Rice Deputy Quits After Query Over Escort Service  —  Randall Tobias Oversaw U.S. Foreign Aid Programs  —  Randall L. Tobias, the deputy secretary of state responsible for U.S. foreign aid, abruptly resigned yesterday after he was asked about an upscale escort service allegedly involved in prostitution, U.S. government sources said.

The Reeds and Brass Have Been Weaving  —  Often people, usually in the course of needing to explain the almighty power of blogs to people who don't get it, want to describe blogs in terms of specific tangible successful events.  You know, "blogs took down Trent Lott," and whatnot.

Mr. Obama's Worldview  —  BARACK OBAMA, who has been chided for failing to supplement his inspiring rhetoric as a presidential candidate with substantive stands on issues, took an important step this week toward correcting the deficiency.  In a 40-minute address to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs …

The White House Scales Back Talk of Iraq Progress  —  The Bush administration will not try to assess whether the troop increase in Iraq is producing signs of political progress or greater security until September, and many of Mr. Bush's top advisers now anticipate that any gains by then will be limited …

Political Appointees No Longer to Pick Justice Interns  —  The Justice Department is removing political appointees from the hiring process for rookie lawyers and summer interns, amid allegations that the Bush administration had rigged the programs in favor of candidates with connections …

C.I.A. Held Qaeda Leader in Secret Jail for Months  —  The Central Intelligence Agency held a captured Qaeda leader in a secret prison since last fall and transferred him last week to the American military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, officials said Friday.

Done  —  Today is going to be the day that I've been dreading for quite sometime now.  Today is the day I walk away from this blog.  Done.  Finished.  —  There are many reasons, each would take a post to list, and I just do not have the energy to list them.

Defra in storm over discredited EU carbon plan  —  The government department spearheading Britain's effort to reduce carbon output is driving companies and individuals towards paying for emissions cuts that do not take place.  —  The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs …

U.S. Proposal Would Allow Oil Drilling Off Virginia  —  Five-Year Plan Would Also Open Alaskan, Gulf Waters  —  The Interior Department will announce a proposal Monday to allow oil and gas drilling in federal waters near Virginia that are currently off-limits and permit new exploration …

Special Events  —  A TRUE SOURCE OF INSPIRATION  —  Most of the socializing goes on around here late in the evening out in the smoking pit—a somewhat dicey collection of old office chairs and plastic pool furniture outside the renovated parking garage that is our home.

Limbaugh's 'Barack the Magic Negro' Parody  —  John Amato reports that "stations around the country who carry the [Rush Limbaugh] show are having concerns expressed by listeners and even their own workers of color about" a Paul Shanklin parody song entitled "Barack the Magic Negro."

US Raids Capture AQI Terrorists, Iranian Weapons  —  A day after the Pentagon announced the capture of al-Qaeda mastermind Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, US forces in Iraq captured a number of AQI terrorists in a series of raids.  They also found and detonated a truck bomb and discovered a cache of Iranian arms south of Baghdad:

The Real Jimmy Carter  —  I have known Jimmy Carter for years.  I first met him in the spring of 1976 when, as a relatively unknown candidate for president, he sent me a handwritten letter asking for my help in his campaign on issues of crime and justice.  I had just published an article …