Bush visited Austin yesterday, commended Texas for our state's emergency preparations. Mandatory evacuation orders lifted for Jefferson, Orange and Hardin counties in Southeast Texas. Evacuees taking shelter from Gustav in Austin eager to return home. Two Central Texas employers announced job cuts today. more ›

• New Orleans might, fingers crossed, have dodged the (latest) bullet.
• Little Mrs. Anti-Earmark actually got a bunch of federal $$ for tiny Wasilla (maybe to fund the Iditarod Museum?)
• Ridiculous as she is, Palin brought in the bucks this past weekend.

As Gustav looks like it is on its way to New Orleans, President Bush and V.P. Cheney announced today that they will not be attending the GOP convention in St. Paul this week. Instead of making an appearance in Minnesota, Bush plans to check on emergency preparations in Austin and San Antonio when the storm is set to hit Louisiana, then will make his way to the other states affected after the storm hits. more ›

• Clinton's convention speech: "No way, no how, no McCain"
• Chatter over Hutchison as McCain's possible VP pick gets louder. Isn't she running for governor?
• Suffering from exhaustion, Dalai Lama cancels international trips