U.S. News

Reuters - The Pentagon on Wednesday sought to play down the seriousness of growing violence in Afghanistan but declined to say the United States and NATO were winning their fight against Taliban insurgents.

AP - Mike Mussina baffled the Twins for eight innings, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run double and the New York Yankees beat Minnesota 5-1 Wednesday for their 10th straight home win.

Nearly one-fourth of people in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina would refuse to evacuate for a storm if told to, a survey released Wednesday by Harvard University found.

AP - The sabal palm, Florida's state tree, is under attack by a microscopic killer that has scientists stumped. An unknown but growing number of sabal palms in the Tampa Bay area have died from a mysterious disease that researchers are struggling to identify. Even after scientists pinpoint the disease — and that could take years — they will have to learn what insect spreads it. The disease will be tough to stop.

Syndicated columnist Robert Novak says he has been issued a $50 citation after hitting a pedestrian while driving in downtown Washington.

AP - Rapper DMX has been indicted on felony charges by a grand jury in Arizona for allegedly trying to get out of paying a hospital bill.

The sabal palm, Florida's state tree, is under attack by a microscopic killer that has scientists stumped.

AP - James Shields allowed three runs pitching into the ninth inning, and Jonny Gomes and Ben Zobrist hit back-to-back homers to lead the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays past the Oakland Athletics, 4-3 on Wednesday.

AP - Microsoft founder Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are pooling their piles of money to pour $375 million into a global effort to cut smoking.

FOX News contributor Robert Novak was cited by police after he hit a pedestrian early today. As Think Progress reported, Novak initially drove away from the scene. claiming he did not know he had hit someone, but turned back after a bicyclist stopped him and told him. The bicyclist disputed Novak's claim of ignorance and told a local ABC affiliate that the pedestrian had been splayed across Novak's windshield.

AP - It will be left to the next administration to decide on any sizable troop increase for Afghanistan, the Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday.

AP - Madame Tussauds unveiled a waxwork of Amy Winehouse on Wednesday complete with her signature beehive, black eyeliner and a bright yellow minidress.

AP - The country slogged through slower economic growth and rising prices during the summer, packing a double whammy to people and businesses alike.

This weekVanity Fair parodied sister magazine The New Yorker's controversial cover of last week, and the kids on the couch groaned at the jabs at the McCains this morning 7/23/08 on FOX and Friends.

Amended, below.

The Friends lacked their usual hype, groaning as they ticked off the cover's
"highlights:" Cindy McCain with a fistful of pills, John McCain using a walker, a picture of GWB over the fireplace, and a copy of the Constitution burning below. There was no discussion, just a dry and dreary blip of facts (!!) and then they moved on.

"So there it goes, we'll find out where 'they' go from here," said Kilmeade, obviously not yet given talking points on the topic. Of course they don't want to discuss Cindy McCain's past (unlike rumors about Michele Obama) or the meaning of Bush and burning Constitution, and if they can't joke about McCain's age then it is not mentioned at all. When the Obama cover came out all the rumors were revisited and rehashed by a parade of pundits; look for this to die out immediately, demonstrating the blip versus drip, drip, drip schools of "journalism."

Amend: This is a mock-up, not this week's cover as I originally stated. My apologies for the mix-up.