Slog

Partial Reprieve: Edmonds school district students who fall behind on lunch payments to get milk with their cold cheese sandwich.

Success!: Bush administration declares bin Laden was not the “mastermind” of 9/11, and that the bad guy is already in jail. War on Terrorism: Won!

In the Water: Drugs are in drinking water of at least 46 million Americans.

Yikes: Coastal areas of Texas evacuated in anticipation of Hurricane Ike.

Tax-and-spend: McCain wants workers to pay tax on employer-provided health care coverage.

“Cocky wacko”: Palin, according to Lincoln Chafee.

Dirty Tricks: Michigan GOP seeks to disenfranchise (mostly black) voters whose houses have been foreclosed.

Elitist: Photos surface of McCain celebrating his 70th birthday on yacht of convicted felon Raffaello Follieri.

Whiner: Palin asks “Purpose Driven Life” author Rick Warren to “send her some Bible verses on how do you deal with the unfair, unjust attacks and the mean-spirited criticism that comes in.”

Well, That Seems Reasonable: As WaMu stock tanks, new CEO gets $20 million pay package.

Taking the Lead: New Zealand adopts cap-and-trade system.

Meh: Burner releases economic plan built around middle-class tax cuts, “fiscal discipline.”

Recipe of the Day: Braised Romano Beans (recipe and photo via Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced carrot
1 cup minced red onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup peeled, crushed ripe tomatoes, preferably plum tomatoes, with their juices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds romano beans (flat green beans), ends trimmed (or fresh cranberry beans in their shells).

1. Heat oil in a deep skillet or a shallow three-quart saucepan. Add celery, carrot and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables barely begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, a few minutes. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until mixture is well combined, about 5 minutes.

2. Add beans, setting them in pan all in one direction. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer. Baste beans, season with salt, reduce heat to low. Cook gently, partly covered, turning beans in sauce from time to time, until beans are very tender, about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 6 servings.