OVERNIGHT

*  It's over.  The tablets are down from Sinai.  The Harvard Crimson has endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination and John McCain for the Republican.  Thus ends the drama and suspense.  America's adolescent elite has spoken, and nothing more need be said.

Of course, the McCain endorsement had reservations, whereas the Obama nod was given without a single suggestion that the candidate might have a flaw or two.  No doubt the faculty mob that beheaded Larry Summers will be pleased by such certainty.

*  CIA, after its own probe, has concluded that members of al-Qaeda and allies of a Pakistani tribal leader were responsible for the murder of Benazir Bhutto. The CIA director, Michael Hayden, reiterated the administration's concern over Pakistani stability.  We're constantly assured, usually by anonymous sources, that the Pak-nukes are secure, but assassinations and revolutions have a way of unlocking locks.  It's a Washington Post report.

*  A third shipment of nuclear fuel, from Russia with love, has now arrived at Iran's Bushehr power plant.   (You'd think the left would hate the plant just because of the first four letters of its name.)  According to Iran, the fuel is for the generation of electricity.  There's an enormous demand in Iran to recharge iPods.  But not to worry.  Mohamed elBaradei, the UN's nuclear sleuth, is on the case.  Strike the "not to worry."

*  The AP, in a well-reported story, notes Barack Obama's new act for Vegas.  It's got humor, it's got punch, it works the crowd.  Frankly, it looks good.  If Obama doesn't win the White House, he might just get approached by five-foot-five men from Los Angeles, wearing pinky rings and Armani suits, holding contracts and starting every sentence with, "Hey..."

*  The real news out of Macworld isn't the much-hyped lightweight Macbook, but another Apple launch called Time Capsule.  It's a wireless station that not only transmits to all computers in an office or home, but wirelessly backs up everything on those machines, and does so automatically.  You don't have to do a thing.  Of course, it's designed for Macs running the latest operating system, but no doubt we'll see versions of this for the Windows legions.  With one small box you eliminate all those wires and external hard disks.  Important.

Posted on January 18, 2007.