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 …

Michigan added to list of states facing salmonella-related egg recall  —  No further egg recalls are expected.  The Egg Safety Center has a complete list of recalled eggs, their expiration dates, and brands.  Here are safety tips and a list of affected states.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

Alvin Greene Kicked out of S.C. Restaurant  —  Democratic Senate Candidate Showed up at Party Meeting Uninvited, Cops Say, Prompting Officials to Call Police  —  (AP) Longshot U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene was kicked out of a South Carolina restaurant after police say a woman accompanying …

Obama assist crashes Jerry Brown's website [Updated]  —  An appeal by President Obama to his supporters seeking help for Jerry Brown's candidacy would seem like a godsend for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee.  —  But within minutes of Obama's e-mail, so many people clicked the link that Brown's website crashed.

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 …

McCain defeats conservative primary challenger  —  PHOENIX — Sen. John McCain routed conservative challenger J.D. Hayworth on Tuesday in the Republican primary in what could be the final campaign for the former GOP presidential nominee.  —  McCain spent more than $20 million to beat …