POWDER PUFF SPOOKS KEITH  —  MSNBC loudmouth Keith Olbermann flipped out when he opened his home mail yesterday.  The acerbic host of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" was terrified when he opened a suspicious-looking letter with a California postmark and a batch of white powder poured out.

The Big Question Democrats Are Ducking  —  No matter how you slice it, the National Intelligence Estimate warning that the Iraq war has spawned more terrorism is big trouble for President Bush and his party in this election year.  It goes to the heart of Bush's argument for invading Iraq, which was that it would make America safer.

Bush Blamed More Than Clinton for Failure to Capture Bin Laden  —  Views are predictably partisan; independents mostly blame Bush  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The recent firestorm over former President Bill Clinton's culpability for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was fueled on Tuesday when Secretary …

House approves bill on terror detainees  —  WASHINGTON - The House approved legislation Wednesday giving the Bush administration authority to interrogate and prosecute terrorism detainees, moving President Bush to the edge of a pre-election victory with a key piece of his anti-terror plan.

New Report That Senator Uttered Slurs  —  Another acquaintance of Senator George Allen said Tuesday that she heard him use a racial slur in 1976, contradicting a statement he made Monday in an effort to tamp down similar accusations.  —  Mr. Allen's campaign manager, Dick Wadhams …

Students held hostage in Bailey  —  A gunman took five people hostage, and is still holding at least two of them at a Park County school.  Several shots have been fired.  —  Lance Clem, spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol, said it is unclear if anyone was injured at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey.

Source: Twin Cities Win GOP Convention  —  Republicans have chosen the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul _ in the politically pivotal Midwest _ for the 2008 presidential convention, GOP officials said Wednesday.  —  The selection was expected to be announced later in the day …

Most Iraqis Favor Immediate U.S. Pullout, Polls Show  —  A strong majority of Iraqis want U.S.-led military forces to immediately withdraw from the country, saying their swift departure would make Iraq more secure and decrease sectarian violence, according to new polls by the State Department and independent researchers.

7-Eleven dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo  —  DALLAS - Convenience store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo as its gasoline supplier at more than 2,100 locations and switching to its own brand of fuel.  —  The retailer said Wednesday it will purchase fuel from several distributors …

The Choice: A Longer Life or More Stuff  —  The most authoritative report on the cost of health insurance came out yesterday, and it's sure to cause some new outrage.  —  The average cost of a family insurance plan that Americans get through their jobs has risen another 7.7 percent this year …

NYC Mulls Ban on Trans Fats in Eateries  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Three years after the city banned smoking in restaurants, health officials are talking about prohibiting something they say is almost as bad: artificial trans fatty acids.  —  The city health department unveiled a proposal Tuesday …

Giant bowls of Marshmallow Fluff: My Enchanted Evening with Pajamas Media … So I'm at a panel-slash-conservative happy hour hosted and attended by the A-list of DC's right-wing blogosphere, and the first person I see as I walk in the door is Jeff Gannon.  Awesome; six seconds in and I've met my first porn star.

Pentagon study claims U.S. broadcasts to Iran aren't tough enough  —  WASHINGTON - In another indication that some in the Bush administration are pushing for a more confrontational policy toward Iran, a Pentagon unit has drafted a report charging that U.S. international broadcasts into Iran aren't tough enough on the Islamic regime.

The Prospect announces changes  —  Michael Tomasky to step down as editor, will stay on as editor-at large.  —  Michael Tomasky is stepping down as editor of The American Prospect to pursue writing projects.  Tomasky, 45, has led the editorial staff at the Prospect for three years and will finish work on the November issue.

Spineless Democrats Deserve to Lose  —  From the New York Times: … I'm afraid it's already too late for that, Senator Reid.  —  I am puzzled by and ashamed of the Democrats' moral cowardice on this bill.  The latest version of the bill blesses detainee abuse and looks the other way on forms …

France-Bashing  —  The enduring popularity of France-bashing in the United States is a fascinating phenomenon.  Nick Gillespie spies Marty Peretz getting the bug.  What's especially fascinating is the particular form of the contemporary France-bashing narrative, as reflected in Peretz' post.

Moms find spiritual friends in Faith Club  —  NEW YORK — The pope ignites Muslim anger by quoting a 14th-century source who called the Prophet Mohammed's teachings "evil."  —  American Christians square off — theological liberals vs. conservatives — over whose voting values are more godly.