Professor accused in Ala. slayings shot her brother in Mass. 24 years ago  —  BRAINTREE — The University of Alabama biology professor accused of slaying three of her colleagues fatally shot her brother in Massachusetts more than two decades ago, a local police chief said today …

A few minutes with Joe the Plumber  —  Joe the Plumber (aka Samuel J.Wurzelbacher) headlined state Representative Sam Rohrer's Mobilize for Liberty event in Harrisburg today, giving the Berks County lawmaker his support a few hours after Rohrer mustered just a dozen votes …

The Endless Disappointment  —  TPM Reader JO keeps it real ...

Wall St. Helped Greece to Mask Debt Fueling Europe's Crisis  —  Wall Street tactics akin to the ones that fostered subprime mortgages in America have worsened the financial crisis shaking Greece and undermining the euro by enabling European governments to hide their mounting debts.

A new Buzz start-up experience based on your feedback  —  Posted by Todd Jackson, Product Manager, Gmail and Google Buzz  —  We've heard your feedback loud and clear, and since we launched Google Buzz four days ago, we've been working around the clock to address the concerns you've raised.

MICHAEL YON SENDS THIS DISPATCH TO INSTAPUNDIT READERS.  I don't usually run things this long on InstaPundit, but although domestic politics have eclipsed war coverage in a lot of places, what's going on in Afghanistan is still important, and Michael is providing the best coverage out there.

In Black Caucus, a Fund-Raising Powerhouse  —  WASHINGTON — When the Congressional Black Caucus wanted to pay off the mortgage on its foundation's stately 1930s redbrick headquarters on Embassy Row, it turned to a familiar roster of friends: corporate backers like Wal-Mart, AT&T, General Motors …

Tea Party to field candidate in battle for Harry Reid's Senate seat  —  Sun columnist Jon Ralston is reporting that the Tea Party has qualified as a third party in Nevada and will have a candidate in the Senate race to battle for the seat held by Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The US-Israel Relationship, Ctd  —  A reader writes:

Can Sarah Palin translate celebrity into real political power?  —  Sarah Palin has proved that she can draw a crowd.  What she has yet to demonstrate is that she can translate the appeal of a phenomenon into a political force that can attract or mobilize sizable numbers of voters.

Top Obama spokesman joins Twitter  —  In his first tweet, White House Press Secretary sought advice from the Twitterverse.  —  Washington (CNN) - Count White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs among a growing group of Democratic press operatives who have recently joined the microblogging site Twitter.