From the Guardian in London: Concern about a US-British attack on Iran is growing in the United Nation. The Guardian says Mohamed ElBaradei, the UN's chief nuclear-weapons inspector, and others are "attempting to slow down what seemed to be an accelerating march to war." "He is really alarmed," a UN official said of ElBaradei. "He sees this thing going out of control. The feeling around here is that this looks like the run-up to the Iraq war." �

Television ads have been used to sell everything from toothpaste to burgers. And while the public sneers at them, there's little doubt that they work. But this year we're seeing an advertising first. TV ads are being used to promote the war in Iraq.A series of emotionally charged ads have been running on Fox News and CNN, using wounded Iraq War veterans and the families of soldiers killed in action. The goal: to prolong the war.In one, a veteran says he re-enlisted after 9/11 because "he didn't want his son to see what he saw" and because terrorists "won't stay

In The American Prospect's October issue, Paul Starr's "The Hillarycare Mythology," a refresher course in what the Clinton administration's health-care proposal was - and what it wasn't. Media coverage continues to be full of errors, Starr says.

Our staff is still analyzing Maggie Brooks' sales-tax plan, but it's easy to draw one conclusion: There's no excuse for the Brooks' administration's secrecy and ramrodding.Yes, we've all known that Brooks wanted to buy into the state's "intercept" plan. But until 5 o'clock yesterday, she hadn't said how she would do that and continue to share the sales tax with the city, towns, and villages. Nor had there been a hint that the county would start charging municipalities the costs of their Monroe Community College students - something that deserves a full, thoughtful airing.Announcing a far-reaching plan at 5 and