Miller holds slim lead in early Senate vote  —  Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was battling for her political life against Republican challenger Joe Miller in early primary election returns on Tuesday night.  —  Miller was leading Murkowski with nearly 52 percent of the vote to her 48 percent …

Scott upset ripples beyond Florida  —  HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Millionaire businessman Rick Scott's surprise win in the Florida Republican gubernatorial primary Tuesday left both parties scrambling over how to cope with a candidate who possesses both glaring flaws and considerable assets.

Sales of U.S. New Homes Dropped to Record Low in July  —  Sales of U.S. new homes unexpectedly dropped in July to the lowest level on record, signaling that even with cheaper prices and reduced borrowing costs the housing market is retreating.  —  Purchases fell 12 percent from June …

Kendrick Meek, Marco Rubio, Charlie Crist to face off for Senate  —  Overlooked and underestimated on the campaign trail for nearly two years, Miami Congressman Kendrick Meek on Tuesday easily beat back a profligate challenge from real estate mogul Jeff Greene to run away with the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

Alan Simpson: Social Security Is ‘A Milk Cow With 310 Million Tits’  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Alan Simpson believes that Social Security is “like a milk cow with 310 million tits,” according to an email he sent to the executive director of National Older Women's League Tuesday morning.

U.S. Rejected Hen Vaccine Despite British Success  —  Faced with a crisis more than a decade ago in which thousands of people were sickened from salmonella in infected eggs, farmers in Britain began vaccinating their hens against the bacteria.  That simple but decisive step virtually wiped out the health threat.

Economy Caught in Depression, Not Recession: Rosenberg  —  Positive gross domestic product readings and other mildly hopeful signs are masking an ugly truth: The US economy is in a 1930s-style Depression, Gluskin Sheff economist David Rosenberg said Tuesday.

Islamophobia?  Not really  —  The supposed anti-Muslim backlash among Americans is mostly a myth.  —  ByJonah Goldberg  —  Here's a thought: The 70% of Americans who oppose what amounts to an Islamic Niketown two blocks from ground zero are the real victims of a climate of hate, and anti-Muslim backlash is mostly a myth.

Andrea Mitchell Lectures U.S. on Ground Zero Mosque: America Needs to Be ‘More Sensitive to Minority Communities’  —  Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday fretted that the “angry voices” protesting against the Ground Zero mosque will hurt Barack Obama's attempts to reach out to the Muslim world.

Schoolgirls and teachers sick from poison gas in Afghanistan  —  Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — Dozens of schoolgirls and teachers were sickened Wednesday by poison gas in Afghanistan, medical and government officials said.  —  The latest incident, this one at a high school …

US general: Afghan deadline ‘giving enemy sustenance’  —  General James Conway said troops in southern Afghanistan were likely to have to remain for a few years  —  A senior US general has warned President Barack Obama's deadline to begin pulling troops out of Afghanistan is encouraging the Taliban.

Job Losses Over Drilling Ban Fail to Materialize  —  WASHINGTON — When the Obama administration called a halt to virtually all deepwater drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon blowout and fire in April, oil executives, economists and local officials complained …

Facebook deletes alleged North Korean accounts  —  Facebook took official precautions against two accounts thought to be maintained by the North Korean government but later discovered be run by regime supporters in China and Japan.  —  “If a person poses as a person or entity …

Bloomberg Launches Another Impassioned Defense Of Cordoba House  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  In a rousing address before a predominantly Muslim audience Tuesday night, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reaffirmed his commitment to the controversial Islamic cultural center near the former site of the World Trade Center.

Obama makes cash appeal for House Dems  —  After gripes from some House Democrats that he wasn't doing enough to support them on the stump, President Obama sent a fundraising appeal on their behalf Wednesday, saying his “Democratic partners” on the Hill have made progress toward economic recovery possible.

Ugly report on existing home sales is latest setback for Democrats  —  Democrats are finding little success in their nearly two-year campaign to ease the nation's housing woes.  —  Since coming into office, President Obama has undertaken a series of policy initiatives intended to stabilize home prices …

Durable Goods Orders Rise Less Than Forecast in U.S.  —  Orders for U.S. durable goods increased less than forecast in July, a sign that one of the few remaining bright spots in the economy is cooling.  —  Bookings increased .3 percent, compared with the 3 percent median estimate …