Why 112 cars are burning every day  —  A year after the Paris riots violence and despair continue to grip the immigrant suburbs  —  FLAMES lick around a burning car on a tiny telephone screen.  Omar, 17, a veteran of France's suburban riots, replayed the sequence with pride.  "It was great.

The Kennedy KGB letter Updated with info about the NIE leak  —  So you want answers, eh?  Not satisfied with the CNS report?  —  I've got answers.  —  There's a new book on Ronald Reagan making the rounds, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism.

Are the Faithful Losing Faith?  —  Two weeks till midterms, the NEWSWEEK poll shows Republicans in danger of losing a big chunk of their base.  And a growing consensus for a bread-and-butter Democratic agenda.  —  Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images  —  Party Time?  Democrats are feeling optimistic about Election Day.

Bush, Rumsfeld Defend Strategy  —  They Say Surge In Violence Won't Change Iraq Goals  —  President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld yesterday defended the U.S. strategy in Iraq, saying the ultimate goals remain unchanged despite escalating violence and increasingly somber assessments from military leaders on the ground.

HOUSE INTEL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN SUSPENDS STAFFER FOR POSSIBLE LEAK  —  WASHINGTON — A Democratic staff member on the House Intelligence Committee has been suspended by the Republican chairman of that committee over concerns about the leak of a secret intelligence estimate …

Survivor!  —  The GOP Victory  —  JUBILANT DEMOCRATS SHOULD RECONSIDER their order for confetti and noisemakers.  The Democrats, as widely reported, are expecting GOP-weary voters to flock to the polls in two weeks and hand them control of the House for the first time in 12 years — and perhaps the Senate, as well.

The Woman Who Would Be Speaker  —  Uncompromising Pelosi Set to Seize Opportunity  —  On election night 2004, Nancy Pelosi faced a painful reality: Her party was again a big loser, failing to win the presidency and losing three more House seats.  Pundits were suggesting Pelosi should accept …

Liberal darling  —  Megan McArdle tells us that the Economist has moved all of its material from behind the paywall (if you're not a subscriber, you need to watch an ad to get in).  It seems to me that this is good news for the Economist; I can't imagine it'll lose many subscribers, and it may gain some.

Clinton, Spencer Hold Debate in New York  —  ROCHESTER, N.Y.  —  The Republican seeking to unseat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton went on the attack against the Democratic senator in their first debate Friday, accusing her of putting presidential aspirations ahead of voters.

Press Briefing by Tony Snow  —  White House Conference Center Briefing Room  —  MR. SNOW: Welcome.  Just a quick announcement, then I'll be happy to take questions.  —  President Bush will host NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the White House on October 27, 2006.

Many GOP Donors Pitch In For Joe  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman collected millions of dollars in campaign cash since his Democratic primary loss by tapping a lengthy list of major contributors to President Bush, dozens of Washington special interest groups and a lot of loyal Democrats.

Blackwell steps up attack  —  Ken Blackwell's gubernatorial campaign today distributed harsh comments by radio talk show host Bill Cunningham related to Ted Strickland's sexuality and about a former campaign aide arrested in 1994 for public indecency.  —  In a news statement emailed …

Lawmaker Outraged by Sniper Footage on CNN  —  SAN DIEGO — CNN has become "the publicist for an enemy propaganda film" by broadcasting a video showing an insurgent sniper in Iraq apparently killing an American soldier, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said here Friday.

China May Press North Koreans  —  China is prepared to step up pressure on North Korea in coming weeks by reducing oil shipments, among other measures, if the country refuses to return to negotiations or conducts more nuclear tests, Chinese government advisers and scholars who have discussed the matter with the leadership say.

Censoring Iraq  —  Why are there so few reporters with American troops in combat?  Don't blame the media.  —  In a counterinsurgency, the media battlespace is critical.  When it comes to mustering public opinion, rallying support, and forcing opponents to shift tactics and timetables …

Veil teacher link to 7/7 bomber  —  The Muslim teacher suspended for refusing to work without her veil is connected to a hardline mosque where the ringleader of the July 7 bombers worshipped, it has emerged.  —  The family of classroom assistant Aishah Azmi, 24, plays a key role …

Atheist gifts pontifical school in will  —  ROME - An Italian journalist and self-described atheist who died last month has left most of her books and notes to a pontifical university in Rome because of her admiration for Pope Benedict XVI, a school official said Saturday.

Many Iraqis Look to Gunmen as Protectors  —  Behind the maze of men with guns in Iraq is a very simple truth: their barrels offer protection, something Iraqis say the government has never given them.  —  On Friday, the web wound tightly around the southern city of Amara …

Boo!?  An Inevitable October Surprise  —  In the Month Before Elections, a Glut of 'Gotcha' Stories  —  The October surprise: It's as much a seasonal sure thing in Washington as cherry blossoms and the National Christmas Tree.  —  When leaves fall and elections loom, the term gets tossed around more than a Manning family football.