Altered mural fuels racial debate in Prescott  —  A group of artists has been asked to lighten the faces of children depicted in a giant public mural at a Prescott school.  —  The project's leader says he was ordered to lighten the skin tone after complaints about the children's ethnicity.

Obama Knew the Spill Was Hopeless  —  Blogs and Stories  —  As the president visits the Gulf anew, Richard Wolffe reports that he was first briefed in April on how bad the spill would be.  Plus: the real reason the White House is so mad at Carville—and why Obama would rather talk about the economy.

Helen Thomas: Go home to Europe, Jews  —  Tony Snow once accused her of stating “the Hezbollah view” in her questions during the Israel/Lebanon war.  Little did he know how right he was.  Or maybe he did know: Watching this, it occurred to me that an 89-year-old reporter who's moved …

Flotilla passengers: Go back to Auschwitz  —  Audio: IDF soldiers warn flotilla vessels they are nearing area under naval blockade, latter respond with anti-Semitic slurs  —  The IDF released on Friday an audio reproduction of the moments before Monday's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Liz Cheney attacks Obama for saying flotilla deaths were “tragic”  —  It's not surprising that Liz Cheney is now faulting Obama's handling of the Israeli raid on the flotilla.  What is noteworthy is how she's doing it: She's faulting the President for describing the loss of life as “tragic.”

Die In A Fire, You Vicious Racist Scumbag  —  I didn't address State Sen. Jake Knotts' “raghead” comments earlier, because I had little to say to the refuted man, save for some rather colorful words.  Today, he proved himself even more odious than even first thought.  Via Hot Air (emphasis theirs):

‘Rachel Corrie’ boarded, no one hurt.  —  Reported on Twitter at about 5:50 am.  Three navy boats involved.  Passengers under arrest.  Reports awaiting confirmation.  —  Talkbacks (11)  —  Make JPOST.COM your Home Page  —  Iranian Threat  —  Jewish World  —  Local Israel  —  Arts & Culture

BP Funneling Some of Leak to the Surface  —  HOUSTON — BP and government officials said Friday that a cap installed over a gushing well in the Gulf of Mexico was funneling some oil and gas to the surface, but they cautioned that much was still leaking and that it would be days before they could declare …

BP hives off ‘toxic’ oil spill operation  —  Chief executive Tony Hayward hands responsibility for clean-up to American as new containment cap is placed on top of leak  —  BP is to hive off its Gulf of Mexico oil spill operation to a separate in-house business to be run by an American …

Glimpses of Kagan's Views in Clinton White House  —  WASHINGTON — A new cache of documents from Elena Kagan's days as an adviser to President Bill Clinton shows that she frequently scribbled notes in the margins of memorandums yet rarely expressed forceful views.

State parole board votes to release 1973 cop killer  —  A state parole board has voted to release a cop-killing kidnapper involved in a 47-hour hostage standoff in Brooklyn in 1973, officials said today.  —  Shuaib Raheem was initially granted parole three years ago in a decision …

Palin Backs Branstad - Vander Plaats Supporters Howl  —  In a surprise move just days before Iowa Republicans go to the poll to nominate a gubernatorial candidate, Sarah Palin decided to weigh in and endorsed former Governor Terry Branstad yesterday.  —  Her endorsement caught many off guard, including Branstad himself.

Predator B drones deployed on Texas-Mexico border  —  Predator B aerial drones, which have proved successful fighting insurgents in Afghanistan, were deployed this week along the border between Texas and Mexico.  —  U.S. Customs and Border Protection began flying unmanned surveillance missions along …

If Egypt were to accept Gaza refugees...  If Egypt were to accept Gaza refugees, how would that work out for both in short and medium time frames?  Suppose the US were to favor an open pipeline into Gaza; can Egypt do that, given Israeli ability to cordon the S. Gaza border closed again.