A Scandal-Scarred G.O.P. Asks, 'What Next?'  —  Scott Reed, a Republican strategist, was at a dinner in Philadelphia on Monday night when his cellphone and Internet pager began beeping like crazy.  Only later did he learn why.  His party was buzzing with news of a sex scandal involving a Republican United States senator — again.

Carlson claimed that after incident in a public bathroom, he assaulted the man who "bothered" him  —  On the August 28 edition of MSBNC Live, hosted by MSNBC general manager Dan Abrams, Tucker Carlson, host of MSNBC's Tucker, asserted, "Having sex in a public men's room is outrageous.

Iraq's Sadr orders halt to attacks on US-led troops  —  NAJAF, Iraq (AFP) - Radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his dreaded Shiite militia on Wednesday to stop attacks on US-led forces as part of a six-month suspension of the militant group's activities.

Soros-linked group hit with huge fine  —  The Federal Election Commission has fined one of the last cycle's biggest liberal political action committees $775,000 for using unregulated soft money to boost John Kerry and other Democratic candidates during the 2004 elections.

Former security guard Jewell dies  —  ATLANTA - Richard Jewell, the former security guard who was erroneously linked to the 1996 Olympic bombing, died Wednesday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.  —  Jewell, 44, was found dead in his west Georgia home, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said.

Fine unscrupulous mortgage lenders  —  T he implosion of the subprime lending industry is more than a temporary blip in our econ-omic progress.  It is a cancer that, given today's integrated financial markets, threatens to spread with devastating impact to housing and to our economy as a whole, unless we act to contain it.

WYOMING TO HEAD OF PACK, FOR NOW  —  From NBC's Domenico Montanaro  —  In another sign the presidential selection process may be headed for 2007, Wyoming Republicans voted to move their conventions to Jan. 5, leapfrogging Iowa and New Hampshire.  —  "We're first in the nation," …

Edwards: Americans should sacrifice their SUVs  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards told a labor group he would ask Americans to make a big sacrifice: their sport utility vehicles.  —  The former North Carolina senator told a forum …

Treat us fairly, Mr. President  —  Nobody wants to have to compete for disaster relief.  —  But that is what Louisianians have had to do in the two years since Hurricane Katrina struck.  —  Despite massive destruction caused by the failure of the federal government's levees during Katrina …

Democratic fundraiser is a fugitive in plain sight  —  California authorities have sought businessman Norman Hsu for 15 years.  Since 2004, he has carved out a place of honor raising cash for such candidates as Hillary Rodham Clinton.  —  WASHINGTON — For the last 15 years …

The Big Picture(s)  —  In the midst of the still-lingering controversy over the truthiness of The New Republic's "Baghdad Diarist," more than a few people suggested that war supporters, unable to discredit the real bad news coming from Iraq, targeted the Scott Thomas Beauchamp stories as a weak link.

When Condi went nuclear  —  Condoleezza Rice may be willing to compromise at a Middle East negotiating table - but not at a jewelry counter.  —  Coit Blacker, a Stanford professor who is one of the secretary of state's closest friends, recalls going into a shop where Rice asked to see earrings.

Census Shows a Modest Rise in U.S. Income  —  The nation's median household income grew modestly in 2006, the Census Bureau reported yesterday, even as the percentage of people without health insurance hit a high.  —  Experts said the rise in income was mainly a reflection of an increase …