A Supreme Leader Loses His Aura as Iranians Flock to the Streets  —  TEHRAN — The Iranian police commander, in green uniform, walked up Komak Hospital Alley with arms raised and his small unit at his side.  “I swear to God,” he shouted at the protesters facing him, “I have children, I have a wife, I don't want to beat people.

In Poll, Wide Support for Government-Run Health  —  Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind one of the most contentious proposals Congress is considering, a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Media Agreed to Stay Silent on Kidnapping of Reporter David Rohde  —  News Organizations Agreed to Protect Reporter's Safety  —  There were times during the kidnapping ordeal of New York Times reporter David Rohde when his boss wavered in his determination to suppress the story.

Contrast: Iranian Protestors Shot As Obama Goes for Ice Cream  —  Here are some Twitter messages I saw today from Change_for_Iran, a pro-Mousavi Iranian student, and Mark Knoller, CBS News White House Correspondent:  —  Change_for_Iran:  —  Knoller:  —  Change_for_Iran:  —  Knoller:

ThreatsWatch.Org - RapidRecon: Neda: The Voice of Iran  —  Her name was Neda.  It means the ‘voice’ or the ‘call’ in Farsi.  And in a struggle largely fueled by Iranian women's demands for rights, Neda most tragically becomes the Voice of Iran.  —  It is heartbreaking to watch, with her father screaming in unimaginable agony.

Obama Closes Doors on Openness  —  From the magazine issue dated Jun 29, 2009  —  As a senator, Barack Obama denounced the Bush administration for holding “secret energy meetings” with oil executives at the White House.  But last week public-interest groups were dismayed …

Obama's political play should shock no one  —  It's amusing to watch the Washington political establishment feign shock, now that President Barack Obama's reform administration has used a clay foot to vigorously kick one inspector general and boot another out the door.

What Does Mousavi Think?  —  This may help clarify matters for those who wonder what the Iranian dissidents want.  I posted it on my blog a while ago.  As I said on my blog, we are all getting various things whose authenticity requires skepticism.  I'm confident of the channel …

Iran protests: live  —  Iran is braced for the possibility of more bloody confrontations between protesters and security forces on the streets of Tehran.  Follow live updates on the latest developments  —  12.02pm:  —  This is a vivid, touching - and at times funny …