Israel using chemical weapons: doctors  —  Lebanon is investigating reports from doctors that Israel has used weapons in its 15-day-old bombardment of southern Lebanon that have caused wounds they have never seen before.  —  "We are sending off samples tomorrow, but we have no confirmation yet …

A Whole New War  —  President Bush and national security adviser Stephen Hadley yesterday for the first time publicly acknowledged the momentous shift in the role for U.S. troops in Iraq, from fighting terrorists to trying to suppress religious violence.  —  This sea change was described …

Iraq Will Be a Graveyard For Terrorists  —  Thank you.  Thank you.  —  In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful, Your Excellency, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Vice President, honorable ladies and gentlemen, members of Congress. it is with great pleasure that I am able …

Deadliest Day for Israel in Lebanon  —  AVIVIM, Israel, July 27 — More than 100 Hezbollah fighters staged a fierce ambush on Israeli ground forces entering the Lebanese border town of Bint Jbeil before dawn Wednesday, killing at least eight soldiers and wounding 22 with gunfire, mortars and antitank missiles.

St. Paul police cite Sen. Norm Coleman's father for lewd and disorderly conduct  —  Norm Coleman Sr., the father of Minnesota's junior senator, was cited for lewd and disorderly conduct Tuesday after police officers reported finding him engaged in a sex act in a car near a pizzeria on E. 7th St. in St. Paul.

Poll Shows Skepticism in U.S. Over Peace in Mideast  —  Americans are overwhelmingly pessimistic about the state of affairs in the Middle East, with majorities doubtful there will ever be peace between Israel and its neighbors, or that American troops will be able to leave Iraq anytime soon …

GOP candidate says criticism was a joke  —  ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Republican Senate candidate Michael Steele on Wednesday called President Bush his "homeboy," reversed course on having the president campaign for him and said he was joking when he described his Republican affiliation as a scarlet letter.

Harris stays in  —  Katherine Harris won't quit, while fellow Republican primary contender LeRoy Collins announced 26 days ago that he's starting the race.  —  With a beaming smile and a Starbucks coffee cup in hand — "triple Venti, no fat, no foam, extra hot, with pink sugar" …

Jury finds Yates not guilty in drownings  —  HOUSTON - Andrea Yates was found not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday in her second murder trial for the bathtub drownings of her young children.  —  Yates, 42, will now be committed to a state mental hospital, with periodic hearings …

Coulter Comes Out Against Gay Clinton Marriage  —  « previous post next post »  —  You can only bash 9/11 widows for so long before your book starts slip-sliding down the charts.  Solution: Call Bill Clinton gay.  A source from "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" …

Olbermann Defends Applying Nazi Salute to O'Reilly and Ties in Brian Williams  —  Defending his recent mockery of FNC's Bill O'Reilly that included a Nazi salute, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann used his appearance on Tuesday's Tonight Show with Jay Leno to defend his actions, implying that he was inspired …

Canada's PM doubts Israeli bombing of UN outpost deliberate  —  OTTAWA (AFP) - Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper said an Israeli attack on a UN outpost that killed four, including a Canadian, was a "terrible tragedy" but not likely deliberate.  —  At the same time, he questioned …

Iran: The Next War  —  Even before the bombs fell on Baghdad, a group of senior Pentagon officials were plotting to invade another country.  Their covert campaign once again relied on false intelligence and shady allies.  But this time, the target was Iran.  BY JAMES BAMFORD

More Disclosures From Patrick Hynes  —  Blogger Patrick Hynes just called from the road after seeing my entry about the controversy surrounding his political consulting work.  I asked about the apparent inconsistency of him criticizing other bloggers for not engaging in full disclosure …

Chicago Orders 'Big Box' Stores to Raise Wage  —  After months of fevered lobbying and bitter debate, the Chicago City Council passed a groundbreaking ordinance yesterday requiring "big box" stores, like Wal-Mart and Home Depot, to pay a minimum wage of $10 an hour by 2010, along with at least $3 an hour worth of benefits.

In Middle East conflict, other crises, conservative media find signs of Biblical prophecy of Armageddon … In recent days, some members of the conservative media have seen signs of the Apocalypse in the escalated conflicts in the Middle East and Asia.  While some, like Christian Broadcasting Network's …