Details Emerge in British Terror Case  —  On Aug. 9, in a small second-floor apartment in East London, two young Muslim men recorded a video justifying what the police say was their suicide plot to blow up trans-Atlantic planes: revenge against the United States and its "accomplices," Britain and the Jews.

Karr Won't Be Charged In Death of JonBenet  —  Prosecutor Says DNA Samples Did Not Match  —  Prosecutors dropped their case against John Mark Karr in the decade-old killing of JonBenet Ramsey on Monday, abruptly ending a 12-day whirlwind that reached halfway around the globe …

Bush Visits Gulf Coast, Stressing Progress  —  On the eve of the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's strike here, President Bush returned to the devastated region on Monday promising to continue federal assistance and, with his presidency still under the shadow of the slow response to the storm …

Iran's leader calls for TV debate with Bush  —  Adjust font size:  —  TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called on U.S. President George W. Bush to participate in a "direct television debate with us," so Iran can voice its point of view on how to end world predicaments.

Pronouncing Blame on the Israel Lobby  —  It was quite a boner.  —  University of Chicago political scientist John Mearsheimer was in town yesterday to elaborate on his view that American Jewish groups are responsible for the war in Iraq, the destruction of Lebanon's infrastructure and many other bad things.

Slowly Sidling To Iraq's Exit  —  Many GOP Candidates Part Company With Bush  —  By Election Day, how many Republican candidates will have come out against the Iraq war or distanced themselves from the administration's policies?  —  August 2006 will be remembered as a watershed in the politics of Iraq.

Volcanic Ash  —  A totally independent, slightly irreverent and hopelessly idealistic view of people and events in Hawai'i and beyond.  David Shapiro has covered Hawai'i and national news for 38 years as a reporter, editor and columnist.  —  Reach David at volcanicash@gmail.com.

Plame and the 'Bush Lied' Meme  —  A new book by Michael Isikoff, an investigative reporter for Newsweek, and David Corn, who writes for the far left wing magazine The Nation, casts many powerful people in Washington in an unflattering light — but not the people who Mr. Isikoff and Mr. Corn wish to besmirch.

Trash the 'Compact'  —  An attempt to circumvent the Electoral College is really an urban power grab.  —  For more than 200 years America has chosen its presidents as the Constitution provides: through the Electoral College.  Traditionally, each state has cast its electoral votes …

ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE LEAVES REUTERS AMBULANCE IN FLAMES, CHOPPED, CHANNELED  —  QANA, LEBANON - Israeli Defense Forces face fresh charges of war atrocities today, as international press agency Reuters released stark photos showing the devastation caused by a daylight IDF missile attack on a clearly marked Reuters press ambulance.

NASRALLAH'S BLUNDER  —  LEBANESE TURN ON HEZ CHIEF  —  WELL, what do you know: What was presented as a "Great Strategic Divine Victory" only a week ago is now beginning to look more like a costly blunder.  And the man who is making the revisionist move is the same who made the original victory claim …

Star of the Right Loses His Base at the Border  —  MUNCIE, Ind. — He supports tax cuts and the war in Iraq.  He opposes stem cell research and the Medicare drug plan.  He is a master of his movement's medium, talk radio.  Jesus Christ is his personal savior and Ronald Reagan his political idol.

Vice President's Remarks at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention  —  Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Center  —  THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.  Thank you for the warm welcome.

Assembly approves universal health care  —  Passage of bill seen as election-year test for Schwarzenegger  —  (08-29) 04:00 PDT Sacramento — The Democratic-controlled Legislature is on the verge of sending Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a bill that would create a state-run universal health care system …

Democrats Now Favored to Take Over DeLay's Old Seat  —  The Texas Republican Party establishment has rallied around a single candidate, Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, in their unusual write-in campaign to salvage the 22nd Congressional District seat vacated in June by Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader.