Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The Great White Shank is back from Vancouver, just in time to make sure Goodboys Nation covers the world like no other – eat your heart out, Dan Rather!

Around the world:

Al-Qaeda’s #3 man is suspected as the mastermind behind the recently-foiled plot to blow up airliners traveling from Great Britian to the U.S. Our correspondent from Captains Quarters has the details.

The shaky cease-fire in Lebanon is bolstered by the news that 3,500 U.N. peacekeepers will comprise the force to keep hostilities from Israel and Hezbollah from resuming. Too bad it’ll never work – especially when you hear about stories like this.

Facing the nation:

Acting on behalf of our good friends at the ACLU, a federal judge in Detroit finds the NSA’s surveillance program (the one revealed by the New York Times late last year) unconstitutional.

Editorial Page:

What a joke. Just one week – one week! – after the plot to blow up jetliners traveling from Britain to the U.S. (discovered, BTW, in part with the help of this same program), some truly clueless, leftist judge appointed by Jimmy Carter, acting on behalf of people who I guarantee would be the first to scream, “Our country is not safer under President Bush!” were Al-Qaeda to blow up a few buses in, say, New York City, rules the program unconstitutional.

Simply put, Judge Taylor’s ruling and actions are shameful. Is there anyone out there who truly believes the Left in general, and Democrats in particular, take the need to protect our country from terrorists and terrorism seriously? By sharing a bed with groups like the ACLU who deliberately and willingly work to make our country more vulnerable to terrorist attacks is, in my view, akin to treason – and I don’t use that word casually. Look, I like many have major problems with the Republicans in Congress, but all this is going to do is further motivate conservative voters out there come November to do whatever they can to keep the Democrats from taking control of the House or Senate. Crank at Red State has more.

Local news:

Due to recent occurences inside the bunny room here at 1025 W. Hearne Way, the rabbit previously known as “Big Pint” has formerly been renamed “The Big Nipper” (or “Nipper”) for short. Said rabbit needs a bit of an attitude adjustment while he adjusts to his new surroundings. Given his past history this behavior is quite understandable – you just have to be careful about moving your body parts a little to quickly when ‘Nip’s mouth is near…

Sports shorts:

The Red Sox FINALLY made some moves today, trading for the Blue Jays’ Eric Hinske and signing former Haverhill native, Northeastern University star, and Detroit Tiger first-baseman Carlos Pena to a minor league contract. Well, they needed to do something (more on this tomorrow) and they desperately needed someone who can hit left-handers and provide a spell for both third-baseman Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis at first – both of whom seem to have hit a wall of late.

Weather:

There’s been no action to speak of this hurricane season, and Robert Hahn at Red State notes the folks at The Weather Channel are pretty bummed out about it.

Religion:

Here’s something you won’t hear from the Episcopal Church’s leadership – a U.S. Roman Catholic bishop takes on Islam. (Hat tip: Red State)

Oddly Enough:

A ‘beserk’ squirrel trashes a home across the pond in ‘jolly old’ after mistakenly entering the home through the ceiling and frantically trying to escape by destroying what he could before, um…spitting the bit. I like this line: “An RSPCA spokesman said the incident was very unusual.” Yeah, right – squirrels doing house damage is very unusual. Anyone out there care to share their own squirrel stories?