More Odds and Ends

New 'South Park' starts tonight. So that's cool. Here's lots of miscellaneous news...

A new Supreme Court term begins. Obviously no rulings yet, but they did turn away a few controversial cases, including one on "a church-state dispute over whether some religious organizations can be forced to pay for workers' birth-control health insurance benefits" and another "over an evangelical group's plea to hold religious services at a public library."

Seymour Hersh takes a new look inside the machinations of a war-hungry administration.

Great news! The U.S. maintains its role as the world's largest arms dealer.

Fundraising quarter results are in from Sen. Clinton, Sen. Obama, Gov. Richardson, Fred Thompson, Rep. Paul, and the rest. So who'd you throw cash at?

Anti-immigrant fervor... great for rallying conservatives, not so great for local economies? The NY Times reports that a year after a NJ crackdown on illegal immigrants, small businesses suffered. Locals are now reconsidering the crackdown. Any lessons in there?

The GOP turned Congress' hearings on Blackwater into a circus... TPM covered it- here.

Finally, some news from around the world... Russian President Putin finds a way to remain in power. As does Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf. The leaders of North and South Korea(s) meet for a diplomatic summit. And a U.N. envoy speaks with the Myanmar junta chief, as the murder of protestors rises. Lastly, ahead of a U.S.-sponsored conference on Palestinian statehood, Israel releases 29 Palestinian prisoners.