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Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

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Cease-fire solidifies after shaky start
ON THE ISRAEL-LEBANON BORDER - Hundreds of Israeli soldiers walked out of Lebanon on Tuesday — some smiling broadly and pumping their fists, others weeping or carrying wounded comrades — as a cease-fire with Hezbollah solidified after a shaky start. The process was expected to accelerate over the coming days.

Off the Wahl

The World

Iran, Syria laud Hezbollah victory
The leaders of Iran and Syria said Tuesday that Hezbollah defeated Israel, with the Iranian president telling a crowd that God s promises have come true and the Syrian leader saying U.S. plans for reshaping the Mideast have been ruined.

Gosh, everybody won. How is that possible? —Caro

U.N. says peacekeepers now in Lebanon
UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations says the 2,000 U.N. peacekeepers now in southern Lebanon can start overseeing the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the deployment of the Lebanese army very quickly if all the parties agree.

Rice: Not U.N.'s job to disarm Hezbollah
The 15,000-member U.N. force being created for southern Lebanon will keep the peace and enforce an international arms embargo, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday, but it won't be charged with disarming Hezbollah guerrillas.

Is this a sop to the NRA? You just have to wonder.—Caro

Bomber Kills 9 At Iraq President's HQ
A suicide bomber killed nine people outside the headquarters of the Iraqi president's political party in northern Iraq, while fierce fighting between Shiite gunmen and Iraqi security forces left at least seven people dead in the south.

Pakistan Says It Arrested 29 Taliban Who Fought in Afghanistan
The arrests came after growing pressure on the Pakistani government to do more to round up Taliban fighters and commanders who hide out in Pakistan.

Sri Lanka planes bomb rebel positions, country on alert
COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lankan war planes bombed Tamil Tiger positions as troops hunted rebel infiltrators in northern Jaffna peninsula after resisting a guerrilla advance, officials said.

Venezuela threatens to nationalize CANTV
CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday threatened to nationalize Venezuela's largest telecommunications company if it does not comply with a court order to make owed pension payments.

The Latest Crises Do Little for Blairs Political Standing
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been unable to gain political capital from last weeks foiled terror plot and cease-fire in Lebanon.

The Nation

Bush says U.S. safer, but not yet safe
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Tuesday that the foiled plot to blow up flights between Britain and the United States is evidence the U.S. could be fighting terrorists for years to come.

The latest crises haven’t done much for Bush, either. So he’s walking a fine line here. Americans, be afraid enough to keep those terrorist-loving Democrats from power, but not so afraid that you’ll hold Bush and the Republicans accountable for their many failures to even try to keep us safe.—Caro

TSA says shoe X-rays can detect bombs
WASHINGTON - The nation's top aviation security official says X-ray images are an effective way to detect bombs in shoes. A Homeland Security Department study says they aren't.

Be confused, Americans, be very confused. And keep strong daddy figures in office, while you’re at it. —Caro

GOP Ad Pairs Clinton With Bin Laden
A Republican hoping to challenge Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton this fall is running an ad that pairs Clinton's face with Osama bin Laden's and accuses her of opposing national security programs that may have helped thwart a terror plot.

McCain scouts Iowa ahead of possible 2008 run
GRINNELL, Iowa (Reuters) - Arizona Sen. John McCain, who skipped Iowa's kickoff nominating contest during his failed 2000 presidential bid, said on Tuesday a changed political landscape could lead him to compete in the state if he makes another White House run.

Jimmy Carter's son wins Nevada primary
RENO, Nev. - Jimmy Carter's son, Jack Carter, won the Democratic nomination Tuesday to face Republican U.S. Sen. John Ensign in November in Nevada, where voters also picked candidates in a sometimes-zany pair of primaries to replace popular Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn.

AP: House GOP plans $40M ad campaign
WASHINGTON - House Republicans have reserved more than $40 million worth of television advertising time for the fall, most of it aimed at holding seats they control, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast.

Labor tries to heal their differences
WASHINGTON - A year after their bitter breakup, former partners in organized labor are trying to heal some of their differences by joining forces politically for the November midterm elections. They're cooperating now for the sake of those who depend on them.

Term limits do little to diversify legislatures
Term limits have not led to significant increases in female or minority representation in state legislatures, according to a survey of the 15 states with term limits.

Plame lawyer plans to force Cheney, Rove testimony
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A lawyer plans to use a legal precedent that allowed President Bill Clinton to be sued while in office to force Vice President Dick Cheney and presidential adviser Karl Rove to testify in a lawsuit brought by former CIA operative Valerie Plame and her husband.

Former President Ford admitted to Mayo Clinic
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former President Gerald Ford, 93, has been admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for "testing and evaluation," his spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Economy & Business

Stocks Rally as Inflation Eases Off
A government report said wholesale inflation is softening, raising investor hopes that the Federal Reserve might stop increasing interest rates.

Gas demand is the demon
With the partial shutdown of Prudhoe Bay last week, motorists who have felt the pain at the pump had more to moan about as the simple dynamics of supply and demand kept the prices hovering at a level that seemed unfathomable a few years ago.

Actually, our failure to plan for this day is the demon. If we had made sure Al Gore became president in 2000, we’d be developing alternative sources of energy that would help ease the inevitable price rise of fossil fuels. —Caro

Investors sue BP execs over Alaska shutdown
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shareholders have filed a lawsuit against top executives of BP Plc accusing them of letting down investors by failing to repair a pipeline that forced a shutdown of part of the Alaskan Prudhoe Bay oilfield.

Job losses lead to drop in home prices
Home sales dropped 7% in the April-June quarter this year compared with the period in 2005, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday in its latest state-by-state look at housing conditions around the country.

Judge: Policy did not cover flooding
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that an insurance company s policies do not cover damage from flood waters or storm surge in a decision that could affect hundreds of upcoming cases related to property damage from Hurricane Katrina.

Media

CBS floats TV episodes on Innertube
testLOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS will have a significant presence on the Web in the fall, posting its most popular primetime programming on its broadband channel Innertube free to view immediately after their network debuts.

TV Tidbits: Notes of Interest
For the first time ever, HBO will release one of its documentary films, Too Hot To Handle, in it's entirely as a free podcast via the iTunes Music Store (www.itunes.com) and HBO.com (www.hbo.com/podcasts). Too Hot to Handle, which focuses on the effects of global warming, can be downloaded in four parts.

Science & Technology

New Technology = Lower Phone Bills
Hard as it may be to believe, some shiny new gadgets can actually save you money. CBS News Technology Analyst Larry Magid reports on the latest deals in Internet phone service, which continues to drop in price.

Lenovo to Install Linux on ThinkPads
The PC maker will install SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 on two of its ThinkPad T60p models for larger customers.

Online dating is planned for orangutans
Single male (red hair, long arms, interests include hanging in trees and grooming) seeks female for long-distance relationship and possibility of meeting up in future to help save species.

Billions face water shortages, crisis looms: agency
CANBERRA (Reuters) - A third of the world is facing water shortages because of poor management of water resources and soaring water usage, driven mainly by agriculture, the International Water Management Institute said on Wednesday.