Apparent suicide in anthrax case  —  Bruce E. Ivins, a scientist who helped the FBI investigate the 2001 mail attacks, was about to face charges.  —  A top government scientist who helped the FBI analyze samples from the 2001 anthrax attacks has died in Maryland from an apparent suicide …

Say What?  John McCain, Barack Obama, and the “Race Card”  —  We know that operatives in modern-day presidential campaigns are supposed to say things that everyone knows are ridiculous — and to do it with a straight face.  —  Still, there was something surreal, and offensive …

Can This Planet Be Saved?  —  Recently the Web site The Politico asked Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, why she was blocking attempts to tack offshore drilling amendments onto appropriations bills.  “I'm trying to save the planet; I'm trying to save the planet,” she replied.  —  I'm glad to hear it.

Pakistanis Aided Attack in Kabul, U.S. Officials Say  —  WASHINGTON — American intelligence agencies have concluded that members of Pakistan's powerful spy service helped plan the deadly July 7 bombing of India's embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to United States government officials.

Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win  —  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they'll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies — including Wal-Mart.

Too Fit to Be President?  —  Facing an Overweight Electorate, Barack Obama Might Find Low Body Fat a Drawback  —  Speaking to donors at a San Diego fund-raiser last month, Barack Obama reassured the crowd that he wouldn't give in to Republican tactics to throw his candidacy off track.

Jobless Rate Climbs to 5.7% as 51,000 Jobs Lost in July  —  The nation's employers eliminated 51,000 jobs in July, the seventh consecutive contraction in the labor market, as the unemployment rate reached a four-year high, signs that the pressure on business owners and consumers is likely to continue.

The Curious Mind of John McCain  —  Ambition and Emotion Color the Complex Intellect of the Candidate  —  In his 2002 book, “Worth the Fighting For,” John McCain offered this confession — an acknowledgment of a restless mind: “Although I seem to tolerate introspection better the older I am …

Obama Clark  —  I was disheartened when the village succeeded in chasing Wes Clark out of the campaign.  He's a good guy who brings a necessary combination of military credibility and progressive values into the political arena at a time when we have a chance to change the prevailing paradigm …

G.M. Loses $15.5 Billion in Quarter  —  DETROIT — The General Motors Corporation reported a stunning second-quarter loss of $15.5 billion on Friday because of a dramatic decline in United States sales and charges for job cuts, plant closings and the falling value of trucks and sport utility vehicles.

The Great White Hope  —  The media's moment of disillusionment with John McCain appears to be at hand.  Even Joe Klein has finally noticed that McCain's profile is beginning to resemble the endomorphic shadow of his backstage advisor, Karl Rove, not one of the faces on Mt. Rushmore.

NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified water in a soil sample.  The lander's robotic arm delivered the sample Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the heating of samples.

Run against the GOP, Cole tells hopefuls  —  Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told GOP congressional hopefuls on Thursday that they should not be afraid to criticize both political parties - including Republican members of the House.  —  During a conference call, the National Republican Congressional …

Election 2008: Kentucky Presidential Election  —  Kentucky: McCain Leads 49% to 39%, But Gap Is Narrowing  —  John McCain still holds a double-digit - but narrowing - lead over Barack Obama in Kentucky, a state that went overwhelmingly for President Bush in 2004, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state.