A Judicial Misfire  —  THE NATION would benefit from a serious, scholarly and hard-hitting judicial examination of the National Security Agency's program of warrantless surveillance.  The program exists on ever-more uncertain legal ground; it is at least in considerable tension with federal law and the Bill of Rights.

France Says It'll Double U.N. Contingent  —  President Jacques Chirac announced Thursday that France will immediately double to 400 troops its contingent in the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon.  —  The statement from Chirac's office came after he spoke by phone with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Republicans Losing The 'Security Moms'  —  Married women with children, the "security moms" whose concerns about terrorism made them an essential part of Republican victories in 2002 and 2004, are taking flight from GOP politicians this year in ways that appear likely to provide a major boost …

Alumni debate reaches students  —  As the Association of Alumni prepares to vote on a new proposed constitution this fall, heated debate has persisted throughout many sectors of the Dartmouth community.  Factions on both sides participate, with weblogs becoming an important media for political dialogue.

Officials: U.S. blocked missiles to Hezbollah  —  WASHINGTON — The United States blocked an Iranian cargo plane's flight to Syria last month after intelligence analysts concluded it was carrying sophisticated missiles and launchers to resupply Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, two U.S. intelligence officials say.

Kurds flee homes as Iran shells Iraq's northern frontier  —  Michael Howard in Qandil Mountain  —  Turkey and Iran have dispatched tanks, artillery and thousands of troops to their frontiers with Iraq during the past few weeks in what appears to be a coordinated effort to disrupt the activities of Kurdish rebel bases.

Inquiry Suggests Marines Excised Files on Killings  —  A high-level military investigation into the killings of 24 Iraqis in Haditha last November has uncovered instances in which American marines involved in the episode appear to have destroyed or withheld evidence, according to two Defense Department officials briefed on the case.

It sounded so good to start with.  But where did it all go wrong, George?  —  "HOW'M I DOIN'?" was the question the quixotic Ed Koch used to ask New York's voters during Hizzoner's eleven turbulent years as the city's mayor.  For a man who governed the globe's most neurotic metropolis …

Terror detectives 'find bomb kit'  —  Police probing an alleged plot to bring down flights have found a suitcase containing items which could be used to construct a bomb, the BBC has learned.  —  Officers have been searching a piece of land called King's Wood in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

Breaking the law has consequences  —  My overall analysis of today's extraordinary federal court decision on the NSA warrantless eavesdropping program is in the post below, here.  I also have an article up at Salon summarizing the importance of this ruling, here.

No JonBenet Apologies Necessary  —  THE PRESS NEEDN'T REGRET ITS COVERAGE OF THE CASE.  —  This morning finds at least four press-hounds baying their apologies to the Ramseys on behalf of their colleagues or society at large.  They beg the family's forgiveness for having ever suspected them of killing JonBenet.

The FBI's Upgrade That Wasn't  —  $170 Million Bought an Unusable Computer System  —  As far as Zalmai Azmi was concerned, the FBI's technological revolution was only weeks away.  —  It was late 2003, and a contractor, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) …

American Attitudes Hold Steady in Face of Foreign Crises  —  Strong Support for Israel - No Surge in Terror Concerns or Boost for Bush  —  Summary of Findings  —  The public is paying a great deal of attention to major overseas events - the reported terrorist plot against U.S. trans-Atlantic jet liners …