Top Items:
James Wolcott:
CIRCLE JERKS — After reading this—and this—and this, I've come to a couple of conclusions. — 1) So-called reputable journalists have completely forfeited their high horse when it comes to complaining about bloggers as a species of riffraff—they no longer have the right …
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Joseph Kahn / New York Times:
Military Officer Tied to Killings Is Held by China — BEIJING, Monday, Dec. 12 - The commander of paramilitary forces who opened fire on villagers protesting land seizures has been detained by the authorities in connection with the shootings, an extraordinary response that suggested high-level concern …
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Reuters:
Iraqi insurgents urge Sunnis to vote, warn Zarqawi — FALLUJA/RAMADI Iraq (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein loyalists who violently opposed January elections have made an about-face as Thursday's polls near, urging fellow Sunni Arabs to vote and warning al Qaeda militants not to attack.
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Ellen Knickmeyer / Washington Post:
Abuse Cited In 2nd Jail Operated by Iraqi Ministry — Official Says 12 Prisoners Subjected to 'Severe Torture' — BAGHDAD, Dec. 11 — An Iraqi government search of a detention center in Baghdad operated by Interior Ministry special commandos found 13 prisoners who had suffered abuse serious enough …
Tim B. / Tim Blair:
BEACH TRASH DUKE IT OUT — Wild scenes at a Sydney beach: … Let's hope that report turns out to be untrue. Other (confirmed) reports are almost as disgusting: … How did this situation come to be? Splat Guy puts together a concise time-line: … Absolutely.
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BBC:
Beirut bomb kills anti-Syria MP — A prominent Lebanese anti-Syrian member of parliament and journalist has been killed in a car bomb attack in Beirut. — Gibran Tueni's convoy was targeted as it travelled in the Christian-dominated eastern suburb of Mekallis.
Discussion:
The Big Pharaoh
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David Kravets / Associated Press:
Calif. High Court Refuses Williams' Stay — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The California Supreme Court late Sunday refused to grant a stay of execution for convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams, meaning the former gang leader who became an outspoken critic of gang violence will be executed early Tuesday unless …
Discussion:
TalkLeft
Nasser Karimi / Associated Press:
Iran Offers U.S. Share in Nuclear Plants — TEHRAN, Iran - Iran opened the door Sunday for U.S. help in building a nuclear power plant — a move designed to ease American suspicions that Tehran is using its nuclear program as a cover to build atomic weapons.
Ceci Connolly / Washington Post:
Frist Cautions Senators Against Stalling Alito Vote — Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) threatened yesterday to strip Democrats of the power to filibuster if they block the vote on Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. — "It would be against the intent of the Founding Fathers …
Discussion:
Bark Bark Woof Woof
Angelica / Battlepanda:
Outrage — The Cory Maye case is just about the ugliest nexus of race, civil rights violations, southern juries and our criminal justice system that I can think of. … Cory Maye is now on death row in Mississippi. — When the Instapundit and I both agree that something is wack.
Discussion:
The Reaction, The Liberal Avenger, Balloon Juice, The Peking Duck, Silent Running and Running Scared
Pat Toomey / Opinion Journal:
Laffey vs. Chafee — The first skirmish in a very important war. — Describing his 1976 challenge to incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan wrote, "It was time to scale back the size of the federal government, reduce taxes and government intrusion in our lives …
Associated Press:
Home Schools Are Becoming More Popular Among Blacks — RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 10 (AP) - When Denise Armstrong decided to teach her daughter and two sons at home instead of sending them to public school, she said she did so thinking she would do a better job than the school of instilling her values in her children.
Discussion:
AtlanticBlog
Henry A. Kissinger / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Moving toward a responsible exit strategy in Iraq — Since every turning point occurs in some finite time period, a key test of policy-making is when to schedule the seminal decisions. The debate over withdrawal from Iraq hinges on such a question. The administration and its critics seem …
Discussion:
Unclaimed Territory, THE BELGRAVIA DISPATCH, A Chequer-Board of Nights … and Decision '08
Elaine Sciolino / New York Times:
Immigrants' Dreams Mix With Fury in a Gray Place Near Paris — LA COURNEUVE, France - Djamila has built her life around her sons. An Algerian-born nurse's aide who left the two husbands who abused her, she has soldiered on in the housing projects of this tough town near Paris …
