A reporter talks to a U.S. senator in his Washington, D.C., office. The senator has on a cap and suit covered in business logos. The reporter says: 'Senator, you're dressing differently since the Supreme Court ruling gutting campaign finance reform.' The senator smiles and says: 'Yeah ... some folks think I'm a NASCAR driver.' Editorial cartoon by Bruce Beattie. [full story]

The Old Woman in the Shoe holds two babies in her arms while more children peek out from the shoe house. In the caption she says: 'Of course my firstborn has a higher IQ. I was too tired to do flashcard drills etc. for the rest after they came along.' Editorial cartoon by Bruce Beattie. [full story]

CORONADO, Calif. - Lou Gehrig is to blame for the crooked fingers on Joe DiGangi's right hand. Gehrig hit a foul ball in the 1930s that disclocated two of DiGangi's digits and nearly knocked off a nail. Then as now, the baseball catcher played a perilous position. Now as then, DiGangi would have gladly done it for a couple of hot dogs. "Lou Gehrig always had a hitch (in his swing), and he tipped one," ... [full story]

The National Football League does not need to cut corners. It can afford to navigate the straight and narrow and forgo unnecessary detours down dark alleys. It can choose to insist on citizenship. The most powerful operation in American sports is stronger still because of rookie Commissioner Roger Goodell's intolerance for trouble. In drawing a more stringent league-wide line on personal behavior, Goodell has rebalanced the risk/reward decisions of individual teams. He has forced executives ... [full story]

Tipping fees charged at Knott Landfill and other Deschutes County solid waste disposal facilities (Negus, Northwest, Alfalfa and Southwest transfer stations) will increase on September 1st. The funds generated by the increase will be used to preserve Deschutes County Roads. The tipping fee for solid waste disposal will increase from $40 to $45 per ton on September 1. The minimum disposal fee (for up to 400 pounds of waste) will increase from $19 to $20. ... [full story]

Q: Since you were born in Atlanta, would you consider yourself Old South or New South? A: "Borderline both. I like to hunt and fish." Q: Before you played in the pressure of Chicago, you broke in with Montreal. Good or bad? A: "I enjoyed my time in Montreal. I made it to the big leagues at a very young age. I was able to play and learn without external pressure. I played for three ... [full story]

KEY WEST, Fla. - With the start of hurricane season, meteorologist Matt Strahan regularly scans computer screens for signs of a storm brewing near this famously carefree island. Strahan figures that few of the people he is there to protect are as worried as he is about a less imminent but far-reaching threat: Global warming is causing the world's oceans to expand, and they gradually could swallow coral reefs such as Key West. Likewise, rising ... [full story]

RALEIGH, N.C. - Durham County, N.C., District Attorney Mike Nifong plans to return to North Carolina to resign, the lawyer prosecuting him said. The judge in the case has scheduled a hearing for Monday to decide whether to formally remove Nifong from office. He has been suspended because of his conduct in the Duke rape case. Judge Orlando Hudson has the option of simply accepting Nifong's resignation, The Raleigh News & Observer reported. "He indicated ... [full story]

TIJUANA, Mexico - Three shiny, new Chinese vehicles to be built in Tijuana - the first for the North American market - were unveiled Monday at the Autonomous University of Baja California campus. With a pickup truck, a sport utility vehicle and a three-wheeled auto behind them, top executives of the Chinese car manufacturer ZX Auto and U.S. partner Chamco Auto signed an agreement to invest $400 million in a ZX Auto manufacturing plant in ... [full story]

SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, Calif. - Without a safety harness, wildlife biologist Peter B. Sharpe scales a steep crag to clamp ID bands on three bald eaglets as their screeching parents go into dive-bomb mode. He tries not to think about a similar encounter a few weeks earlier, when an eagle protecting its nest struck him with its talons, bloodying his face. Despite its aggressive defense, the distress call of America's national bird is surprisingly feeble. ... [full story]