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.

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.

Al Qaeda: Partying Like It's 2001  —  If you checked out yesterday's Worldwide Threat briefing, you could be forgiven for checking your calendar to see if it was still September 10, 2001.  Discussing al-Qaeda, John McConnell, the new director of national intelligence, described …

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 …

CHARLES: BAN THE BIG MAC  —  Prince Charles today said banning McDonald's fast food was the key to a healthy lifestyle.  —  His comments came as he attended the launch of a public health awareness campaign.  —  Charles, a strong advocate of organic food, was touring the Imperial College London

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

Nation's porn prosecutor fronts war against obscenity  —  The former U.S. Attorney in Utah heads a national anti-porn task force  —  WASHINGTON - Maybe, from now on, the girls will be a little less wild, thanks to Brent Ward.  —  Ward, who was among the most strident adversaries …

CIA: Bin Laden in Pakistan Establishing New Camps  —  Brian Ross and Z. Byron Wolf Report:  —  In the most definitive statement in years, America's top intelligence official said Tuesday Osama bin laden is in Pakistan actively re-establishing al Qaeda training camps.

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 …