Lebanon's 'real' soldiers are put in their place  —  TODAY was supposed to be the day when the muchmaligned army of Lebanon took control of its borders and policed the UN ceasefire.  —  Instead, its military commanders were left humiliated and its troops stranded as Hezbollah told them not to try to disarm its fighters.

Yes, the problem is 'Islamic fascism'  —  It took President George W. Bush to tell the truth to Britain about the massive plot to blow US-bound airliners out of the sky.  In his first comment on the apparently foiled attempt to explode airliners flying from Britain to the US, Bush put it simply …

Which Travelers Have 'Hostile Intent'?  Biometric Device May Have the Answer  —  At airport security checkpoints in Knoxville, Tenn. this summer, scores of departing passengers were chosen to step behind a curtain, sit in a metallic oval booth and don headphones.

Dean Defends Lamont, Slams Lieberman  —  Today on NBC's Meet the Press, David Gregory asked DNC Chairman Howard Dean, about his support for Ned Lamont vs. Joe Lieberman.  —  MR. GREGORY: Let me ask you about the big political news of the week, that of course related to Senator Joe Lieberman.

Poll: Americans Back Air Restrictions  —  CBS Survey: 75% Say Ban On Liquids And Gels Is Necessary  —  (CBS) Americans are signaling strong support for air travel restrictions in the wake of last week's foiled terror plot in Britain, a CBS News poll finds.

NYT: As weeks wore on, Bush Administration began to doubt Israel could win an outright military victory in Lebanon  —  As the weeks "wore on," the Bush Administration began to doubt that Israel could win an outright military victory in Lebanon, according to an early version of an article published in Monday's New York Times.

Crist likely to coast onto ballot, poll shows … Jim Davis is opening up a lead in the still unpredictable Democratic gubernatorial primary, while on the Republican side Charlie Crist barely looks like he's in a race, a new St. Petersburg Times poll finds.  —  Strong home-base support …

For GOP, Bad Gets Worse in Northeast  —  Incumbents Shy From Party and President  —  PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. — When it comes to President Bush and the Republican Congress, Rep. Jim Gerlach says voters in his suburban Philadelphia district are in a "sour mood."  —  That's why when it comes …

All missing Egyptian students in custody  —  WASHINGTON - The last two of the 11 Egyptian exchange students who failed to show up at their college program were apprehended Sunday in Richmond, Va., customs officials said.  —  Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Mohamed Saleh Ahmed Maray …

Passport photograph of girl's bare shoulders rejected 'as it may offend'  —  A five-year-old girl's passport application was rejected because her photograph showed her bare shoulders.  —  Hannah Edwards's mother, Jane, was told that the exposed skin might be considered offensive in a Muslim country.

The case for neglecting global warming  —  In the July 30 edition of The New York Times, Gina Kolata reports on recent research findings on the health of modern citizens of industrialized countries.  You might expect that this research reveals us denizens of early 21st-century capitalist economies …

Part 1: The kidnapping  —  An interview with an Iraqi politician turns deadly.  —  My chief captor had an idea about how to prod the US government into action: another video.  —  He said this one would be different, and left.  —  I turned to the two guards sitting on cushions a few feet away and started to panic.

Son of novelist, activist David Grossman killed in Lebanon  —  Staff Sgt. Uri Grossman, 20, the son of renowned novelist and peace activist David Grossman was killed Saturday in Lebanon, just days after his father made a public call for the government to halt its military operation and enter negotiations.

Iranian Censors Clamp Down on Bloggers  —  Categories: Global / world / Middle East / economy, business and finance / religion and belief / Islamic politics, banking and law / islam / online media / media / punishment / crime, law and justice / law and the judiciary (system of justice) …

'The voter registration you currently hold...may be cancelled'  —  Remember a few weeks ago when my ex-boss and political list kingpin Mark Grebner (D) called attention to the massive statewide mailing Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land's (R) office sent out to all registered voters.

Gender Gap Worries Educators  —  Girls Outperform Boys In Reading, Writing  —  While black, Hispanic and low-income children again lagged far behind others on statewide mastery test scores, another group of students also remained mired in a chronic - though often less noticed - achievement gap.

The View From the Top  —  A former Bush adviser on 9/11, Iraq and the lessons of five tumultuous years-for the president and the public.  —  Five Washington Augusts ago, for me, is not just a different time; it is a distant country.  At the White House, we debated the nuances of stem-cell research.

Conflict of Interest or Legitimate Punditry?  You Decide.  —  A Loop Fan writes: "Please explain to your readers how a government official who is paid by hard-earned taxpayer dollars is allowed to moonlight as a Republican mouthpiece on television."  —  The anonymous inquiry included a photo …