memeorandum: Horror show reveals Iraq's descent (Times of London)

Tom Brune / Newsday:

Pardon talk for Libby begins — WASHINGTON — Now that top White House aide Karl Rove is off the hook in the CIA leak probe, President George W. Bush must weigh whether to pardon former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the only one indicted in the three-year investigation.

Discussion: A Blog For All, TalkLeft, Brilliant at Breakfast, Angry Bear and Democratic Underground

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Ron Suskind / Time:
Al-Qaeda Cell Planned to Attack Subway With Poison Gas, Says New Book

Discussion: Cold Fury

AJStrata / The Strata-Sphere:
Time Exposes US Agent Inside Al Qaeda?

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Joe Lauria / Washington Post:

My Unwitting Role in the Rove 'Scoop' — The May 13 story on the Web site Truthout.org was explosive: Presidential adviser Karl Rove had been indicted by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald in connection with his role in leaking CIA officer Valerie Plame's name to the media, it blared.

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Times of London:

Horror show reveals Iraq's descent — A morgue's grim scenes testify to a disintegrating nation, says Hala Jaber in Baghdad — THE morning rush had begun at the health ministry's morgue in Baghdad, and by 9.30am last Thursday 36 coffins already lined the street outside.

Discussion: Today in Iraq and NO QUARTER

Adam Nossiter / New York Times:

In New Orleans, Money Is Ready but a Plan Isn't — It is unclear which areas of New Orleans will get city services. Adam Hutton, 11, on Friday added to piles of garbage in Central City. — NEW ORLEANS, June 17 — Billions of federal dollars are about to start flowing into this city …

Discussion: A Blog For All

Danny Hakim / New York Times:

'Star Trek' Fans, Deprived of a Show, Recreate the Franchise on Digital Video — MASON NECK STATE PARK, Va. — Paul Sieber was wearing a "Star Trek" uniform in the deep Virginia woods when he found himself surrounded by a leathery-looking gang. — Fortunately, the ruffians were dressed up as Klingons …

Discussion: Amygdala, Blue Crab Boulevard and AmbivaBlog

Thomas E. Ricks / Washington Post:

U.S. Airstrikes Rise In Afghanistan as Fighting Intensifies — In Response to More Aggressive Taliban, Attacks Are Double Those in Iraq War — As fighting in Afghanistan has intensified over the past three months, the U.S. military has conducted 340 airstrikes there …

Discussion: PrairiePundit

AlterNetVideo / blip.tv:

Sirota Vs. Stossel — KUDLOW: All right. John Stossel, author of "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity" and Dave Sirota, author of "Hostile Takeover." We're going to look at the minimum wage. According to Mr. Stossel, the myth is: A higher minimum wage helps workers.

Discussion: David Sirota and Sirotablog

Associated Press:

Bill Clinton decries 'divisive' politics — LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton said Saturday that, if he returns to the White House in 2008 because his wife becomes president, his role would be to "do whatever she wants" because that's what a good citizen would do.

Discussion: Gut Rumbles and Blue Crab Boulevard

Qais Al-Bashir / Associated Press:

10 workers kidnapped from Baghdad bakery — BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen seized 10 workers from a bakery Sunday in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad, while a car bomb exploded near a university in the northern city of Mosul, killing a woman and wounding 19 other people, police said.

Sweetness & Light:

9/11 Commission: Somalia Retreat Inspired Bin Laden — From National Review's Media Blog: … The author, Stephen Spruiell, goes on to cite the Frontline story "Hunting Bin Laden" to demonstrate how the pullout of Somalia may have inspired Bin Laden. — But we don't need to take PBS's word for it.

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ynetnews.com:

German paper doubts Gaza beach reports — German newspaper casts doubt on Palestinian claims that IDF shell killed seven family members on Gaza beach. How come Hadil Ghalia was seen wearing dry clothes after the Gaza beach attack when she was reported to have been swimming? — Ynet

Discussion: chicagoboyz.net

Chicago Tribune:

How Hastert benefited from sale — Planned highway could sweeten asset near Plano — The complex structure of a real estate transaction in Kendall County last December left House Speaker Dennis Hastert with a seven-figure profit and in prime position to reap further benefits …

Sophia Raday / New York Times:

Diary of a Soldier's Wife: Tie-Dye and Camo Don't Mix — MY husband is like the Lone Ranger: he leaves a trail of bullets in his wake. Not silver bullets, but gold 9 millimeters, orange "simunitions" and menacing hollow-points with bronze tips. — I find them at the bottom of the washing machine …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns and Money

Philip Sherwell / Telegraph:

Ayatollah's grandson calls for US overthrow of Iran — The grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, the inspiration of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, has broken a three-year silence to back the United States military to overthrow the country's clerical regime. — Hossein Khomeini's call …

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard, BrothersJudd Blog and PrairiePundit