Schlesinger Steals The Show  —  The ghost of Crazy Eddie was channeled Monday by a man who would be Connecticut's next senator — and whose name is neither Lieberman nor Lamont.  —  This candidate's name is Alan Schlesinger (pictured in top photo).  He is the official candidate nominated …

Agents raid homes of Rep. Curt Weldon's daughter, close friend  —  Federal agents raided the home of the daughter of U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.) and his longtime friend Charlie Sexton this morning.  —  The agents departed Karen Weldon's three-story brick home on Queen Street in Philadelphia with arms loaded with boxes.

LEAD: U.S. detects signs N. Korea preparing for 2nd nuke test: reports+  —  WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (Kyodo) _ (EDS: ADDING DETAILS)  —  The United States has detected fresh signs that North Korea may be preparing for a second nuclear test, according to U.S. media reports Monday.

Civil rights lawyer sentenced to prison  —  NEW YORK - A firebrand civil rights lawyer who has defended Black Panthers and anti-war radicals was sentenced Monday to nearly 2 1/2 years in prison — far less than the 30 years prosecutors wanted — for helping an imprisoned terrorist sheik communicate with his followers on the outside.

Ex-FDA chief to plead guilty  —  WASHINGTON — Former FDA chief Lester Crawford has agreed to plead guilty to charges of failing to disclose a financial interest in PepsiCo Inc. and other firms regulated by his agency, his lawyer said Monday.  —  The Justice Department accused the former head …

Reid to Reimburse Campaign for Donations  —  Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has been using campaign donations instead of his personal money to pay Christmas bonuses for the support staff at the Ritz-Carlton where he lives in an upscale condominium.  Federal election law bars candidates …

Venezuela at the UN Security Council - today's vote  —  Today's final tally: Guatemala 110; Venezuela 77  —  Updated with current results.  Please scroll down  —  In today's WSJ (subscription) Chavez's U.N. Gambit  —  The world's club of dictators is backing Chávez's bid for a Security Council seat

Peretz: French UNIFIL say will fire at IAF overflights  —  Commanders of the French contingent of the United Nations force in Lebanon have warned that they might have to open fire if Israel Air Force warplanes continue their overflights in Lebanon, Defense Minister Amir Peretz told …

Boycott Indonesia—Stop Murdering Christians Now!  —  Civil war is in the air in Indonesia.  Christians are daily being slaughtered and the government does little to protect them.  —  Two of our longtime blog-friends, Stan the Infidel and Big White Infidel, are furious over the treatment of Christians in Indonesia.

In Close House Races, GOP Incumbents Hold Advantage in Funds  —  Despite a rush of campaign donations to Democrats earlier this year, Republican incumbents in highly competitive races in the House have a substantial cash advantage going into the final weeks before the midterm elections.

Iran leader in Bush 'Satan' claim  —  Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reportedly delivered a scathing attack on US President George W Bush, saying he is inspired by Satan.  —  Speaking to a group of supporters, Mr Ahmadinejad said he himself had inspirational links to God, Iranian media reports.

RedState Radio: Tony Snow Enters The Blogosphere  —  Tony Snow went from being a speech writer in President George H. W. Bush's White House to the world of journalism and Fox News.  Then, this year, he returned to the White House to serve as the current President Bush's Press Secretary — a job he says is a blast.

Reality checks: some responses to the latest Lancet estimates  —  Hamit Dardagan, John Sloboda, and Josh Dougherty  —  Summary … - On average, a thousand Iraqis have been violently killed every single day in the first half of 2006, with less than a tenth of them being noticed by any public surveillance mechanisms;

What's That Smell?  —  The GOP is stinking up the joint.  —  LIKE OTHER DEEP-THINKING people, I'm full of principled, idealistic, high-minded indignation at the GOP.  What a stampede of sleaze.  Jack Abramoff is the world's best lobbyist—for the Federal Penitentiary System.