In political news, former senator and vice-presidential candidate John Edwards announced Thursday he is entering the race for the 2008 presidency. Edwards opened his campaign in the Lower Ninth Ward district of New Orleans — one of the neighborhoods worst affected by Hurricane Katrina. Edwards called for steps to fight global warming and end poverty in the United States. He also spoke out against talk of increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq.

John Edwards: “And it is a mistake — I want to be absolutely clear about this, it is a mistake for America to escalate its role in Iraq. It is a mistake to surge troops into Iraq. It sends exactly the wrong signal to the Iraqis and the rest of the world about what our intentions are there.”

Edwards voted to authorize the use of force against Iraq but now says that was a mistake.