BREAKING NEWS: Electoral initiative backers give up  —  Plagued by a lack of money, supporters of a statewide initiative drive to change the way California's 55 electoral votes are apportioned, first revealed here by Top of the Ticket in July, are pulling the plug on that effort.

Edwards to Accept Public Financing for Primaries  —  Former Senator John Edwards said Thursday that he would accept public financing for the Democratic primaries, reversing his previous plans to raise and spend money without being subject to the public system's spending limits.

Reports: Military junta cuts Internet access in Burma; Sniper reportedly killed Japanese journalist Kenji Nagai  —  Update: Photo of Japanese journalist Kenji Nagai as he lay dying...  Video here.  —  As I noted the other day, Burmese bloggers have been crucial whistleblowers and eyewitnesses …

Democrats Blast Limbaugh For Saying That Antiwar Troops Are "Phony Soldiers"  —  As we reported earlier today over at The Horse's Mouth, Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show that soldiers who favor U.S. withdrawal from Iraq are "phony soldiers."  —  The assertion — reminiscent of MoveOn's attack …

The Islamic Reformation  —  Those who call for an Islamic 'Reformation' are missing the point: it has already happened, unfortunately.  —  Since 2001 a plethora of writers have made calls for an Islamic "Reformation".  Many hopes (and careers) are pinned on the idea, but there is no such thing coming.

Cigarette surveillance program begins today  —  Motorists bringing large numbers of smokes into state will be charged  —  NASHVILLE — Starting today, state Department of Revenue agents will begin stopping Tennessee motorists spotted buying large quantities of cigarettes in border states …

Mistake costs dishwasher $59,000  —  MIAMI, Florida (CNN) — For 11 years, Pedro Zapeta, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, lived his version of the American dream in Stuart, Florida: washing dishes and living frugally to bring money back to his home country.

The Nuclear Renaissance Begins  —  If you're tracking the nuclear power revival in America, last Tuesday, September 25, was a milestone.  For the first time since 1973, a new application for building a reactor was placed before the federal government.  —  The applicant was NRG Energy …

Liveblog!  GOP Black Voter Forum: Half The Candidates, Double The Fun!  —  Hello, and welcome to Baltimore and Morgan State University for the first-ever PBS Black Voter Forum, proud to welcome half the GOP presidential candidates!  In honor of same, tonight we've got half the liveblogging staff …

Washington, D.C., Judge Issues Bench Warrant for Cindy Sheehan  —  WASHINGTON — A bench warrant was issued Thursday for antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, who did not appear for arraignment Thursday in a Washington, D.C., courtroom to face charges related to her Sept. 10 disorderly conduct arrest on Capitol Hill.

Six inconvenient truths about the U.S. and slavery  —  Those who want to discredit the United States and to deny our role as history's most powerful and pre-eminent force for freedom, goodness and human dignity invariably focus on America's bloody past as a slave-holding nation.

Obama Distances Himself From Clinton, on Her Turf  —  Senator Barack Obama implored thousands of admirers who gathered last night in New York City to set aside their distrust in politics and believe in the long-term possibility of his presidential candidacy even though, he conceded, "there are easier choices to make in this election."

Struggling alone  —  The international community's failure to act means watching helplessly as victims of repression in Burma are consigned to their fate.  —  In the coming days - perhaps even hours - the destiny of Burma (also known as Myanmar), and the fates of over 50 million Burmese, will be decided.

Sycophant Savior  —  General Petraeus wins a battle in Washington—if not in Baghdad.  —  In common parlance, the phrase "political general" is an epithet, the inverse of the warrior or frontline soldier.  In any serious war, with big issues at stake, to assign command to a political general …

Foto Funnies Pt. II  —  From Little Green Footballs, 9/21/07:  —  Above: Screen-capture of LGF post  —  That's a reprinted press release from David Horowitz's FrontPageMag.  The text reads, "The photo accompanying this article, which shows a teenage girl buried before being stoned to death …