Two Lightly Covered News Stories:

The final version of the House Committee on the Judiciary Democratic Members' report The Constitution in Crisis: The Downing Street Minutes and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retribution, and Coverups in the Iraq War, and Illegal Domestic Surveillance, was released on August 4th to almost no fanfare and very litte press coverage. Perhaps it was the title - not the most gripping is it? But according to Ranking Democrat John Conyers:

Approximately 26 laws and regulations may have been violated by this Administration's misconduct.

Our Constitution established a tri-partite system of government, with the notion that each branch of government would act as a check on the other two. Unfortunately, for the last six years, the Republicans in Congress have largely viewed themselves as defenders of the Bush Administration, instead of a vital check on overreaching by the Executive Branch. By doing so, I believe they have acted to the detriment of our Constitutional form of government.

The second story is the ongoing crisis in Gaza, which is worsening. and the 'arrest' of the Palestinian Speaker of the House.

At least 163 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have died in the offensive, according to an AFP count, and much of the densely packed territory's infrastructure has been destroyed, including its one power plant. The UN said that according to its figures, 175 Palestinians have been killed, including approximately 40 children and eight women. More than 620 Palestinians have been wounded, the statement said.

On the Israeli side, the UN said that one soldier has been killed and 25 wounded, including 11 from homemade rockets fired from Gaza. "All parties to the conflict are obliged to protect civilians during hostilities," the UN statement said.

And:

Palestinian officials said Israeli forces arrested the speaker of the Palestinian parliament at his house early Sunday. The director of the speaker's office and security officers said about 20 Israeli army vehicles surrounded the house of parliament speaker Abdel Aziz Duaik, a member of Hamas, and took him into custody.

Twenty vehicles because he is such a dangerous terrorist.