Obama Is Considering Strategy Shift in Afghan War  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama is exploring alternatives to a major troop increase in Afghanistan, including a plan advocated by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to scale back American forces and focus more on rooting out Al Qaeda there and in Pakistan, officials said Tuesday.

Glenn Beck becomes damaged goods  —  Editor's note: This is Part 2 in a three-part series on Glenn Beck's roots.  Read Part 1 here.  —  Glenn Beck, foreground.  In the background, the scene in Tripoli, Libya, on April 15, 1986, after an American attack.  —  Sept. 22, 2009 |

Whoops: Anti-ACORN Bill Ropes In Defense Contractors, Others Charged With Fraud  —  Going after ACORN may be like shooting fish in a barrel lately — but jumpy lawmakers used a bazooka to do it last week and may have blown up some of their longtime allies in the process.

Pelosi backs away from deal with Blue Dogs  —  Speaker Pelosi is backing away from a deal she cut with centrists to advance health reform, said a source familiar with talks.  —  Pelosi's decision to move away from the agreement that was made with a group of Blue Dogs to get the bill …

Conservatives Turn Their Sights On Health Care Reform's Most Obvious Provision  —  Democrats are bracing themselves for a new line of conservative attack against a provision in the health care legislation once considered so non-controversial that it was endorsed by several major Republican officials.

Budget chief contradicts Obama on Medicare costs  —  WASHINGTON — Congress' chief budget officer is contradicting President Barack Obama's oft-stated claim that seniors wouldn't see their Medicare benefits cut under a health care overhaul.  —  The head of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office …

PM: Israel, PA agreed to begin talks without preconditions  —  Article's topics: Binyamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama, Mahmoud Abbas  —  Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to relaunch peace negotiations without any preconditions, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared on Tuesday.

Poll Reflects Afghan War Doubts  —  Obama Slips on Foreign Policy, but Gains on Health-Care and Economic Fronts  —  President Obama during a meeting with China's President Hu Jintao in New York on Tuesday.  —  President Barack Obama faces significant doubts from the American public …

Justice Dept. Plans to Limit Use of State Secrets Privilege  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is preparing to impose new limits on the government assertion of the state secrets privilege used to block lawsuits for national security reasons.  The practice was a major flashpoint …

Why Is Soda So Expensive in Europe?  —  I'm one of those “drinks a ton of Diet Coke” people, and thus every time I come to Europe I find myself dismayed at the cost of soda over here.  Does anyone have a good explanation of why it's so much more expensive than in the US?

Protect Insurance Companies PSA  —  Credits: Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, Masi Oka, Jordana Spiro, Linda Cardellini, Donald Faison  —  Produced by Chris Bruss, Lauren Palmigiano & MoveOn.org

Union Boss Campaigns for Obama, Runs Union... from his Federal Office  —  It seems that no matter where you turn, there are federal government workers pushing a partisan agenda with taxpayer dollars: from the NEA, to ACORN, to union bosses campaigning for Barack Obama while on the job:

Even Obama ‘vulnerable’ to Clinton's charms  —  President Obama, speaking now at former President Bill Clinton's Clinton Global Initiative, opened with a tribute to his Democratic predecessor's raw political talent.  —  “Now, I think everyone knows what it's like when Bill Clinton asks you to make a commitment,” he said.

Cantor To Uninsured Woman With Growing Tumors: Get ‘An Existing Government Program’ Or Find Charity  —  At the Richmond Times-Dispatch “public square” forum yesterday, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) fielded open questions from his constituents on the health reform debate for the first time this summer.

Delayed Foreclosures Stalk Market  —  Debra and Arthur Scriven were served notice in June 2008 that their mortgage lender, a unit of Citigroup Inc., was preparing to foreclose on their home.  Fifteen months later, the Scrivens are still in their home near Columbia, S.C., and battling to stay there …

U.S. closes Mexico border crossing after shootout  —  TIJUANA, Mexico (Reuters) - U.S. authorities closed the world's busiest land border crossing on Tuesday after a shootout between suspected Mexican human traffickers and U.S. agents, U.S. officials said.  —  “The port is closed …

Polk undercover drug investigators play Wii during raid  —  With guns drawn and flashlights cutting through darkened rooms, Polk County undercover drug investigators stormed the home of convicted drug dealer Michael Difalco near Lakeland in March.  —  As investigators searched the home for drugs …

Survey: One Quarter of Americans Could Claim ‘No Religion’ in 20 Years  —  If current trends continue, a quarter of Americans are likely to claim “no religion” in 20 years, according to a survey out today by Trinity College.  Americans who identify with no religious tradition currently comprise 15 percent …

Making forensic science scientific  —  Establishing national forensic science standards is crucial when evidence determines life or death.  —  With the busiest death chamber in the nation, it was only a matter of time before Texas positioned itself to become the first state to admit …

After ‘Inappropriate’ NEA Conference Call, White House Pushes New Guidelines  —  An August 10, 2009 National Endowment for the Arts conference call in which artists were asked to help support President Obama's agenda — a call that at least one good government group called “inappropriate” …

The growing ambitions of the food police.  —  A nonalcoholic sequel to the Whiskey Rebellion seems to be brewing.  And Slate may be joining it.  I'll call it the Fresca Rebellion, in honor of our editor, David Plotz, a hard-core addict of the citrus-flavored soft drink.