The protein wisdom interview: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi  —  Ahmad Fadheel Nazaal al-Khalaylah ("Abu Musab al-Zarqawi" is his nom de guerre) was born in Zarqa, Jordan in October 1966.  He came from a large family belonging to the trans-Jordanian Bani Hassan tribe, which is known for its loyalty to the royal Hashemite family.

Iraq war foe Murtha eyes Democratic leadership  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rep. John Murtha, an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq, unexpectedly announced on Friday he will run for the No. 2 leadership post in the U.S. House of Representatives if Democrats regain control of that chamber in elections this fall.

Pilot with 9/11 links found in NZ  —  EXCLUSIVE - A Saudi Arabian linked to one of the September 11 hijackers spent four months in New Zealand before being expelled as a national security risk.  —  The United States-qualified pilot, Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali, was admitted to New Zealand …

Poop prank has Musgrave staff fuming  —  A UNC emeritus professor is charged with returning the congresswoman's mailer - with interest.  —  A former professor of French at the University of Northern Colorado has been cited for allegedly making a special delivery to U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave that reeked of political partisanship.

Record meteorite hit Norway  —  As Wednesday morning dawned, northern Norway was hit with an impact comparable to the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima.  —  At around 2:05 a.m. on Wednesday, residents of the northern part of Troms and the western areas of Finnmark could clearly see a ball …

Battered Conservative Syndrome: Defending Ann  —  All right, folks; put on your manly gowns, gird up your loins, and go tell the Spartans: I'm about to defend Ann Coulter.  And not by sweeping her words under the rug and blubbering "but she's a good girl in spite of the horrid things she says!"

9/11 Commissioner Criticizes Coulter  —  A member of the Sept. 11 commission on Friday lashed out at conservative pundit Ann Coulter for a "hate-filled attack" in saying the widows whose husbands died in the World Trade Center used the deaths for their own political gain.

Are Left-leaning Bloggers Ready for Their Close-up?  —  Dispatch: Inside the Yearly Kos fest in Las Vegas, progressives get lessons in going mainstream  —  Las Vegas has a slightly tinny feel, a bitter metallic tang that stems partially from the heat, partially from the over-oxygenated air …

Gingrich May Run in 2008 If No Front-Runner Emerges  —  Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) expects to run for president in 2008 if the contest for the Republican nomination still seems wide open late next year, he said yesterday.  —  In remarks that were critical of both parties' recent performance …

Time's "Corrections" About Haditha  —  This is a now all too familiar pattern with our one party media.  —  The following "corrections" have been added to the very bottom of Time's two blockbuster exclusives on Haditha in their current online versions:

Judge Dismisses Khobar Towers Case Against Iran  —  WASHINGTON — A magistrate judge in the District Court of Washington, D.C. has dismissed a lawsuit by the survivors and families of victims of the June 25, 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, that sought millions of dollars …

Defeat for net neutrality backers  —  US politicians have rejected attempts to enshrine the principle of net neutrality in legislation.  —  Some fear the decision will mean net providers start deciding on behalf of customers which websites and services they can visit and use.

Family's fears at East London terror protest  —  Muslims demonstrated outside an East London police station today against last week's anti-terror raid by armed officers.  —  In a sometimes tense stand-off, about 100 protestors were heavily outnumbered by police as fundamentalists waved placards …

Liberal Bloggers Gather in Las Vegas  —  LAS VEGAS, June 9 — Hundreds of liberal (they'd say progressive) Internet bloggers crawled out of their cybertunnels for face-time and political networking here at the first-ever YearlyKos convention.  —  Named after DailyKos.com …