Dubai Port Company to Divest Itself of American Holdings  —  The United Arab Emirates company that was attempting to take over management operations at six U.S. ports announced today that it will divest itself of all American interests.  —  The announcement appears to head off a major confrontation …

Official Says Shiite Party Suppressed Body Count  —  BAGHDAD, March 8 — Days after the bombing of a Shiite shrine unleashed a wave of retaliatory killings of Sunnis, the leading Shiite party in Iraq's governing coalition directed the Health Ministry to stop tabulating execution-style shootings …

Report posits that Chris Matthews has accepted hefty speaking fees from conservative groups  —  A new report advanced to RAW STORY Thursday suggests that Chris Matthews, the star of the Sunday talk show circuit's Hardball, has accepted hefty speaking fees from an array of conservative trade associations.

Faith Hill, Tim McGraw Blast 'Humiliating' Katrina Cleanup  —  Country Stars Lash Out in Anger Over Conditions in Storm-Ravaged States  —  March, 8, 2006 — Faith Hill and Tim McGraw — two stars who usually stay out of politics — blasted the Hurricane Katrina cleanup effort …

HR 1606 - Hearing Markup  —  I am at the House Administration Committee markup of HR 1606, the Online Freedom of Speech Act.  The committee hopes to report the bill out of committee today.  Majority Leader John Boehner has indicated his desire to move the legislation quickly.

Senators Vote to Forgo Lobbyist-Bought Meals  —  The Senate agreed yesterday to toughen its ethics legislation by voting to bar lawmakers from accepting meals from registered lobbyists.  —  The proposal by Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) was accepted by voice vote.

Sen. Rockefeller praises the GOP's actions on the Intelligence Committee  —  (updated below - updated again with response from Sen. Rockefeller's spokeswoman)  —  (updated again re: Portgate)  —  No matter how strong of an immunity one thinks one has constructed against being shocked …

Boy in a Bubble  —  What George Clooney doesn't know about life.  —  Memo to: The Academy  —  From: Just another viewer  —  Re: Advice, as if you wanted more  —  I cannot remember a time when, in the days after the Academy Awards show, it was not criticized, and even blasted.

Zarqawi Was Here  —  BIARA, IRAQ - The PUK's Minister of the Interior ordered 20 heavily armed Peshmerga soldiers to go with me to the borderland mountain village of Biara.  For years the village was occupied by Ansar Al Islam, the Kurdish-Arab-Persian branch of Al Qaeda in Northern Iraq.

Iran Is Building A Nuclear Weapon  —  A Nuclear Composition based on one of my favorite El Greco's "An Allegory with a 'Believer' Lighting a Candle in the Company of an Ape and a Fool (Fábula)" ca.  1589-92; National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh  —  For some months now …

South Dakota's Top Paper Refuses To Editorialize On Abortion Ban  —  NEW YORK Although the biggest abortion rights story in 33 years is taking place in its own backyard, South Dakota's largest newspaper will not editorialize on the controversial statewide abortion ban just recently approved by its legislature.