The Strib and PiPress are quick to trumpet any allegations of Somali youth going back to Somalia to fight, but somehow neither newspaper ever managed to write up Mohamed Aden.

Mr. Aden, 37, is part militia commander, part schoolteacher, part lawmaker, part engineer, part environmentalist, part king — a mind-boggling combination of roles for anyone to play, let alone for a guy who dresses (and talks) like a rapper and recently moved from Minnesota to Somalia in an effort to build a local government.

Think of him as the accidental warlord. And a shard of hope. In less than a year, Mr. Aden, who was born in Somalia and emigrated to the United States at age 22, has essentially built a state within a state.

With money channeled from fellow clansmen living in the United States and Europe, he has transformed Adado and its surroundings in central Somalia, which used to be haunted by bandits and warring Islamic factions, into an enclave of peace, with a functioning police force, scores of new businesses, new schools and new rules.

More reporting fail from two understaffed newspapers who increasingly rely on wire stories to tell Minnesotans about what’s going on in the world. A refugee who lived in Burnsville for fifteen years returns home to Somalia and makes a big difference. No, no reason why Minnesotans would ever want to read about that.

-

Clay Shirky “audits” his local newspaper, finds actual news makes up less than one-third of the content.

-

Not only did so-called conservatives whoop it up and cheer when Rio won the Olympics over Chicago, but it appears quite possible that Bush’s fuck the furriners tourist visa policies may have soured the IOC on ever returning to the U.S.A.

The hard right sees every Obama loss as a Republican win, but when it comes to America first, they’d rather praise foreign born cult leaders.

But seeing America do badly is only half their gig. Elliot Abrams is busy telling us how the Iranians want us to bomb their country, while Republican Secretary of State Jimbo DeMint is in Honduras reassuring the coup leaders that our real President and Secretary of State are not in charge of American foreign policy. [More on foreign policy from mcjoan, more on Republican hate from BarbinMD, and more on Honduras from Al Giordano]

The cherry on top? Karl Rove telling Wall Street Journal readers that Obama will be judged on his ability to clean up W’s messes. [More on Afghanistan from Consortium News]

Meanwhile:

Glenn W. Smith says Rick Perry just committed a crime by obstructing the investigation into Cameron Todd Willingham’s execution [more from TPM Muckraker]

Newsbusters smears NBC over substance-free allegations of Jew baiting

NYTimes’ conservatives problem

Fox accuses Kevin Jennings of counseling fifteen-year-old gay student, then gets around to contacting the student after the fact and asking his age (he was sixteen).

RNC push poll in Virginia lies about Obama expanding welfare and bringing back the draft

-

Democrats are no longer simple adversaries… they are the enemy. Taxes are no longer just unacceptable….they are unthinkable. Budget fixes aren’t topics of discussion unless done with a machete.

-

Economy:

Because no one ever got a bonus for settling a contract negotiation

Making money by giving away content [so simple a premium cable channel could figure it out]

Disney shuts down Washington University’s Disney Movie Appreciation Club for intellectual property infringement [rule of thumb: the more the CEO makes, the dumber the corporation gets]

Polls show majorities of Americans distrust corporations, trust unions

Hope for Housekeepers tour

Isn’t recycling just more redistribution of wealth?

Russell Mokhiber on Michael Moore

-

I love Helen Thomas.

-

PZ accused of breaking the 10 Commandments but his short essay responses reveal a near perfect grade.

It’s the bearing false witness that trips up Christianists. Lying about others is breaking the Commandments yet they do it openly and with relish.

-

This Week in God.

-

Ontario police fail to write report, investigation into police shooting abandoned.

Meanwhile, Levi Shaeffer still dead after being shot to death by Ontario cops while camping.

-

Allegations about Iranian jailers raping political prisoners back in the news after two prisoners, one male and one female, step forward.

-

Wall Street Journal ignores NFL’s restrictions on live blogging of their games.

-

Bits.

-

Ohio readers are encouraged to pledge money to WYSO tomorrow morning from 10:30 to 11:30 am when buddy Vick returns to the airwaves to raise money for the local NPR affiliate.

-

For them that thought last night’s music set was a little wussified, there’s a new Media Blitz Radio up.