The New York Times Mourns the Loss of Their "Defining Atrocity"  —  The New York Times can't be satisfied with some insignificant Al-Qaeda atrocity.  —  It must be an atrocity committed by the Americans.  —  And, they lost it this week in Haditha.  —  The Haditha Marines  —  The New York Times

Virginia congresswoman dies  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Davis, R-Va., died Saturday after battling breast cancer, according to a statement released by her office.  She was 57.  —  Davis died at her Gloucester, Va., home.  She was first diagnosed with cancer in 2005 …

Iraq Embassy Cost Rises $144 Million Amid Project Delays  —  Planning, Workmanship Cited as Problems  —  The massive U.S. embassy under construction in Baghdad could cost $144 million more than projected and will open months behind schedule because of poor planning, shoddy workmanship …

SYRIA UPDATE....ABC News reports that the United States was initially opposed to an Israeli strike against a military base in northeast Syria: … But was it really a nuclear site?  Here's a hint from Aviation Week: … Obviously I'm just playing amateur sleuth here, but it doesn't seem …

BLACKWATERGATE LINKED TO HILL  —  CAMPAIGN BIG'S FIRM PROVIDED P.R.  —  The company run by one of Hillary Clinton's top campaign officials has been providing public-relations services for Blackwater - the security firm, accused of killing 17 Iraqi civilians, that has come under fire from Congress.

Romney leads GOP, Thompson moves into second  —  Mitt Romney still leads in Iowa but Fred Thompson, a relative newcomer to the presidential race, has emerged as his nearest competitor in a new Des Moines Register poll of likely Republican caucus participants.

On Torture and American Values  —  Once upon a time, it was the United States that urged all nations to obey the letter and the spirit of international treaties and protect human rights and liberties.  American leaders denounced secret prisons where people were held without charges, tortured and killed.

'Sen. Craig visited me' says escort who claimed relationship with Haggard  —  DENVER - The gay escort whose allegations forced the resignation of nationally renowned evangelist Ted Haggard now says he was also visited by Idaho Sen. Larry Craig.  —  Craig is the Republican senator …

O'Reilly Lets Loose: Says WH Reporters Need To Be 'Wiped Out,' Calls CNN 'The Pagan Throne'  —  In an interview with Bill O'Reilly last night, former White House press secretary Tony Snow said that his future career plans may include writing a book on cancer and possibly returning to Fox News.

Immigration arrests spark controversy from coast to coast  —  GARDEN CITY.  N.Y. - Long Island officials complained loudly this week about a series of immigration raids, accusing federal agents of a "cowboy mentality" that could have put local police in harm's way.

Medicare Audits Show Problems in Private Plans  —  Tens of thousands of Medicare recipients have been victims of deceptive sales tactics and had claims improperly denied by private insurers that run the system's huge new drug benefit program and offer other private insurance options encouraged …

CIA Quieting Down After Years of Turmoil, But Memories Linger On  —  The CIA is a relatively calm place these days, with its senior officials concentrating more on nailing foreign targets than each other.  —  That's a nice change from the short, tumultuous era of Porter J. Goss …

Rape Epidemic Raises Trauma of Congo War  —  BUKAVU, Congo — Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynecologist, cannot bear to listen to the stories his patients tell him anymore.  —  Every day, 10 new women and girls who have been raped show up at his hospital.  Many have been so sadistically attacked …

Mother Teresa and the Kidney Stone  —  This week the Catholic News Service reported that the cause for the canonization of Mother Teresa could "cross its last hurdle" if the Vatican validated a cure reported by a priest in Guwahati, India on Sept. 5, the 10th anniversary of the beloved nun's death.

Iraq Shia leaders sign truce deal  —  Two of Iraq's most influential Shia leaders have signed a deal to try to end violence between their groups.  —  Radical cleric Moqtada Sadr and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq, have been locked in a bitter dispute for months.

I Did Do It  —  O.K., folks, you want the truth?  —  The whole truth and nothing but?  —  After all this time, you're still dying to see the mystery solved?  —  Fine.  I did it.  Everything A. said — let's just use the initial because it's still hard for me to speak the name of my victim and tormentor — was true.

5 Myths About Sick Old Europe  —  In the global economy, today's winners can become tomorrow's losers in a twinkling, and vice versa.  Not so long ago, American pundits and economic analysts were snidely touting U.S. economic superiority to the "sick old man" of Europe.  What a difference a few months can make.