Syria objects to U.N. troops on border  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israel is demanding that U.N. troops patrol the Syria-Lebanon border to prevent Hezbollah from receiving arms shipments.  But even if Israel overcomes Syrian objections to the idea, policing the mostly mountainous frontier could prove nearly impossible.

The Perils Of Using 'The Allies'  —  The cowboy has been retired.  Multilateralism is back.  Diplomacy is king.  That's the conventional wisdom about George W. Bush's second term: Under the influence of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the administration has finally embraced "the allies."

Fairfax Native Says Allen's Words Stung  —  S.R. Sidarth had built an impressive record of achievements for such a young man: straight-A student at one of Fairfax County's finest high schools, a tournament chess player, a quiz team captain, a sportswriter at his college newspaper …

Issues of Race and Sex Stir Up Alabama Election  —  When Patricia Todd won the Democratic primary runoff for a seat in the Alabama Legislature last month, the big news might have been her sexual orientation.  With no Republican opponent, Ms. Todd seemed poised to become what political observers …

Pluto vote 'hijacked' in revolt  —  Pluto (L), pictured with its largest moon, Charon, is now a dwarf planet  —  A fierce backlash has begun against the decision by astronomers to strip Pluto of its status as a planet.  —  On Thursday, experts approved a definition of a planet that demoted Pluto to a lesser category of object.

Exclusive: Whistleblowers Say State Farm Cheated Katrina Victims  —  Brian Ross and Joseph Rhee Report:  —  State Farm Insurance supervisors systematically demanded that Hurricane Katrina damage reports be buried or replaced or changed so that the company would not have to pay policyholders' claims …

WHY WAL-MART MATTERS.  I'm of the opinion that how to handle Wal-Mart is among the two or three most important issues facing the country.  The conversation hasn't caught up to it, and the arguments being had mostly miss the mark and collapse in their own short-sightedness …

Hezbollah Didn't Win  —  Arab writers are beginning to lift the veil on what really happened in Lebanon.  —  The way much of the Western media tells the story, Hezbollah won a great victory against Israel and the U.S., healed the Sunni-Shiite rift, and boosted the Iranian mullahs' claim to leadership of the Muslim world.

GOP Senate challenger McGavick reveals drunken driving incident  —  OLYMPIA, Wash. — Republican U.S. Senate challenger Mike McGavick, in a remarkable confession of what he called his personal and political shortcomings, on Thursday revealed a drunken driving incident and discussed his divorce …

'NYT' Sunday Preview: Barry Goldwater ... Hero of Democrats?  —  NEW YORK An interview in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine with C.C. Goldwater reveals that her HBO film to be aired Sept. 18 paints her late grandfather, Sen. Barry Goldwater, "as a kind of liberal," with testimonials from Al Franken …

Shays Urges Iraq Withdrawal  —  A Former War Backer, GOP Congressman Calls for Timetable  —  Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), once an ardent supporter of the war in Iraq, said yesterday that the Bush administration should set a time frame for withdrawing U.S. troops.

Morning-after pill to be available without prescription  —  Buyers must prove they're 18 or older  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Women can buy the morning-after pill without a prescription, the government declared Thursday, a major step that nevertheless failed to quell the politically charged debate over access to emergency contraception.

Steyn on multiculturalism (Update: Q&A added)  —  Actually, I've got three pieces on multiculturalism to link here, but putting Steyn in the title ensures the clickthroughs.  —  Just to frame the issue for you, here's a photo taken yesterday in Somalia of a henchman for the new Islamist government making sure the trains run on time:

New Yorker Arrested for Providing Hezbollah TV Channel  —  A New York man was arrested yesterday on charges that he conspired to support a terrorist group by providing U.S. residents with access to Hezbollah's satellite channel, al-Manar.  —  Javed Iqbal runs HDTV Corp. …

The persecution of Lina Joy  —  Apostasy.  The last time I visited the subject, an ex-Muslim man's life was at stake in Afghanistan.  Remember Abdul Rahman?  —  Now, meet Lina Joy.  Like Rahman, she was born Muslim, converted to Christianity, and is facing death threats for abandoning Islam.

Bush Administration Opposes Integration Plans  —  The solicitor general urges the Supreme Court to scrap schools' voluntary programs that exclude some students because of their race.  —  WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has urged the Supreme Court to strike down voluntary school …

Here We Go  —  When I wrote about the Duelling PageantsI never imagined that it would come to pass so literally.  The cable nets are hammering Ray Nagin for his foot in mouth comment that it took New York five years to rebuild a hole in the ground so a reporter from NY ought to cut New Orleans some slack.

Protest permit alarms Utah's Jews  —  'It's scary': Many worry such a rally could blur the line between freedom of speech and anti-Semitism  —  Members of Utah's Jewish community are alarmed by a proposed demonstration that will call for "Death to Israel."

Katie Couric: Perky and Cute, But Smart, Informed and Liberal, Too  —  All Three Commercial Evening News Anchors Viewed Positively  —  Summary of Findings  —  Though Katie Couric has yet to take her seat as the new CBS Evening News anchor, the former Today show co-host is already …

Alleged Slur Casts Spotlight On Senator's (Jewish?)  Roots  —  When Senator George Allen of Virginia used a racial slur for dark-skinned North Africans, "macaca," during a recent encounter with a young Indian American cameraman from his opponent's campaign, many wondered where he had learned the word.