Krugman's detour on ‘Roadmap’ to solvency  —  Despite watching European welfare states collapse under the weight of their own debt, those running Washington are leading us down precisely the same path.  With the debt surpassing $13 trillion, we can no longer avoid having a serious discussion …

How to Lose an Election Without Really Trying  —  COULD George W. Bush be a kind of Gipper-in-reverse and win yet one more for the Democrats?  Clearly this White House sees him as the gift that will keep on giving.  The 2010 campaign against the Bush administration is in full cry, with President Obama leading the charge.

Feliz Cumpleaños, and Adiós  —  Her critics used to paint her as a scary Marxist.  Now they cast her as a spoiled princess.  —  During the campaign, she was caricatured on the cover of The New Yorker as a fist-bumping, gun-toting Black Panther.

Further thoughts on the higher education bubble  —  Back at the beginning of the summer, I had a column in this space in which I predicted that higher education is in a bubble, one soon to burst with considerable consequences for students, faculty, employers, and society at large.

A Muslim victim of 9/11: ‘Build your mosque somewhere else’  —  I have no grave site to visit, no place to bring my mother her favorite yellow flowers, no spot where I can hold my weary heart close to her.  All I have is Ground Zero.  —  I watched as terrorists slammed United Flight 175 …

Mexico drug cartels thrive despite Calderon's offensive  —  Nearly four years after President Felipe Calderon launched a military-led crackdown, the cartels are smuggling more narcotics into the U.S., amassing bigger fortunes and extending dominion at home.  —  Three federal police agents …

Battles Around Nation Over Proposed Mosques  —  While a high-profile battle rages over a mosque near ground zero in Manhattan, heated confrontations have also broken out in communities across the country where mosques are proposed for far less hallowed locations.

8 Westerners on Medical Team Killed in Afghanistan  —  An international Christian charity said Saturday that militants killed part of its 12-member medical team, including six Americans, one German, one Briton and two Afghan interpreters, in a remote area of northern Afghanistan.

In Atlanta, a two-faced NOM: songs of unity while trashing same-sex families  —  We arrived here in Atlanta curious about what direction NOM would go today.  Our arrival came on the heels of NOM refusing to allow us or openly affectionate same-sex couples into their rally in St. Louis …

A mosque that wrecks bridges  —  Urban planning votes do not usually garner widespread attention in the US.  But this week, when New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission okayed the demolition of a 19th-century coat factory on Park Place, the story made front pages.

UC.world  —  It's often hard to predict the future.  But not always.  For example, I'm certain that in 2050, barring global catastrophe, there will be a place called “the University of California, Berkeley” where exceptionally bright student will come to live and study.