Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol  —  Silicon Valley is experimenting with bacteria that have been genetically altered to provide ‘renewable petroleum’  —  “Ten years ago I could never have imagined I'd be doing this,” says Greg Pal, 33, a former software executive …

Many historians see little chance for McCain  —  One week into the general election, the polls show a dead heat.  But many presidential scholars doubt that John McCain stands much of a chance, if any.  —  Historians belonging to both parties offered a litany of historical comparisons that give little hope to the Republican.

Lost city of ... Iowa  —  The streets in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - all 400 blocks of them - were filled with floodwaters and other strange sights: floating Dumpsters and utility poles and sandbags piled in vain.  —  The cresting Cedar River wreaked widespread havoc Friday on Iowa's second-largest city …

Get Osama Bin Laden before I leave office, orders George W Bush  —  President George W Bush has enlisted British special forces in a final attempt to capture Osama Bin Laden before he leaves the White House.  —  Defence and intelligence sources in Washington and London confirmed that a renewed hunt …

Angry Clinton Women ♥ McCain?  —  TEN years ago John McCain had to apologize for regaling a Republican audience with a crude sexual joke about Hillary and Chelsea Clinton and Janet Reno.  Last year he had to explain why he didn't so much as flinch when a supporter asked him on camera, “How do we beat the bitch?”

Powerful Iraqi Cleric Recalibrates Strategy  —  The movement of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said Saturday that it would not take part in provincial elections this year, one day after it formed a new paramilitary group to fight U.S. troops.  —  The back-to-back moves suggested …

McCain doesn't pick up on Michelle Obama joke  —  So a man finally got a question into McCain and he had a very different sort of question.  —  The questioner noted that he had been educated at Princeton and Harvard and made more than $300,000 a year.  —  “How can I be proud of my country?” he asked.

Late Night: The Politics of Cynicism  —  Something Matt Taibbi said in the comments to the terrific Book Salon below got me thinking about the role of cynicism in American politics: … If the last eight years haven't made you cynical, well, you probably need lots of help overcoming your drinking problem.

A Year Reshapes Hamas and Gaza  —  GAZA — Cursing God in public here — a fairly common event in this benighted and besieged strip of Palestinian land — can now lead to prison.  So can kissing in public.  A judge ruled last week that a bank could not collect its contracted interest …

Warner takes self out of VP mix  —  HAMPTON, Va. (AP) — Former Gov. Mark R. Warner on Saturday removed himself from consideration as a vice presidential running mate for Democrat Barack Obama.  —  Warner clarified his intentions for the first time as he accepted the Virginia Democratic …

Gallup Daily: Obama 45%, McCain 42%  —  Obama's lead stays at the three-point level  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama maintains a three percentage point advantage over John McCain in national registered voter preferences for the general election, with a 45% to 42% edge in Gallup Poll Daily …

In Illinois, Clues to Obama's Electability  —  CHESTER, Ill. — The rookie state senator from Chicago had driven 340 miles to explore southern Illinois, but Barb Brown could muster only 20 Democrats in this small town on the Mississippi River to have breakfast with him.