Dems end week with another Iraq failure  —  The Senate will adjourn for the weekend after a long week of tense debate over Iraq in which Democrats failed to move the ball and Republicans decided to stick with the White House in backing an unpopular war.  —  Yet another Democratic amendment …

Mandela still alive after embarrassing Bush remark  —  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela is still very much alive despite an embarrassing gaffe by U.S. President George W. Bush, who alluded to the former South African leader's death in an attempt to explain sectarian violence in Iraq.

2 arrested in noose incident near Jena  —  ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana (CNN) — Authorities in Alexandria, Louisiana, arrested two people after nooses were seen hanging from the back of a red pickup Thursday night, the city's mayor told CNN.  —  Alexandria is less than an hour away from Jena …

Protesters give McCain best line at NRA gathering  —  McCain: "We beat you yesterday.... We'll beat you today . . . And we'll beat you tomorrow!"  File photo by Chuck Kennedy, McClatcthy/Tribune  —  by Christi Parsons  —  Anti-war protesters barged into a speech Sen. John McCain was giving …

O'Reilly surprised "there was no difference" between Harlem restaurant and other New York restaurants … During the September 19 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, discussing his recent trip to have dinner with Rev. Al Sharpton at Sylvia's, a famous restaurant in Harlem …

George Bush the Texan is 'scared of horses'  —  President Bush may like to be seen as a swaggering tough guy with a penchant for manly outdoor pursuits, but in a new book one of his closest allies has said he is afraid of horses.  —  Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico …

BOOK: CASTRO'S SON SAYS DAD DYING; BUT CUBAN LEADER DETERMINED TO OUTLIVE BUSH PRESIDENCY  —  The highly anticipated book on Fidel Castro from one of the preeminent authorities on Cuban and Miami politics and CBS' correspondent on Castro, Ann Louise Bardach, WITHOUT FIDEL …

Boycott Ahmadinejad  —  Let the Iranian president (and the Columbia president) speak to a sea of empty seats.  —  A COLUMBIA STUDENT asked how he could effectively protest his university's invitation to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak Monday.

MIT Student Arrested For Fake Bomb At Logan  —  Police Say Simpson Had Circuit Board, Wiring, and Play-Doh  —  Blog Chatter: See what people are saying about this story  —  (WBZ) BOSTON An MIT student with a fake bomb strapped to her chest was arrested at gunpoint Friday at Logan International Airport …

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 …

A Beloved Professor Delivers The Lecture of a Lifetime  —  Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer-science professor, was about to give a lecture Tuesday afternoon, but before he said a word, he received a standing ovation from 400 students and colleagues.  —  He motioned to them to sit down.

NRCC chair threatens to resign  —  House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is trying to force out the top two staffers of the National Republican Campaign Committee — leading to a threat of resignation from the NRCC by Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) if it happens, said GOP insiders.

Anti-War YouTube 'Vet' Admits He Is Faker  —  Brian Ross and Vic Walter Report:  —  A Washington man, whose claims to have slaughtered civilians as a U.S. Army Ranger in Iraq were seen by millions on YouTube, admitted in federal court in Seattle today that he was a fake and a liar.

Largest crib recall in history  —  Following a Tribune investigation of a crib linked to the deaths of at least three children, federal regulators have recalled 1 million cribs.  —  The recall announced Friday includes this defective Aspen 3 in 1 crib that killed baby Liam Johns in Citrus Heights …

That MoveOn Ad  —  I completely agree with the dread DC Establishment that calling General Petraeus "General Betrayus" was dumb.  That said, I'm staggered by the amount of emphasis that people inside this town are placing on this.  One virtue of having moved to the Beltway is that I can tell you …

Breaking news (and SL&P exclusive?): federal Judge Paul Cassell resigning!  —  Though I am not sure whether to be sad or excited, I am intrigued to be able to break the news that that affirms Sentencing Hall of Famer District Judge Paul Cassell today has submitted to President George Bush his …