Iran ready for 'serious' nuclear talks  —  TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Tuesday that Tehran was ready to enter "serious negotiations" over its disputed nuclear program but did not say whether it was willing to suspend uranium enrichment — the West's key demand.

Missing Fox News crew: Blogburst  —  ***scroll for updates...a TV critic attacks Fox News...***  —  Fox News Channel reporter Steve Centanni and freelance cameraman Olaf Wiig are still missing.  It has now been more than a week since their kidnapping at gunpoint in Gaza by unknown terrorists.

Iran 'fires on Romanian oil rig'  —  BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A Romanian oil rig off the coast of Iran came under fire from an Iranian warship and was later occupied by Iranian troops, a company spokesman said.  —  The Iranians first fired into the air and then fired at the Orizont rig, said GSP spokesman Radu Petrescu.

Outrageous Quote of the Day: James Inhofe  —  "What's happened [in Iraq] is nothing short of a miracle."  —  Yes, folks, we know there's a lot of wacky stuff out there from our esteemed Senate body, but the Senate Majority Project's "Outrageous GOP Quote of the Day" award today goes to repeat winner …

Connecticut Groups Push to Remove Lieberman From Ballot  —  Critics of Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's independent run to keep his job attacked on two fronts Monday, with one group asking an elections official to throw him out of the Democratic Party and a former rival calling on state officials to keep his name off the November ballot.

Educators Question Absence of Evolution From List of Majors Eligible for New Grants  —  Like a gap in the fossil record, evolutionary biology is missing from a list of majors that the U.S. Department of Education has deemed eligible for a new federal grant program designed to reward students majoring …

Point of No Return?  —  It is hard to think of a time when a nation — and a whole civilization — has drifted more futilely toward a bigger catastrophe than that looming over the United States and western civilization today.  —  Nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran and North Korea mean …

The Fertility Gap  —  Liberal politics will prove fruitless as long as liberals refuse to multiply.  —  The midterm election looms, and once again efforts begin afresh to increase voter participation.  It has become standard wisdom in American politics that voter turnout is synonymous …

Hezbollah sinks Australian warship  —  http://www.moqavemat.com - an Iran-based website run by the Hezbollah terrorist group - is running this picture (above) of what it claims is the Israeli ship it hit with a missile last month.  —  Now look at the Royal Australian Navy's picture below …

Washington Whispers  —  Don't laugh, but a loaner training kayak in the pool of the House of Representatives gym made the difference in President Bush's House victory for a pork-busting line-item veto.  "That's spot on," says Colorado Rep. Mark Udall, who helped talk 34 other Democrats into backing the measure 247 to 172.

Buchanan Argues For Immigration Moratorium To Preserve White Dominance  —  In his new book, State of Emergency, Pat Buchanan argues for "an immediate moratorium on all immigration."  Why?  To preserve the dominance of the white race in America.  Buchanan explains on pg.  11:

Throwing in the Towel  —  The constant calls, the people frightening his children, and the demonstrations in front of his home apparently became a little too much.  —  Dario Ringach, an associate neurobiology professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, decided this month to give …

Missouri Senate: Still Close  —  Talent (R) 46%, McCaskill (D) 44%  —  The Missouri Senate race remains one of the closest in the nation.  The latest Rasmussen Reports election poll shows Senator Jim Talent (R) with 46% of the vote and Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D) at 44% (see crosstabs).

Thousands of Marines face involuntary recalls  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Marine Corps said Tuesday it has been authorized to recall thousands of Marines to active duty, primarily because of a shortage of volunteers for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.  —  Up to 2,500 Marines will be brought …

Poll: GOP up after terror arrests  —  WASHINGTON — The arrest of terror suspects in London has helped buoy President Bush to his highest approval rating in six months and dampen Democratic congressional prospects to their lowest in a year.  —  In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday …

The Fame Motive  —  Money and power are handy, but millions of ambitious people are after something other than the corner office or the beach house on St. Bart's.  They want to swivel necks, to light a flare in others' eyes, to walk into a crowded room and feel the conversation stop.