Pat Dollard

NY Times: The House forecast that we released on Friday establishes an over-under line for Republican gains at a net of 47 or 48 seats. But, as I noted at the end of the article, the confidence interval on this forecast is very wide. Its margin of error is about ±30 seats — meaning that [...]

SAN JOSE MINE, Chile (AP) — After more than two months trapped deep in a Chilean mine, 33 miners were tantalizingly close to rescue on Sunday, and officials said the miners were so giddy with confidence of success they were arguing over who would be the last one out. The first tests of the three [...]

The Hill: An extended halt of foreclosure proceedings could put additional pressure on an already strained housing market as federal and state officials press banks for answers on possible problems with mortgage paperwork. The issue has snowballed during past two weeks as four banks — Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Ally Financial’s GMAC mortgage [...]

Financial Times: Fears of a global food crisis swept the world’s commodity markets as prices for staples such as corn, rice and wheat spiralled after the US government warned of “dramatically” lower supplies. An especially hot summer in the US, droughts in countries including Russia and Brazil and heavy rain in Canada and Europe have [...]

The Guardian: The English Defence League, a far-right grouping aimed at combating the “Islamification” of British cities, has developed strong links with the American Tea Party movement. An Observer investigation has established that the EDL has made contact with anti-jihad groups within the Tea Party organisation and has invited a senior US rabbi and Tea [...]

Los Angeles Times: In 1969, Carol McDonald was 28, married and the mother of two young children, out for an evening of fun with a couple who smoked marijuana. By the end of the evening she was on her way to a 19-year addiction. “Within a few months, I was smoking every day,” said McDonald, [...]

Arizona Republic: Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon’s house was burglarized Saturday morning after a thief entered through the backdoor.

The Spec: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Anyone driving the twists of Highway 1 between San Francisco and Los Angeles recently may have glimpsed a Toyota Prius with a curious funnel-like cylinder on the roof. Harder to notice was that the person at the wheel was not actually driving. The car is a project of Google, [...]

Scene of the party Seattle (AP) – Washington police are investigating a possible sexual assault scheme after a dozen young people were taken to hospitals after overdosing on an unknown substance at a house party. All but one had been released by late Saturday afternoon, and that person was in good condition at a hospital [...]

The Hill: Financier George Soros blamed Republicans and China for holding back necessary measures to boost the struggling economy.

FLORENCE, AZ (AP) – Independent testing of a bloodied shirt backs up the story of a deputy who contends he was shot by drug smugglers in the remote desert, officials said Thursday. The deputy dismissed speculation that he staged the incident to publicize drug and human smuggling. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said the Arizona [...]