Middle East Volcano  —  On Sept. 6, something important happened in northern Syria.  Problem is, no one knows exactly what.  Except for those few who were involved, and they're not saying.  —  We do know that Israel carried out an airstrike.  How do we know it was important?

How George Bush became the new Saddam  —  COVER STORY: Its strategies shattered, a desperate Washington is reaching out to the late dictator's henchmen.  —  It was embarrassing putting my flak jacket on backwards and sideways, but in the darkness of the Baghdad airport car park I couldn't see anything.

Hillary's health plan estimates too low, analysts say  —  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's universal health care plan will cost more than she says and effectively put the federal government in charge of administering private medical insurance, top think tank analysts said yesterday.

Hillary Clinton: I'm not a lesbian  —  Hillary Clinton officially declared she's not a lesbian - not that there's anything wrong with that.  —  During an interview with The Advocate to be published next week, Sean Kennedy, the gay magazine's news and features editor, asked the presidential candidate …

Student Groups Question Bollinger on Ahmadinejad  —  Nearly 50 student leaders and a dozen administrators sat down with University President Lee Bollinger for an hour on Thursday for a passionate yet civil discussion to air concerns about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's scheduled speech on campus on Monday.

Do Not Call listings to expire in 2008  —  WASHINGTON - The cherished dinner hour void of telemarketers could vanish next year for millions of people when phone numbers begin dropping off the national Do Not Call list.  —  The Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the list, says there is a simple fix.

The Wages of Obstruction  —  Via Chris Bowers this curious Gallup poll result on rising congressional approval — a phenomenon driven almost entirely by Republicans.  The partisan breakout on congressional approval here is crucial to understanding the low ratings the congress gets.

Bush inartfully suggests Saddam killed Mandela.  —  In a press conference this morning, President Bush tried to assert that Saddam's brutal rule over Iraq wiped the country clean of potential democratic reformers — individuals who may have possessed leadership skills like former South African President Nelson Mandela.

Is This the Wile E. Coyote Moment?  —  Lots of buzz suddenly about the possibility of a sharp fall in the dollar.  The Canadian dollar is back at parity with the greenback; there are rumors that the Saudis are planning to diversify into euros, and maybe even that the Chinese might break the dollar peg.

Hsocking Hsu Secrets Revealed!  —  If there's one thing that can be said about Clinton financial scandals, it's that they tend to be complex.  And thus far, the Norman Hsu debacle is living up to the archetype.  —  This rabbit hole is proving to be a fair bit deeper than anyone might've guessed and we're about to plumb its depths.

Senate Approves Resolution Denouncing MoveOn.org Ad  —  The Senate approved a resolution on Thursday denouncing the liberal antiwar group MoveOn.org over an advertisement that questioned the credibility of Gen. David H. Petraeus, the American commander in Iraq.

81 killed in Afghan fighting, airstrikes  —  KABUL, Afghanistan - Heavy battles punctuated by airstrikes killed 75 suspected Taliban and at least six civilians in Afghanistan's south, while a U.S. official on Friday accused Iran of supplying roadside bomb components to militants to get American soldiers "out of the region."

Protesters give McCain his best line at NRA gathering  —  Anti-war protesters barged into a speech Sen. John McCain was giving at the Capital Hilton this morning, but the interruption ended up giving McCain the high moment of his address to the National Rifle Association.

New Democrats  —  With the curtains finally closing on the limited engagement of Waiting for Petraeus, and Republicans feeling emboldened by the diversion his testimony created (and the cover it gave them for continuing to "stay the course"), Democrats in Congress are searching once again for a strategy on Iraq.