Muslims Assail Pope's Remarks on Islam  —  Turkey's ruling Islamic-rooted party joined a wave of criticism of Pope Benedict XVI on Friday, accusing him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades with remarks he made about Islam.  Muslim leaders in the Middle East expressed dismay …

Rebuff for Bush on Terror Trials in a Senate Test  —  The Senate Armed Services Committee defied President Bush on Thursday, with four Republicans joining Democrats in approving a plan for the trial and interrogation of terrorism suspects that the White House has rejected as unacceptable.

Ohio Rep. Ney expected to plead guilty  —  WASHINGTON - Abandoning months of defiant denials, Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record) intends to admit guilt in the congressional corruption probe spawned by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to Republican officials.

The Tehran Calculus  —  In his televised Sept. 11 address, President Bush said that we must not "leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons."  There's only one such current candidate: Iran.

Ritter tops in poll  —  Democrat holds 17-point lead over Beauprez for guv  —  Democrat Bill Ritter has a remarkable 17-point lead over Republican Congressman Bob Beauprez in the race for Colorado governor, according to a Rocky Mountain News/ CBS 4 poll of likely voters.

Private Health Insurance Hard to Get and Costly  —  THURSDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) — Almost nine out of every 10 Americans who seek private health insurance never buy a plan, and one in five who apply are turned down or charged more because of preexisting conditions, a new report finds.

E. coli cases traced to bagged spinach  —  WASHINGTON - Consumers nationwide should not eat fresh bagged spinach, say health officials probing a multistate outbreak of E. coli that killed at least one person and made dozens of others sick.  —  Food and Drug Administration and state officials …

Oil Prices  —  Two years ago -as oil prices began to rise- two friends of mine in the industry said to look for a dramatic climb in prices but "over the long term" (a decade? fifteen years?) look for oil to settle in a zone of $40 to $55 a barrel.  When oil reached $70 a barrel I thought about that "zone."

Senate approves bill to tighten port security  —  WASHINGTON - The Senate approved a port-security bill Thursday that its sponsors said would make the nation safer from terrorist attack, after it rejected a plan to inspect every inbound cargo container for nuclear weapons.

Italian Writer Oriana Fallaci Dies  —  ROME — Oriana Fallaci, the Italian writer and journalist best known for her abrasive interviews and provocative stances, has died, officials said Friday.  She was 76.  —  Fallaci, who had been diagnosed with cancer years ago, died overnight …

The Great Nuclear Debate  —  To add your voice to the nuclear debate click here. … Nuclear Energy Provides Practical Baseload Power  —  by Patrick Moore  —  When I helped found Greenpeace in the 1970s, my colleagues and I were firmly opposed to nuclear energy.  But times have changed.