Saturday update: The weekly reference collection/research gleanings:
News researchers were debating this week where to find the most up-to-date list of Iraq casualties. It's shocking the Defense Department doesn't provide this; although you can get daily press releases on latest deaths there they don't update a list. Best lists suggested:
Iraq casualties: Army Times has database by date or by name (last entry was about a week ago when I checked last). Alphabetical list (by service/zone) from defendamerica.mil. Can't tell when this Defense site was last updated. Also: CNN's tally of deaths is updated daily so seems to me to be the best list, but it is alphabetical so if you need recent deaths you have to work through the entire list.
Why doesn't Defense provide a database, sortable by hometown/state/service/place/type of death? Seems the least they could do...

For seasonal information:

Summer resources: lists of useful links from Poynter's Dave Shedden.

Fireworks-related injuries info from CDC.

Census Facts for Features: Fourth of July

Fourth of July Celebrations database from a prof at American U.

The useful links....

Reference

San Francisco historical photo collection searchable digital photos from SF public library.

Three sites below come from the Time 50 best Websites list:

BaseballThinkFactory.com mega-baseball site has links to three great sites by same authors: BaseballReference, BaseballNewsstand, and BaseballPrimer. A one-stop shop.

ILoveLanguages.com new version of the old Human Languages page, which is a great directory of language sites.
Statistics:

Compilation of State Rankings from U.S. Statistical Abstract, from Uncle Sam's Reference Shelf at Census.
News:

BBC News Feeds if you use a newsreader/syndicator, you can now get BBC news by category.
Governments::

Calendar of Politics annual calendar listing upcoming political events (DC based), from The Hill.

Stateline reports on varied state laws on exotic animals.

GENDER GAP, GOP EDGE IN SMALL DONATIONS COULD LOOM BIG IN 2004 ELECTIONS. New report from OpenSecrets. A finding: women who work donate predominantly to Democrats, "Housewives" to Republicans.
Public Records:

Harmful Error Center for Public Integrity does a project (headed by Steve Weinberg) on local prosecutor misconduct. Includeds a database of judicial ruling. "...the Center found many prosecutors who were cited multiple times for misconduct. These prosecutors give recidivism—a word usually used to describe those they work to put behind bars—a disturbing new meaning." In the state-by-state breakdown, 567 cases found in Florida.

Missouri Court Historical Database covers Missouri Suprmeme Court decisions from 1783 to 1871.

More lawsuits against Lexis, Choicepoint, Accurint, most in Florida: list from Virtual Chase.

Maine criminal records search available online for $25, results (if available) emailed within 2 hours.
Tools:

HotBot deskbar Do you use a search deskbar? I have Google's installed on all my computers, couldn't live without instant access to the search. Some other search engines have deskbars too: this new one from HotBot gives you search (HotBot's is still highly recommended), plus instant dictionary, thesaurus, weather access.....

Rand McNally maps recommended by Time as a better alternative to Mapquest et al. I tried and found it seems to have better detail than the others.....but the one (800 mi.) route I asked it to plot turned out to be more tortuous than directions I've gotten from other sites....
Florida:

Florida court clerks under attack for putting court records online: story in Orlando Sentinel. Concerns cited here may get records closed eventually?
People:

California Births database searchable 1905-1995 data. Other years available at cost.
Journalism, Business: no links this week.