecutor Doug Baker proposed a deal that if the mayor resigns by Sept. 3, one of the assault counts will be dismissed, but Kilpatrick stayed mute and refused to respond.

In high school and college, cheerleading is by far the most perilous sport for female athletes, accounting for as much as two-thirds of severe school sports injuries over the past 25 years, according to a new report. Nevertheless, cheerleading remains one of the least-regulated sports, despite more than 95,000 high school girls and 2,000 boys signing-up for spirit squads nationwide each year.

In Jakarta, Indonesia, hundreds of Christian theology students have been living in tents since a mob of angry Muslim neighbors stormed the campus last month wielding bamboo spears and launching Molotov cocktails.

Fox News reports that, “the incident comes amid growing concern that Indonesia’s tradition of religious tolerance is under threat from Islamic hard-liners.”

A pilot program, which allowed illegal immigrants to surrender to authorities to avoid jail and have more control over their deportation, has been dubbed an utter failure.

According to the Houston Chronicle, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say it is ending the ‘Scheduled Departure’ program when the three-week trial concludes Friday. Only eight people participated in the program, officials said.”

Texas colleges are debating whether to join a national lobbying campaign that believes the minimum drinking age of 21 is not working and needs to be re-evaluated. UT is considering it, Texas A&M says not now, and a West Texas school says sign it up.