Nation under a nuclear cloud  —  'Racially impure' children killed  —  THE North Korean regime's obsession with racial purity has led to the killing of disabled infants and forced abortions for women suspected of conceiving their babies by Chinese fathers, according to a growing body of testimony from defectors.

Maryland Senate: Cardin Maintains 7-Point Lead  —  Steele (R) 43% Cardin (D) 50%  —  Despite a late and bitter Democratic primary, Democratic Congressman Benjamin L. Cardin is maintaining a moderate lead of 50% to 43% over Lieutenant Governor Michael S. Steele (R) (see crosstabs).

Lawyer Is Due for Sentencing in Terror Case  —  Lynne Stewart in her former law office.  She was convicted in 2005 of aiding a high-profile terrorist.  —  Lynne F. Stewart, the firebrand lawyer known for defending unsavory criminals, now faces the possibility of living out her life like many of them …

Iraq will wait to disarm militias  —  BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in an interview with USA TODAY that his government will not force militias to disarm until later this year or early next year, despite escalating violence in Baghdad fueled by death squads and religious warfare.

5 Americans Killed in Iraq, Bringing Month's Toll to 53  —  Two marines were killed by insurgents in Anbar Province on Sunday, the American military command said, and three American soldiers died a day earlier in a bombing in southern Baghdad, bringing the total of American troop deaths in Iraq …

Bush's Press Secretary Is Raising Money, and Some Eyebrows  —  Tony Snow draped his lanky frame across a wooden lectern, leaned forward and gazed out at 850 adoring Republicans who had paid $175 apiece to hear him speak.  There was a conspiratorial gleam in his eye, as if he was about to reveal …

In Final Weeks, G.O.P. Focuses on Best Bets  —  Senior Republican leaders have concluded that Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio, a pivotal state in this year's fierce midterm election battles, is likely to be heading for defeat and are moving to reduce financial support for his race and divert party money …

GOP on a Mission to Save Santorum  —  Republicans go all-out to boost the trailing Pennsylvania senator, a key social conservative.  —  ROSYLN, Pa. — Keith Hollenberg, a member of the evangelical Assemblies of God church, is worried that one of his political heroes is about to lose his bid for reelection.

Panel to Seek Change on Iraq  —  A commission backed by Bush has agreed that 'stay the course' is not working, its leader says.  A phased withdrawal is one option on the table.  —  WASHINGTON — A commission backed by President Bush that is exploring U.S. options in Iraq intends …

REID'S SMELLY WINDFALL  —  BACK-$CRATCHING WITH DEVELOPERS  —  SENATE Minority Leader Harry Reid's ethics woes continue to mount.  An Associated Press expose shows that Reid pushed through changes in federal law that helped the senator get rich - via complex land deals with a lobbyist who's also tied up in a federal bribery case.

Hastert's Team Mentality to Be Tested as Foley Scandal Unfolds  —  On a table near the desk of the speaker of the House, nine bears sit in a wooden rowboat, eight with oars and one in charge.  But the boat can't move unless the oars all row in the same direction.  That's why House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) bought it.

BBC mounts court fight to keep 'critical' report secret  —  The BBC has spent thousands of pounds of licence payers' money trying to block the release of a report which is believed to be highly critical of its Middle East coverage.  —  The corporation is mounting a landmark High Court action …

Specter's Role in Passage Of Detainee Bill Disputed  —  The news reached Democrats working on the military commissions bill in the Senate cloakroom the morning of Sept. 27.  Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), a sponsor of two amendments giving detainees a right to challenge their detention or treatment …