Low-carb diets, the demise of the McDonald's Supersize menu, and even mad cow disease have hurt the market for potatoes, so spud growers are fighting back. "The National Potato Promotion Board (NPPB) recently launched a $4.5 million campaign that mixes print advertising, public relations and partnerships with weight-loss groups to educate consumers about the healthy benefits of potatoes," reports the Associated Press. According to NPPB president Tim O'Connor, "There's nothing anyone can do about McDonald's deciding to eliminate its Supersize. ...

Salon.com has published an excerpt from former right-wing journalist David Brock's new book, The Republican Noise Machine: Right-Wing Media and How It Corrupts Democracy. In an accompanying interview, Brock talks about how the conservative media "sets a climate and helps set parameters and helps form impressions. ...

U.S. prisoners of war during the first Gulf War "are criticizing the Bush administration for fighting their compensation claims while planning to compensate the Iraqi victims of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison," reports The Hill.