Top Items:
David Willman / Los Angeles Times:
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 …
Discussion:
Think Progress, CBS News, Gothamist, Emptywheel, Hot Air, Shakesville and Reason Magazine
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Vital unresolved anthrax questions and ABC News — (updated below) — The FBI's lead suspect in the September, 2001 anthrax attacks — Bruce E. Ivins — died Tuesday night, apparently by suicide, just as the Justice Department was about to charge him with responsibility for the attacks.
David Willman / Los Angeles Times:
Anthrax suspect dies in apparent suicide — The Justice Department was preparing to file criminal charges against Bruce E. Ivins in the anthrax mailing assaults of 2001 that killed five. — One of the nation's top biodefense researchers has died in Maryland from an apparent suicide …
Washington Post:
Race Moves to Center Stage — McCain Campaign Accuses Obama of Exploiting the Issue — Sen. John McCain's campaign accused Sen. Barack Obama of playing the “race card” on Thursday, a day after the Democrat said his opponent and other Republicans would try to scare voters by pointing to Obama's …
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The Board:
Say What? John McCain, Barack Obama, and the “Race Card”
Say What? John McCain, Barack Obama, and the “Race Card”
Discussion:
Jonathan Martin's Blogs, TownHall Blog, Casting Stones, The Politico, Betsy's Page, American Spectator, Electoral-vote.com, Sister Toldjah, Angry Bear, The Democratic Daily, Connecting.the.Dots, www.redstate.com, AMERICAblog News, Real Clear Politics, The Reaction, Talking Points Memo, Media Blog, Hot Air, Patterico's Pontifications, Political Punch, NewsBusters.org and www.redstate.com
Wall Street Journal:
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.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The G Spot, Wake up America, The Carpetbagger Report, DownWithTyranny!, MSNBC, TIME.com and On Deadline
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
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.
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Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Joblessness rises: 463,000 jobs lost in '08
Joblessness rises: 463,000 jobs lost in '08
Discussion:
Jonathan Martin's Blogs
New York Times:
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.
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Joby Warrick / Washington Post:
U.S. Officials: Pakistani Agents Helped Plan Kabul Bombing
U.S. Officials: Pakistani Agents Helped Plan Kabul Bombing
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
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.
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Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Pelosi: Save the Planet, Let Someone Else Drill
Pelosi: Save the Planet, Let Someone Else Drill
Discussion:
RealClearPolitics
Robert G. Kaiser / Washington Post:
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 …
Amy Chozick / Wall Street Journal:
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.
Matthew Yglesias:
Good Advice — As sometimes happens when I read Marc Ambinder's blog, today I'm puzzled by the mentality of the campaign reporter: … Here's my understanding of the sequence of events. Gas prices are on the rise. Consumers are feeling pain, harm is being done to the economy.
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Mattathias Schwartz / New York Times:
Malwebolence — One afternoon in the spring of 2006, for reasons unknown to those who knew him, Mitchell Henderson, a seventh grader from Rochester, Minn., took a .22-caliber rifle down from a shelf in his parents' bedroom closet and shot himself in the head.
Jackie Kucinich / The Hill:
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 …
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Obama's ‘emergency’ economic plan — Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Friday announced an “Emergency Economic Plan” that would give families a stimulus check of $1,000 each, funded in part by what his presidential campaign calls “windfall profits from Big Oil.” — Details are in this six-page policy paper.
Discussion:
TIME.com
J. Freedom du Lac / Washington Post:
Rappers' Shout-Outs Make Obama Skip a Beat — In the arsenal of the culture wars, rap music remains somewhat radioactive — and Barack Obama now finds himself exposed. — Avowed Obama supporter Ludacris on Wednesday released a freewheeling song called “Politics” in which he repeatedly praised …
Discussion:
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Digby / Hullabaloo:
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 …
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Billmon / Daily Kos:
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.
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Joe Klein / Swampland:
Hope Dashed (Again)
Hope Dashed (Again)
Discussion:
TPM Election Central, RADAMISTO, Time, Real Clear Politics, Brilliant at Breakfast, Liberal Values and The Moderate Voice