Huckleberries World Headlines — 7/18/05

* New Potter book breaks sales records: 250,000 per hour for first 24 hours /My Way — I can’t take it any more. Which major character dies in the sixth book. (And: Mike Kennedy, when are you going to finish reading the book to your kids so you can loan it to me?)

* GOP allies say Bush is close to court pick: choice may be announced this week /Washington Post — Gentlemen (and I use that term loosely when applied to Ted Kennedy), start your filibuster.

* Secretary of State Rice keeps up a record travel pace: 152,235 miles and 35 countries /US News & World Report: You go, girl.

* Sandra Bullock Weds ‘Monster Garage’ Star Jesse James: Surprised guests included Jamie Lee Curtis, William Shatner and James Hetfield /M-TV: Any guesses how long this Planet Hollyweird match made in heaven is going to last? Choices: 1. 6 months, 2. A year, 3. Less than 2 years, and 4. Who cares?

* Quitting smoking helps heal chronic gum disease: Smokers 6 times more likely than nonsmokers to develop gum disease /Reuters — Cigareets are a blight on the whole human race/A man is a monkey with one in his face/Come listen my good friend come listen my brother/Fire on one end a fool on the other.