Hurricane Earl Weakens, Remains Threat To East Coast

Hurricane Earl is barreling towards the American East Coast but has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane.

Weakening from its previous Category 4 ranking, Earl continues along its path toward many east coast states, including North Carolina, where evacuations of some low-lying islands off the coast have already begun.

Earl is projected to reach the U.S. coastline early Friday morning with wind speeds nearing 125 miles per hour and will weaken as it continues along its current projected path along the coast. 

Murkowski Concedes In Alaska Primary

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) conceded defeat last night in her tight primary battle with conservative lawyer Joe Miller.

Miller, a little known attorney who gained support from Tea Party activists, including an endorsement from fellow Alaskan Sarah Palin, led the incumbent Murkowski by just over 1,600 votes after most absentee ballots were counted.

Miller’s victory adds another name to the growing list of conservative Republican candidates vying to shake up Washington. That list includes primary winners Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah), Ken Buck (Colo.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.).

Murkowski becomes the third establishment-backed incumbent to lose a senate primary race this year, joining Bob Bennett (R-Utah) and Arlen Specter (D-Pa.). Miller will face Democrat Scott McAdams, a small-town mayor, in the state’s general election this November…

Palin Invokes Orwell In Preview Of Obama's Iraq Speech

Former Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin tweeted today that President Barack Obama is attempting to re-write the history books by taking credit for ending America’s combat mission in Iraq.

“Obama speech tonite may make u dig out ur old Orwell books so rewritten history can be deciphered, depending on who gets credit 4 Iraq surge,” read Palin’s tweet.

The outspoken conservative was referring to George Orwell, the author of 1984, a fictional novel which portrayed a dystopian society created by the totalitarian regime of a socialist party.

The President’s address to the nation will be televised tonight starting at 8:00pm.

Israeli Embassy Spokesperson Optimistic Over Upcoming Peace Talks

A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy expressed optimism Tuesday over the peace peace talks between Israreli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C. later this week.

“We believe definitely that this is feasible,” Jonathan Peled told reporters during a conference call. “There is no reason why the two leaders … cannot achieve a so-long desired and needed agreement of peace.”

Peled offered little detail on the status of the moratorium placed on settlements and what role the upcoming expiration will play on the talks. Peled said that all sides are coming to the table without preconditions and that the issue will be discussed. 

The new peace talks represent the first direct talks since negotiations collapsed in 2008, after the Israelis led a military operation against Hamas in the Gaza strip.

Peled also commented on a recent shooting in the West Bank that left 4 Israelis dead, noting that it was likely an attempt to affect the upcoming meetings.

“It impacts, but it shouldn’t derail the talks,” Peled said.

White House: No Timetable For Formation Of Iraqi Government

A White House spokesman told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One today that the Obama administration will not set a certain date by which Iraq’s new government must be in place.

“We’re not going to put a timetable on government formation,” Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said. “What we are saying, though, is that Iraq should move forward with a sense of urgency around government formation, that it’s time to get down to some of these core issues.”

Parties of both current Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his opponent, Ayad Allawi, won enough seats in March’s elections to form governments, yet no action by either side has taken place. Rhodes said President Obama will discuss the need for Iraq to address this challenge during his roughly 15-minute televised address to the nation tonight…