For Want of a Dentist  —  George's Boy Dies After Bacteria From Tooth Spread to Brain  —  Twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of a toothache Sunday.  —  A routine, $80 tooth extraction might have saved him.  —  If his mother had been insured.  —  If his family had not lost its Medicaid.

Walter Reed patients told to keep quiet  —  Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.

Defending His Country, but Not Its 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy  —  Once a Marine, always a Marine.  That pretty much sums up the life of retired Sgt. Eric Alva, who was sworn into the Marine Corps at 19, stationed in Somalia and Japan and lost his right leg when he stepped on a land mine on March 21 …

Political interference alleged in sacking of a U.S. attorney  —  WASHINGTON - The U.S. attorney from New Mexico who was recently fired by the Bush administration said Wednesday that he believes he was forced out because he refused to rush an indictment in an ongoing probe of local Democrats …

U.S. Set to Join Iran and Syria in Talks on Iraq  —  American officials said Tuesday that they had agreed to hold the highest-level contact with the Iranian authorities in more than two years as part of an international meeting on Iraq.  —  The discussions, scheduled for the next two months …

An Editor's Confession: I'm the Source of 'Slow Bleed'  —  With a mixture of pride and remorse, I have a confession: I am the author of the Democratic Party's "slow-bleed strategy" for ending the war in Iraq.  —  I had nothing to do with the details of the plan that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) floated two weeks ago.

Baucus Told by Montana Legislature to Oppose New Trade Measure  —  Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) — Max Baucus, the Senate Finance Committee Chairman, came under pressure from his own state legislature to oppose extending President George W. Bush's trade negotiating authority.

Republicans Set to Block Jefferson's Appointment to Homeland Security Panel  —  Republicans plan to force a floor vote on Rep. William Jefferson's move to the Homeland Security Committee in an unprecedented maneuver to force Democrats to go on the record supporting their embattled colleague …

Bill would mandate nicer term for illegals  —  TALLAHASSEE — A state legislator whose district is home to thousands of Caribbean immigrants wants to ban the term "illegal alien" from the state's official documents.  —  "I personally find the word 'alien' offensive when applied to individuals …

Kerry spars with ambassador nominee over contributions … WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate hearing that began with glowing tributes to a St. Louis businessman and his qualifications to become ambassador to Belgium turned divisive Tuesday after he was criticized for supporting a controversial conservative group.

Jailers Testify About Padilla's Confinement  —  As Jose Padilla dropped his head and grew still, a senior official from the naval brig in Charleston, S.C., testified on Tuesday in federal court here that he had twice observed Mr. Padilla weeping in the electronically monitored cell …

Daley cruises to 6th term  —  Richard M. Daley laid claim to history on Tuesday, steamrolling two opponents and winning a sixth term that promises to make him the longest-serving mayor in Chicago history.  —  Another four years in the office will push Daley past the current record-holder …

Some push for Huckabee to run for Senate, not president  —  Though his long-shot presidential campaign is still in its early stages, some wish former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee would drop his national aspirations and return home to wage what they see as a vital campaign against Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) in 2008 instead.

U.S. Sanctions With Teeth  —  Everybody knows that economic sanctions don't work.  Just look at the decades of fruitless pressure on Cuba.  But guess what?  In the recent cases of North Korea and Iran, a new variety of U.S. Treasury sanctions is having a potent effect, suggesting that the conventional wisdom may be wrong.

Obama to Attend Selma March Anniversary  —  · This weekend, civil rights leaders will commemorate the anniversary of Bloody Sunday — the day in 1965 when civil rights marchers were beaten in Selma, Ala.  —  The speakers at the solemn occasion in Selma will include …

Dominion of Canada: Marty Peretz Sells Last New Republic Share  —  It feels like a burden has been lifted from me," Martin Peretz said on Feb. 27.  —  It feels like a burden has been lifted from me," Martin Peretz said on Feb. 27.  —  For the first time in three decades, Mr. Peretz, 68, no longer owns a stake in The New Republic.

The Question, Part III  —  Note from the jury: … Second note from jury: … After the second note came back, the Libby team was clustered around some piece of paper (I assume the note) chuckling.  They showed it to Fitz, and nobody seemed to alarmed one way or the other.  —  emptywheel here.

New Light Shed on CIA's 'Black Site' Prisons  —  On his last day in CIA custody, Marwan Jabour, an accused al-Qaeda paymaster, was stripped naked, seated in a chair and videotaped by agency officers.  Afterward, he was shackled and blindfolded, headphones were put over his ears, and he was given an injection that made him groggy.

Interview with Harm de Blij - Part 1  —  EDITOR'S NOTE: This was run earlier but since it is an original interview conducted for this site we will leave it at the top for several hours.  NEWER posts are BELOW so keep scrolling.  —  A reader, Stuart, sent me a great present a couple of months ago …

Politicians' flights called wasteful  —  Schwarzenegger and Feinstein preach energy efficiency but often fly fuel-gulping small jets.  —  Sen. Dianne Feinstein offers plenty of tips on how California households can combat global warming, such as carpooling and running only a full dishwasher.