Entries for February 27, 2007

We'll close out the day with this item from U.S. News' Marianne Lavelle:

Mississippi Republican Senator Trent Lott said this morning he's looking forward to driving a Toyota Highlander SUV. He was just one of a slew of politicians on hand in Tupelo to cheer the automaker's announcement that it will build a $1.3 billion assembly plant in northeast Mississippi.

Lott chuckled at speculation in recent days over the "best kept secret in the country," that Mississippi would win out for the highly sought project over Tennessee and Arkansas. Production is to begin in 2010, with employment of 2,000 expected, and a goal of producing 150,000 of the popular sport utility crossover vehicle each year.

It will be Toyota's eighth manufacturing facility in the United States, and underscores the Japanese automaker's swift growth in contrast to its faltering U.S. rivals in the industry. Lott's fellow Mississippi Senator, Republican Thad Cochran was also on hand, as was Gov. Haley Barbour.

U.S. News White House Correspondent Kenneth T. Walsh gives us this item on what senior GOP insiders think of the field of 2008 presidential hopefuls:

Republican insiders are updating their assessment of the strengths and weakness of their presidential front runners. Their verdict: No one has a lock on the nomination and the campaign could last well into next year.

"Rudy Giuliani has had a really good couple of weeks," says a senior GOP strategist with close ties to the White House. The former New York mayor is proving himself a charismatic campaigner, very smart, and fully aware that he needs to address the concerns of conservatives that he is too liberal on social issues such as abortion, gay rights, and gun control. His answer: He would appoint conservative judges to the bench, including the Supreme Court, and won't let his liberal views interfere with that overriding objective.

This is proving to be an effective message to conservative activists, the insiders say, but these activists need further reassurance that Giuliani isn't too liberal. ...continue reading.

In the past three hours the Dow Jones has dipped another several hundred points to a drop of more than 400 points today. But Paul J. Lim, the chief financial correspondent for U.S. News, weighs in to say that it isn't time to panic just yet.

"No doubt, today's market sell-off is jarring to investors, especially since market volatility has been rather mild in recent years," Lim writes on USNews.com. "But to a certain extent, this type of sell-off is welcome news on Wall Street. Bull market rallies are usually peppered with minor sell-offs and corrections that give investors time to rest and reenter the market at attractive prices."

The question, Lim says, is whether the market is dropping too rapidly. "Is this a tiny tremor that alleviates market pressure, or could this be the start of the big one? Right now, many believe it's still just a tremor. Of course, all eyes will be on the stock market over the next few days."

Read to Lim's analysis for a full report Lim with details about the three events that contributed to today's dip.

Etc.: Is the Emerging Markets Craze Over? on USNews.com

As we mentioned earlier, a forthcoming documentary called "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" is raising a lot of eyebrows. In this video, you can see the producer, James Cameron (director of "Titanic, among other movies) present the two stones boxes that, evidence suggests, may have contained the remains of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, another Biblical figure.

Critics have been quick to chime in. The existence of Jesus' physical remains would challenge a literal interpretation of the Bible, which states that he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. Others scholars support a more spiritual interpretation of the resurrection.

In the Bible, Mary Magdalene, who Jesus rid of evil spirits, is present at the crucifixion and witnessed his ascension. She is often associated with a prostitute who anointed Jesus' feet.

Etc.: New: A Revision to the Story of Jesus? on USNews.com

Etc.: A bold new take on the historical Jesus, on USNews.com

Here are the hot stories making headlines this afternoon around the Web:

• Video: U.S. military forces in Iraq have discovered a factory for making roadside bombs from Iranian-made materials. The cache also contained mortars and rockets.
• A car bomb exploded this afternoon in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, killing at least 18 boys playing soccer in a park nearby.
• The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 200 points today after the Chinese market plunged 9 percent.
• A forthcoming study has found that today's college students are more self-centered than the previous generation. The researchers relied on 14 years of data from a test called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory.
• A grand jury in Leflore County, Miss., has decided not to issue an indictment for 72-year-old Carolyn Bryant in the reopened case of the death of Emmett Till, the black 14-year-old killed by two white men in 1955. Roy Bryant, her former husband, admitted to murdering Till after being acquitted by an all-white jury. Some witness accounts suggested Carolyn Bryant was present when Till was abducted.

Etc.: Emmett Till: In pursuit of justice, on USNews.com

A new Discovery Channel documentary on a tomb in Jerusalem that may have once housed the body of Jesus has already caused a lot of stir well before its air date this Sunday. The Jerusalem Post has details here.

Have a question about the long quest for information about the historical Jesus? Correspondent Jay Tolson, who wrote on the subject last April, is standing by to take your questions (click "Ask a question" below or email us at newsblog@usnews.com).

We'll have video for you as well this afternoon for the daily doc.

Here's a rundown of where some of the presidential candidates are taking to the stump today.

The Democrats

• Sen. Joe Biden makes four stops in New Hampshire, holding two Town Hall meetings on Iraq (at Darmouth College and New England College) and speaking at a few community events.
• John Edwards is in New York City for a discussion on urban poverty at the Community Service Society of New York

The Republicans

• Rep. Duncan Hunter speaks to the Iowa Christian Alliance in Waukee, Iowa.
• Sen. Sam Brownback is in New Jersey for a fundraiser for Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) and speaks to the Tuesday Group, a meeting of conservative activists and elected officials.

Note: We tend not to include D.C. events in this space unless they are major campaign rallies, since candidates -- particularly those who work here -- are constantly attending dinners and wooing policymakers.

Have you attended a campaign rally for a 2008 presidential candidate recently? Send us your review at newsblog@usnews.com and maybe we'll share it here.