Fox News isn't just bad.  It's un-American.  —  From the magazine issue dated Oct 26, 2009  —  Last week, when White House Communications Director Anita Dunn charged the Fox News Channel with right-wing bias, Fox responded the way it always does.  It denied the accusation with a straight face …

Exclusive: I Helped Richard Heene Plan a Balloon Hoax  —  For the first time, 25-year-old researcher Robert Thomas reveals to Gawker how earlier this year he and Richard Heene drew up a master plan to generate a massive media controversy using a weather balloon.  To get famous, of course.

Emanuel: Bush left U.S. adrift on Afghanistan  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — One of President Obama's top advisers said Sunday the Bush administration failed to ask critical questions about the war in Afghanistan, leaving the Obama administration starting from scratch — and leaving the war “adrift.”

How Moody's sold its ratings — and sold out investors  —  WASHINGTON — As the housing market collapsed in late 2007, Moody's Investors Service, whose investment ratings were widely trusted, responded by purging analysts and executives who warned of trouble and promoting those who helped Wall Street plunge …

Global Warming in SuperFreakonomics: The Anatomy of a Smear  —  1. Let the wild rumpus start.  —  Yes, it's an ancient cliché: a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.  But it's still accurate.  —  The final chapter in our forthcoming book …

Specter rips GOP: ‘A Party of obstructionism.’  —  Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), who until late April of this year was a lifelong Republican, castigated his former party this morning on Fox News.  Specter ripped the GOP for refusing to be a good-faith negotiator in the health care debate:

Mr. Deeds for Governor  —  A LEGACY of sound policies, coupled with the proximity of the federal government, has partially protected Virginia from the harsh retrenchments that the recession has forced on many states.  Yet the commonwealth faces a daunting crisis in the form of a drastic shortfall …

Iran Guard Commanders Are Killed in Bombings  —  RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Five commanders of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps were killed and dozens of others left dead and injured in two terrorist bombings in the restive region of the nation's southeastern frontier with Pakistan …

White House ‘Official’ Badmouths Labor Leader For Expecting Obama To Keep His Promises  —  Gerry McEntee is president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).  He leads the largest union in America and has been one of the most vocal advocates for progressive health care reform.

David Rohde's insights into what motivates the Taliban  —  (updated below)  —  The New York Times' David Rohde writes about the seven months he was held hostage by a group of extremist Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan and conveys this observation about what motivates them:

Secret Service strained as leaders face more threats  —  Report questions its role in financial investigations  —  WASHINGTON - The unprecedented number of death threats against President Obama, a rise in racist hate groups, and a new wave of antigovernment fervor threaten to overwhelm …