Mr. Rove Gets Out of Town  —  Karl Rove, the architect of so much that has gone so wrong with the Bush administration, announced yesterday that he is leaving the White House to spend more time with his family.  What he didn't say is that by getting out of town he is also hoping to avoid spending …

Hamas fighters beat protesters after demo ban  —  GAZA CITY (AFP) - Baton-wielding Hamas fighters beat their political rivals in the Gaza Strip on Monday as they tried to prevent them from holding a protest after the Islamists banned unauthorised public gatherings.

Random Rummy August Sighting  —  Starting a war must really wear a guy down.  —  Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was spotted today having lunch at Morton's on Connecticut Ave.  What was remarkable was not what he ordered, or with whom he dined, or how quintessentially condescending he may have been to the waiter.

The religious state of Islamic science  —  In October, Malaysia's first astronaut will join a Russian crew and blast off into space.  The news of a Muslim astronaut was cause for celebration in the Islamic world, but then certain questions started popping up.

FOOLISH MYTHS ABOUT AL-QAIDA IN MESOPOTAMIA.  —  Over the past few months, I have been debating Roman Catholics who differ from their Eastern Orthodox brethren on the nature of the Trinity, Protestants who are willing to quarrel bitterly with one another about election and predestination …

Getting Shadi's Back  —  This absurd post from Atrios attacking my colleague Shadi is a good example of exactly what is wrong with some elements of the anti-war left - an inability and unwillingness to even consider the arguments of their opponents.  —  For example, I was a fierce critic of the war in Iraq.

US Gov't broke Padilla through intense isolation, say experts  —  Despite warnings, officials used 43 months of severe isolation to force Jose Padilla to tell all he knew about Al Qaeda. … MIAMI - When suspected Al Qaeda operative Jose Padilla was whisked from the criminal justice system …

5 Reporters Ordered to Testify About Government Sources  —  Five reporters must testify about their law enforcement sources in a former Army scientist's lawsuit against the Justice Department, a federal judge in Washington ruled yesterday.  —  The suit, filed by Steven J. Hatfill …

Roundtable Discussion with Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President  —  Q Some people have said — some of the political analysts have already said that this spells the end of — marks the end of President Bush's political life.  What do you think?  —  MR. ROVE: Absolutely not.

Clinton: Strong, yes; likeable, maybe  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Democrats consider New York Sen. Hillary Clinton the most electable candidate in the presidential field, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll out Monday afternoon.  —  Democratic voters polled in the new survey …

Katrina aid goes toward luxury condos  —  TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — With large swaths of the Gulf Coast still in ruins from Hurricane Katrina, rich federal tax breaks designed to spur rebuilding are flowing hundreds of miles inland to investors who are buying up luxury condos near the University of Alabama's football stadium.

Learn from the fall of Rome, US warned  —  The US government is on a 'burning platform' of unsustainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon, the country's top government inspector has warned.

Late Nite FDL: Lies, Damned Lies, and Michael O'Hanlon  —  I've been waiting for what seems like ages for Glenn Greenwald to publish the column detailing the results of his interview with feted "war critic" turned Iraq War cheerleader Michael O'Hanlon, and boy howdy, it doesn't disappoint.