Here is the latest on the reaction to the North Korean nuclear test. There is still some question as to whether or not the North Koreans actually exploded a nuclear device. It may have been a test that fizzled. It may have been a conventional explosive device. We may never know. The true significance of this event is in how the international community through the offices of the United Nations reacts to it. This may very well show, once and for all, that international institutions like the U.N. are simply incapable of dealing with rogue regimes in any kind of effective way.

Jimmy Carter thinks he knows how to solve the North Korean crisis, one step at a time. If you guessed that it does not involve military force, you would be right.

Simon Jenkins thinks the solution is either to learn to live with a nuclear North Korea, or bomb them. If we are willing to risk getting hundreds of thousands of people killed, including American soldiers, in a bloody resumption of the Korean War, then bombing is an option. I do not think we are willing to take that risk.

In Washington, Republican officials are now privately saying that they may lose between 7 and 30 House seats in next month's election. If they lose 15, the Democrats will take control of the House.

In Europe, according to this New York Times article, many mainstream, middle-of-the-road people are beginning to wonder if Islam is compatible with their way of life. If Muslims continue to embrace the more traditional, and even extremist, versions of their faith, then certainly they will not be able to intermingle in peace and harmony with their secular European neighbors. Better to figure that out now then to wait until the population of Muslims has reached a critical mass that will result in a bloody civil war.