Israel nearly triples troops in Lebanon  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon - Israel staged wide-ranging airstrikes and sent commandos into the Hezbollah heartland Saturday as the United Nations raced to begin enforcing its new cease-fire blueprint and stop the heavy fighting still raging in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollywood: Photog accuses stringers of digging up bodies?  (Update: Photos added)  —  I'm adding the question mark because we don't know yet if the guy who said it is who he says he is.  But if it's true — if — then Ace is right: it's "a serious, meltdown level scandal for the media."

Bureaucracy impedes bomb-detection work  —  WASHINGTON — As the British terror plot was unfolding, the Bush administration quietly tried to take away $6 million that was supposed to be spent this year developing new explosives detection technology.  Congressional leaders rejected the idea …

Lebanon photos: Take a closer look  —  THE controversy this week over Reuters' distribution of digitally manipulated, falsely labeled and — probably — staged photos of the fighting in Lebanon hasn't been nearly as large as it should have been.  —  Credit for bringing the sordid business …

AP Source Salam Daher Rescues Bodies That Aren't There  —  An AP article white washes a Lebanese Civil Defense worker bloggers suspect of disseminating Hezbollah propaganda.  And they quote a colleague who apparently doesn't have any concerns about sharing information with Hezbollah to back him up.

The Ripple Effect  —  The foiled airline plot boosts President Bush's terror ratings, but the new NEWSWEEK Poll finds a lot for Democrats to cheer as the midterm elections approach.  —  Charles Rex Arbogast / AP  —  Americans awakened to a new day of air travel on Aug. 10.

I was in Hitler's SS, admits Günter Grass  —  Germany was rocked by the revelations last night that Günter Grass, its greatest living author and doyen of the Left, was a member of Hitler's elite Waffen-SS.  —  The Nobel laureate, who has been the country's moral guide for decades …

Joe Lieberman And The Jews  —  Rabbi Marc Gellman, writing in Newsweek, expresses puzzlement about why Joe Lieberman did so poorly among Connecticut's Jews.  Here's part of it: … There's a lot more in his impassioned essay but the answer may be a bit simple:  —  Few groups are totally monolithic anymore.

U.S. Ambassador Says Iran Is Inciting Attacks  —  Iran is pressing Shiite militias here to step up attacks against the American-led forces in retaliation for the Israeli assault on Lebanon, the American ambassador to Iraq said Friday.  Iran may foment even more violence as it faces off …

Source: U.S., U.K. at odds over timing of arrests  —  British wanted to continue surveillance on terror suspects, official says … MSNBC TV  —  LONDON - NBC News has learned that U.S. and British authorities had a significant disagreement over when to move in on the suspects in the alleged plot …

Whose Issue Is Terrorism?  —  The Parties Maneuver for Advantage on National Security  —  The aggressive Democratic response to this week's foiled terrorist plot reflects a widely shared view among party strategists that intensified attacks against President Bush represent the best chance …

Conservative group sets sights on Chafee  —  PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Fresh off their first victory over a Republican incumbent, GOP conservatives seeking party purity on taxes and spending are focused on ousting moderate Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.

Blue America: Dave Mejias, NY-03  —  (Dave Mejias joins us live in the comments to chat with you about his candidacy.  Please stop by the comments and give Dave a great FDL welcome.  Thanks!  — CHS)  —  When I spoke with Dave Mejias on the phone a couple days ago I mentioned that I grew …

A Boost for Lamont as Democratic Leaders Shift Support  —  Round 2 Opens In Bitter Contest With Lieberman  —  Democratic Senate nominee Ned Lamont will launch a general election bid in Connecticut next week with an expanded campaign operation of Washington-based reinforcements …