A New Explanation For "Macaca?"  —  What does Macaca really mean?  Three Virginia Republicans confirmed to the Hotline that several Allen campaign aides and advisers are telling allies that the word was a made-up, off-the-cuff neologism that these aides occasionally used to refer …

The Alleged UK Terror Plot  —  So far, no one has been charged in the alleged terror plot to blow up several airplanes across the Atlantic.  No evidence has been produced supporting the contention that such a plot was indeed imminent.  Forgive me if my skepticism just ratcheted up a little notch.

Disturbance Diverts London-D.C. Flight  —  Fighter jets escorted a London-to-Washington, D.C., flight to Boston's Logan airport Wednesday after the pilot declared an emergency because of a passenger disturbance, officials said.  —  There was no indication of terrorism, a federal security official said.

Real, Real Bad Career Move  —  I've been thinking a bit about Tony Snow, the current White House Press Secretary, and I've got to say, I think the guy has made a horrible career move.  —  Bush has two years left, and it's going to be a rough two years for him.

THE MIDEAST'S MUNICH  —  WAR WITH MULLAHS IS COMING  —  HISTORIANS will look back at this weekend's cease-fire agreement in Lebanon as a pivotal moment in the war on terror.  It is pivotal in the same sense that the Munich agreement between Adolf Hitler and Neville Chamberlain was pivotal …

Arrest made in JonBenet Ramsey case  —  (CNN) — A suspect has been arrested "for the December 26, 1996, murder of JonBenet Ramsey," the district attorney in Boulder, Colorado, said Wednesday.  —  A law enforcement source identified the suspect as 41-year-old John Mark Karr, a one-time school teacher.

Home Sales Tumble to 9-Year Low  —  Price gains slowed further in the Southland last month.  Economists debate whether the market will have a 'soft landing' or worse.  —  Southern California home sales fell to their lowest level in nine years last month as price appreciation continued to decelerate, data released Tuesday showed.

Town sued over strict immigration law  —  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Civil rights campaigners sued the Pennsylvania town of Hazleton on Tuesday, seeking to block one of America's toughest local laws against illegal immigrants.  —  The suit says Hazelton's City Council violated the U.S. constitution …

Rating down despite foiled terror plot and Lebanon cease fire; Democrats hold generic Congressional lead  —  President Bush's job approval rating dipped two points in the last three weeks, despite the foiling of an airline terror plot and the adoption of a cease-fire deal between Israel …

France calls for end to Lebanon blockade  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon - The French foreign minister on Wednesday called for Israel to lift its air, naval and land blockade of Lebanon, saying it was unnecessary with the U.N.-imposed cease-fire holding.  —  Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy …

The Democrats Mean Business  —  Washington needs an entrepreneurial approach.  —  In the past week, my victory in the Connecticut Senate primary has been labeled everything from the death knell of the Democratic Party to the signal of our party's rebirth.  Beneath all of this punditry …

Boys subjected to 9 hours of rote memorization a day in NYC.  —  The NYT has what seems meant to read as a charming human interest piece about "children" — really, boys — who are sent to school in New York City for 9 hours a day to work exclusively on the task of memorizing the Koran.

8/16: Let The Sunshine In  —  Perhaps it's due to the GOP's recent electoral success, but the right side of the 'sphere continues to focus less on campaigns and elections and more on other (still political) projects.  8/16 is yet another example of the trend as a broad coalition …

A Democrat for Main Street  —  If you're looking for a land that time forgot, you couldn't do much better than the mountain country of central Pennsylvania.  On a sparkling summer day it's a tableau of lazy rivers and deeply green forested hills, of cornfields and farmhouses (some abandoned) …

Blue America: Sherrod Brown, OH-Sen.  —  (Photo of Rep. Sherrod Brown and his wife, Connie Shultz — I just love this picture.  Sherrod joins us in the comments section to chat about his candidacy for the Senate in OH.  We think he has a very good chance of picking up the Senate seat …