Quake raises fears of 2nd N. Korea test  —  TOKYO - A strong earthquake shook northern Japan on Wednesday and Japanese media reported the government had detected tremors in North Korea as well, leading it to suspect Pyongyang had conducted a second nuclear test.

Mutually Assured Disruption  —  THE North Korean nuclear test — if that indeed is what it was — signals the catastrophic collapse of a dozen years of American policy.  Over that period, two of the world's most dangerous regimes, Pakistan and North Korea, have developed nuclear weapons and the missiles to launch them.

Kim: Just Another Shrimp On The Barbie  —  The Australians have stepped up to the plate, as they always do when tyrants threaten global security, in the wake of the North Korean nuclear test.  They didn't bother to wait for the UN Security Council to slap sanctions on the Kim Jong-Il regime …

Hastert does press conference about Foley scandal in front of a graveyard  —  (The video is at the bottom of this post.)  —  First, Hastert outright lied during his press conference.  It is simply amazing that GOP leaders are still trying to downplay the severity of this scandal.  More on that below.