Brian Gongol
Ethics committee to investigate Hastert over Foley fiasco
What Foley appears to have done was pretty disgusting. But it's also pretty disgusting that Congress and the President have been wilfully negligent with the nation's financial condition. Medicare is about to go broke, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation could be $100 billion in the hole in a matter of years. But Congress (both parties alike) has been asleep at the wheel and so has the White House. Coincidentally, the blatant pandering to social conservatives by some parts of the GOP -- which has been a major distraction from the fiscal tasks at hand -- may not have even secured the loyalty of those voters.
Former UK foreign secretary wants Muslim women to remove their veils
Says it's a sign of visible separation from the community and inhibits efforts to promote goodwill
Radioactive-materials smuggling doubles in four years
Most of the trafficking is believed to be in Europe; at least 100 cases of illicit trafficking were reported in 2005. Naturally, there's some suspicion that someone's trying to build a dirty bomb.
What's the best way to deter school shootings?
With the strange streak of school shootings going on, there's certain to be lots of navel-gazing about safety in schools -- but it's likely that very few of the efforts will be aimed at one of the smartest and most efficient deterrents: Training teachers and students to defend themselves. Instead, just like with airline security, lots of money will be spent on things like metal detectors that provide very visible (but easily-circumvented) safeguards that don't really contribute much safety at all in most circumstance.
Sudan to UN: Don't send peacekeepers or we'll call it an attack
"Peacekeeping" seems like a misnomer, since no peace has been established -- and isn't likely to be, so long as the government is threatening to fight the peacekeepers. They appear to be amenable to the continued presence of African Union peacekeepers, though, so perhaps it would be more efficient to support that effort than to send UN troops.
Fugitive on the loose in West Des Moines
University Hospitals trying to fight Legionnaires'
Duluth