Do We Really Need a National Weather Service?  —  As Hurricane Irene bears down on the East Coast, news stations bombard our televisions with constant updates from the National Hurricane Center.  —  While Americans ought to prepare for the coming storm, federal dollars need not subsidize their preparations.

Why won't America embrace the left?  —  In two centuries, the movement's history in America is plagued by failure.  An expert explains why  —  What has the left really accomplished over the past two centuries?  FDR's New Deal remains one of the great American success stories.

Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, Qaeda No. 2, Is Said to Be Dead  —  WASHINGTON — A drone operated by the C.I.A. killed Al Qaeda's second-ranking operative in the mountains of Pakistan this month, an American official said Saturday, further weakening a terrorism network shaken by the killing of Osama bin Laden this year.

BREAKING: Perry Says He Hasn't ‘Backed Off Anything’ In His Book, Still Thinks Social Security Is Unconstitutional  —  ThinkProgress filed this report from Des Moines, IA.  —  During a campaign stop in Des Moines, Iowa today, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) reaffirmed all the views expressed in his book Fed Up! …

Cheney book: Bush authorized leak on Iraq  —  Dick Cheney writes in his forthcoming book, “In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir,” that he was surprised to learn that President George W. Bush had personally authorized a leak about Iraq strategy to a Washington Post columnist …

Islamists hold anti-Israel march in Berlin  —  Al-Quds Day march led by Iranian clerics, radical Jews; Israel fans rally nearby  —  Muslim hatred in heart of Europe: More than 1,000 Muslims marched Saturday in Berlin and chanted anti-Israel slogans to mark al-Quds Day, set by Iran following the Islamist revolution in the country.

Obama's Enablers  —  Meet the mainstream media.  —  As a rule, the press is the scourge of presidents.  They're expected to endure unending scrutiny, mistrust, and badgering—plus hostility if they're Republicans—by a hectoring herd of reporters and commentators in the mainstream media.

A Poll Tax by Another Name  —  Correction Appended  —  AS we celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, we reflect on the life and legacy of this great man.  But recent legislation on voting reminds us that there is still work to do.  Since January, a majority of state legislatures …