"In Constitutional terms, as Chief Justice Roberts explained at his confirmation hearings, the right to an abortion is far more firmly built today than it was in Roe. But we're left with these well-organized groups. They were built to fight this fight, so they keep fighting it, over and over."
-David von Drehle, from his Alito hearing Q&A

Whoah. Army general pleads the fifth in relation to abuse cases.

Yeah, and the Congressional ethics committee? Still silent. This is *embarrassing*.

THURSDAY NEWS:
* Poll shows the public doesn't have much faith in progress in Iraq.
* Wondered how the trials in Guantanamo are going?
* Will his redistricting scheme cost DeLay his re-election bid?
* BAGnewsNotes on the anointing of the Alito hearing room.
* Manassas overcrowding ordinance repealed.
* On hotels, tourists, and refugees in New Orleans.
* Global warming linked to species extinction.
* Nikon to stop making film cameras.
* Hope in the indigo children. Here's a hint: if you don't want to sound like a quack, don't use Harry Potter slang.
* Advertising to a simpler mindset.
* Grumbles from the Redskins anti-fans.
* CBS to make a soap opera solely for mobile downloads.

Let's get cosmological: Einstein vs. dark energy.