Report: Iran planning nuclear 'surprise'  —  A senior official in Teheran said Wednesday that in the next few days, a "surprise" was expected regarding Iran's nuclear program, Al-Jazeera reported.  —  Teheran's apparent refusal to suspend uranium enrichment set the stage for a showdown at the UN Security Council later this month.

12 arrested after Northwest Airlines turned back  —  Passengers 'looked into plastic bags, passed cell phones'  —  AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (CNN) — Dutch police said Wednesday that 12 passengers were in custody after a Northwest Airlines flight bound for Mumbai, India, returned to Amsterdam when several people on board aroused concern.

Bush: Katrina recovery will take time  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush on Wednesday cautioned against placing too much importance on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's Gulf Coast strike, saying it will take a long, sustained effort to rebuild the area.

E&P editor attacks bloggers over Reutersgate (Update: Zombie explodes the ambulance incident)  —  I was going to make the title, "E&P editor attacks bloggers over Reutersgate, misrepresents pretty much everything," but his article's only the first of two parts.

Alaska Gov. Murkowski Concedes Defeat in GOP Gubernatorial Primary  —  ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski, whose perceived missteps over the past four years have turned him into one of the most unpopular governors in state history, soundly lost his bid for re-election …

Don't Marry Career Women  —  Guys: A word of advice.  Marry pretty women or ugly ones.  Short ones or tall ones.  Blondes or brunettes.  Just, whatever you do, don't marry a woman with a career.  —  Why?  Because if many social scientists are to be believed, you run a higher risk of having a rocky marriage.

Is the Next Step a Draft?  —  Rhonda Schwartz Reports:  —  An Iraq War veterans group says the call-up of thousands of Marines from the Individual Ready Reserve, announced by the Pentagon today, is "one of the last steps before resorting to a draft."  —  "This move should serve as a wake …

L'Affaire GoldFrisch III: We All Knew This Was Coming  —  This post was co-written with Tim Dreier of The One-Handed Economist; both of us are graduates of the University of Oregon in Eugene, where Deb Frisch now lives.  As a matter of full disclosure, we've had a few scrapes with Frisch of our own …

Asking for it: why terrorism vs. Fox TV is not news  —  It's been over a week since Fox TV newsmen Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig were abducted in Gaza.  Until today's terrorist video by the Holy Jihad Brigade, showing them both alive and demanding the release of Muslim prisoners in America …

The Uninformed Bloc  —  I know what you're thinking.  I've failed to keep the faith.  I've made a mockery of the "daily" in "Daily Strategist".  I've been out lollygagging, making the rounds of the D.C. cocktail circuit.  But lemme explain.  There was a much needed trip to Boston …

Pope sacks astronomer over evolution debate  —  Pope Benedict XVI has sacked his chief astronomer after a series of public clashes over the theory of evolution.  —  He has removed Father George Coyne from his position as director of the Vatican Observatory after the American Jesuit priest …

Fixing the Federal Spending Problem  —  On the road tonight, after a full day with great candidates and committed patriots in Alabama.  While scrolling down Instapundit a little while ago, I found a blog post from Andrew Stuttaford at The Corner, discussing the Federal Funding Accountability …

New 'Survivor' Divides Groups by Race  —  Get ready for a segregated "Survivor."  Race will matter on the upcoming season of the CBS show as contestants will be divided into four tribes by ethnicity.  That means blacks, whites, Latinos and Asians in separate groups.  —  The announcement was made on CBS' Early Show.