Experts Fault Reasoning in Surveillance Decision  —  Even legal experts who agreed with a federal judge's conclusion on Thursday that a National Security Agency surveillance program is unlawful were distancing themselves from the decision's reasoning and rhetoric yesterday.

Question for Bolton: Is Islam the Enemy?  —  As far as I can tell, Bolton has interviewed with one blog, and that is Atlas Shrugs, which Bolton considers a "news publication" and whose author he considers a "journalist."  Here's what Atlas Shrugs has to say about Islam: "the Quran …

Scare Them Back  —  A BETTER DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE TO GOP FEAR-MONGERING.  —  Of course Republicans are trying to scare voters into voting for them.  Why shouldn't they?  As a policy matter, asking which party will keep us from being killed by jihadists in a plane or at a shopping mall seems …

Young Quits As Walmart Spokesman Amid Racial Comments Flap  —  Just in case you thought Virginia Senator George Allen was the only person who seems tolerance-challenged and suffers from foot-in-mouth disease, think again: … So let's get this straight for a second: Young has been someone who has been working for racial tolerance?

The CIA-Contra-Crack Connection, 10 Years Later  —  Reporter Gary Webb was the victim of his own hyperbole, but he never got credit for what he got right.  —  TEN YEARS AGO today, one of the most controversial news articles of the 1990s quietly appeared on the front page of the San Jose Mercury News.

Israeli soldier killed in Lebanon raid  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah fighters battled Israeli commandos who landed near the militants' stronghold deep inside Lebanon early Saturday, killing one soldier, in the first apparent large-scale violation of the U.N.-brokered cease-fire between the sides.

Photojournalism in Crisis  —  The Israeli-Hezbollah war has left many dead bodies, ruined towns, and wobbling politicians in its wake, but the media historian of the future may also count as one more victim the profession of photojournalism.  In twenty years of researching and teaching …

It's art, says the naked woman who'll hug a dead pig on stage  —  After pickled sheep, unmade beds and painting with elephant dung, some questioned where modern art could go next.  —  Kira O'Reilly will provide her own answer today by spending four hours naked, hugging a dead pig - at the taxpayer's expense.

Supporters Scuffle At Candidate Forum  —  The increasingly contentious race between U.S. Rep. Albert R. Wynn and his main Democratic primary challenger, Donna Edwards, led to a police call during a forum Wednesday night when a member of Wynn's team allegedly hit a volunteer for Edwards's campaign.

Intelligence officials doubt Iran uranium claims, say Cheney receiving suspect briefings  —  The Bush administration continues to bypass standard intelligence channels and use what some believe to be propaganda tactics to create a compelling case for war with Iran, US foreign policy experts …

Terror police find 'martyr tapes'  —  Police investigating an alleged plot to bring down airliners have found several martyrdom videos in the course of their searches, the BBC has learned.  —  Unofficial police sources said the recordings - discovered on laptop computers …

McCain tries to rally veterans for Allen  —  POLITICS: SENATE CAMPAIGN — Maybe somebody should have clued in Sen. John McCain.  —  First, Sen. George Allen, R-Va., wound up a few dozen veterans with a "we win, they lose, there's no substitute victory" strategy for Iraq …

'Cane Mutiny  —  What a difference one year makes.  With the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall (August 29, 2005) rapidly approaching, who would have predicted that we would now be in the middle of a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season?  Weren't the global warming pundits' predictions …

Panic for Rolling Stones as tour tickets go unsold  —  Mick Jagger and his bandmates will never have to worry about where the next paycheque is coming from.  —  And that is, perhaps, something they should be grateful for judging by the apparent apathy surrounding tickets sales …

U.N. Congo peacekeepers again accused of sex abuse  —  Source: Reuters  —  The United Nations is investigating a suspected child prostitution ring involving its peacekeepers and government soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the U.N. mission said on Thursday.