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Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

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Iraqi Demands Pullback; U.S. Lifts Baghdad Cordon
The Iraqi prime minister's move appeared to be his boldest gambit in a tense struggle for more independence from his American protectors.

Gee, just in time for our election. What a coincidence. —Caro

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Unfairly Balanced

The World

Israel defense minister eyes Arab plan
TEL AVIV, Israel - Israel's defense minister said Tuesday that a dormant Saudi initiative for Mideast peace could be a "basis for negotiation," indicating a new possibility for talks with the Palestinians after years of stalemate.

Gee, just in time for our election. What a coincidence. —Caro

Moscow may back U.N. sanctions on Iran
MOSCOW - Two senior Russian officials indicated Tuesday that Moscow could back a draft U.N. Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on Iran, in an apparent sign of the Islamic Republic's growing isolation over its nuclear program.

Gee, just in time for our election. What a coincidence. —Caro

Fierce debate over veils in Egypt
CAIRO, Egypt - The origin of the debate could not be more intimate: what a woman chooses to wear before she leaves home. But the increasing popularity of the full Muslim face veil has set off an emotional dispute in the Arab world over whether the covering is required by Islam for modesty or a dangerous sign of political extremism.

Afghan Fighting, Bomb Attacks Continue
Afghanistan is no less deadly a place for anyone five years after the U.S.-led invasion, as two more NATO troops are killed and Taliban fighters continue to show signs of resilience in scattered battles in the country’s war-torn regions.

NATO force not big enough for quick victory: general
LONDON (AFP) - NATO troops in Afghanistan are insufficient to guarantee a swift victory for coalition troops there, the organisation's commander in the Asian country said in interviews for the British press.

Sri Lanka's military accuses Tiger rebels of breaching truce
COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka's military has accused Tamil Tiger rebels of carrying out artillery and mortar attacks against troop camps in the east of the island, despite a pledge to stick to a truce.

N. Korea wants to resolve U.S. financial restrictions at revived nuclear talks
North Korea affirmed Wednesday it would return to nuclear disarmament talks to seek a resolution of a U.S. campaign aimed at choking the communist nation's access to foreign banks.

Brazil's Silva outlines his priorities
SAO PAULO, Brazil - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday he will use his second term to boost economic development, improve education and ease poverty. He also pledged to punish those found guilty of corruption in his administration.

The Nation

White House, Kerry exchange accusations
WASHINGTON - The White House and Sen. John Kerry traded their harshest accusations since the 2004 presidential race on Tuesday, with President Bush accusing the Democrat of troop-bashing and Kerry calling the president's men hacks who are "willing to lie."

Bush risks rallying Dems with GOP
His name is not on any ballot, but George W. Bush is the central issue of campaign 2006. Tuesday's vote will deliver a referendum on Bush's leadership -- bold and principled or radically divisive, depending on one's political ideology -- and the wartime policies he has championed.

Millions spent on negative political ads
WASHINGTON - So far this campaign, the political parties have exposed voters to nearly $160 million in ads attacking congressional candidates. How much spent painting a positive image? About $17 million.

GOP campaign panel launch automated calls
WASHINGTON - Press one if you think they're dirty tricks. Press two if you think prerecorded telephone messages are devastatingly effective, especially during the final days of a close campaign.

Dems hold record 15-point edge over GOP
The final pre-election NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll suggests that Democrats continue to have a significant advantage heading into the midterms that take place exactly one week from Tuesday.

For now, anyway, but I’m not counting on anything. —Caro

Abortion, gay marriage among ballot issues
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apart from deciding whether Republicans keep control of the U.S. Congress, Americans will vote next week on more than 200 state measures many politicians consider too hot to handle.

Calling all misogynists! Calling all homophobes! Be sure to make it to the polls to vote Republican! —Caro

Rumsfeld OKs increase in Iraqi forces
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday endorsed a proposal to spend at least $1 billion to expand the size and accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces.

Gee, just in time for the election. What a coincidence. —Caro

Gas price rise undermines U.S. election conspiracy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A widespread conspiracy theory that the White House engineered gasoline prices lower to influence next week's congressional elections was undermined by news of a small hike at the pumps last week, the industry's main trade group said on Tuesday.

Not necessarily, Reuters. The lower prices came about weeks before the election, when there was time for it to sink in. Now the oil barons can go back to their confiscatory ways. They can’t even wait until after the election to start stealing from us again. —Caro

Initial costs hit IRS plan to recover delinquent taxes
The IRS could lose money or break even in the first phase of its program to turn some tax debts over to private collection agencies, newly released agency data show. The IRS expects to collect $55.8 million to $92 million in the recently started first phase of the private collection effort.

It will cost more than $92 million to collect $92 million? Ain’t privatization wonderful? —Caro

GAO questions IRS collection plan
WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service must improve oversight of a new program using private agencies to collect taxes before expanding the effort, congressional investigators say.

Economy & Business

Stocks end flat, but best month in nearly a year
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks wrapped up their best month in almost a year on Tuesday, ending the session little changed as disappointing data on consumer confidence curbed investors' appetite for equities, while a broker's upgrade of Dell Inc. helped the tech sector.

But you can be sure that nobody from Karl Rove’s office called the big traders and told them to run up stock prices prior to the election. Got that? NOBODY. CALLED. —Caro

Oil prices ease in Asian trade on signs of weakening US economy
SINGAPORE (AFP) - Oil prices have been easier in Asian trade on further signs of a weakening US economy which may cut demand in a well supplied market, dealers said.

Pressure builds on U.S. business to outsource: study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Pressure on the U.S. labor market from the outsourcing of traditionally white-collar jobs is just starting to build, according to a new study.

So when they outsource, it’s because of the pressure, see? It’s not their fault. They wouldn’t do it if they didn’t have to, see? —Caro

Media

AT&T cable plan includes wireless
Mobile phones figure prominently in AT&T's attack plans as it prepares to take on the big cable TV operators. "Wireless is at the top of our list," says Scott Helbing, AT&T executive vice president of entertainment, who is responsible for acquiring programming content for AT&T's new video service…

Group asks FTC to probe Web ads
A non-profit consumer advocacy group plans to ask federal regulators Wednesday to rein in the fast-growing $100 billion online marketing industry. The Center for Digital Democracy is expected to file a Federal Trade Commission complaint asking the agency to investigate online advertisers.

Science & Technology

Persistent dead zone off Oregon coast linked to global warming
A devastating ocean dead zone off Oregon that killed fish, crabs and sea worms in an area bigger than Rhode Island last summer lasted nearly three times longer than any of its predecessors, before dissipating with autumn's change in the weather, scientists said Monday.

NASA to send astronauts to repair Hubble
GREENBELT, Md. - The Hubble Space Telescope, which opened Earth's eyes to an awe-inspiring universe of star births and colliding galaxies, got a reprieve from the junk pile Tuesday.

Scientists grow liver from stem cells
NEWCASTLE, England, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- British scientists have grown a liver from stem cells in the first step toward creating fully viable livers, perhaps within 10 years.

Computing, 2016: What Wont Be Possible?
In a decade, it is likely that the impact of computing will go deeper into the sciences and spread more into the social sciences and that policy issues will loom large.

Electronics Manufacturers Partner In Wireless HD Video Technology
Major electronic manufacturers have banned together in developing a wireless specification for streaming high-definition video between consumer electronic devices.

Verizon Offers Wireless Synching Of Phone/PC Contact Lists
Verizon Wireless is offering cellular phones that can synchronize their contact lists with popular email applications.

Bogus boarding passes sparks uproar
Christopher Soghoian said he was simply trying to highlight a flaw in the nation's airline security procedures when he put a tool on his Web site letting anyone create fake boarding passes, but federal authorities didn't see it that way.