Oh the irony. In a week that saw a jaw-dropping surge in music sales, television ratings and internet traffic in response to the death of Michael Jackson, VIBE, one of the nation's leading music magazines, abruptly stopped publication Tuesday.

Honduras is in turmoil. A military coup there this morning deposed Pres. Manuel Zelaya, pre-empting a controversial referendum that would have allowed the leftist ruler to run for a second term. The Honduran Congress has stripped Zelaya of his office and appointed the president of the Congress, Robert Micheletti, to be head of state. The US and the Organization of the Americas criticized the move,  

It seems the top domestic news story in the United States this week is the concern among Congressional leaders that draft legislation aimed at overhauling the health care system is doomed because of its projected $1 trillion price tag (.pdf) But the Obama administration hasn't even offered its plan, so the hard bargaining hasen't begun yet. When it does, one of the big challenges for consumers seeking reliable information will be a dearth of independent, knowledgeable reporters.

By now you might have seen the wrenching YouTube video: A young woman shot dead on the streets of Tehran as she and her father (some reports say he was one of her professors) watched a crowd of protestors on Saturday. You see her standing; you see her fall; you see the desparate effort to save her as blood spurts from her nose and mouth and streams down her beautiful, youthful face.

Former President Bill Clinton says he likes blogs and bloggers.That's why he had his staff invite 15 of us to his Harlem, New York office for an hour-long chat Monday about the work of the Clinton Foundation, his recent appointment as special UN envoy to Haiti and a range of other current political issues.   Energy policy