The “dirty bomb” drama gives way to less dramatic reality. The suspected terrorist was actually arrested more than a month ago, the plans for a bomb were only in their incipience, and every single journalistic outfit has some sort of “Dirty Bomb 101” FAQ or multimedia popup on their front page.

The article also mentions Padilla’s “Puerto Rican heritage.” You really have to dig a bit to find even an indirect mention of ethnicity these days.