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Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

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Gates hears doubts from war commanders
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Defense Secretary Robert Gates is hearing doubts from war commanders about what could be accomplished by a possible increase of U.S. troops in Iraq, but some of the troops on the ground say it would be a good idea.

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The World

Radical cleric mulling Iraq cease-fire
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who heads a militia feared by Iraq's Sunnis, is considering a one-month unilateral cease-fire and may push his followers to rejoin the political process after a three-week boycott, officials close to him said.

Ahmadinejad opponents win elections
TEHRAN, Iran - Opponents of Iran's ultra-conservative president won nationwide elections for local councils, final results confirmed Thursday, an embarrassing outcome for the hardline leader that could force him to change his anti-Western tone and focus more on problems at home.

Roadside bombs targeting police kill 7 in Afghanistan
HERAT, Afghanistan (AFP) - Four Afghan civilians and three policemen were killed by two separate roadside bombs aimed at police convoys in the latest violence linked to a Taliban insurgency, police said.

U.S. envoy calls on N. Korea not to divert nuclear talks with financial complaints
The U.S. envoy to talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program urged the communist nation Thursday to focus on dismantling its bombs and not divert the negotiations with complaints about Washington's measures against the North's alleged financial crimes.

Harper sees defeat at hands of opposition
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Wednesday it is only a matter of time before opposition parties bring down his minority Conservative government.

Calderon visits U.S.-Mexico border
NOGALES, Mexico - Felipe Calderon made his first trip as president to the U.S.-Mexico border Wednesday, saying he will focus on creating jobs to keep Mexicans at home and place less emphasis on a U.S. migration accord to stem illegal immigration.

Sudan given January 1 deadline to accept Darfur peacekeepers
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A senior US official warned that Sudan faces a January 1 deadline to accept the deployment of UN peacekeepers to Darfur or face coercive international action to halt violence in the region.

Zimbabwe leader: Dissent to be crushed
HARARE, Zimbabwe - President Robert Mugabe said Wednesday his government will not tolerate dissent created "under the guise of freedom of expression."

Fighting continues in Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia - Fighting erupted for a third straight day between Somali fighters on Thursday, one day after an EU envoy got both the government and a rival Islamic movement to agree to resume peace talks.

The Nation

Bush warns of more U.S. losses in Iraq
WASHINGTON - Acknowledging deepening frustration over Iraq, President Bush said Wednesday he is considering an increase in American forces and warned that next year will bring more painful U.S. losses. New Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in Baghdad that a troop surge was an obvious option.

Bush Asserts That Victory in Iraq Is Still Achievable
President Bush warned Americans that the war in Iraq would require difficult choices and additional sacrifices in the coming year.

And just what sacrifices will Bush himself make in the coming year? —Caro

Cost, effort, time of military expansion plan likely to have 'enormous' impact
Meeting President Bush's goal of a larger Army and Marine Corps will require more time and money to recruit volunteers, retain the officers needed to lead them and outfit new units.

Long-rumored shuffle of generals expected along with change in Iraq policy
A shuffle of top American generals in Iraq is likely to accompany the shift in U.S. policy that President Bush is considering. The departures could make it easier for Bush and his new Defense Secretary Robert Gates to switch course in the campaign, where they are considering a short-term surge in forces.

Sure. Get rid of the ones who don’t agree with you. THAT’ll solve the problems. —Caro

New US House foreign affairs chief vows to "listen" to Asia
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The incoming head of the US House of Representatives' top foreign affairs panel has vowed to pursue a "more diplomatic, respectful and listening posture" with Asia in a bid to enhance ties with the region.

Democrats' religious spin likely to veer toward poor, environment
Many Democrats talked openly during the fall campaign about their faith and how it influenced their policy positions in an overt attempt to counter the power of the religious right. Now that they have won control of Congress, people can expect next year to see a new set of issues being presented with a religious spin. Restricting gay marriage and promoting prayer in schools as "values" issues are likely to be replaced by helping the poor and protecting the environment.

US senator seeks answers in botched Canadian terror case: report
OTTAWA (AFP) - The incoming chair of the powerful US senate judiciary committee has vowed to get to the bottom of an alleged rendition of a Canadian man wrongly accused of terrorist ties, a Canadian newspaper said.

Congressman says Muslim lawmaker's election threatens US values
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US lawmaker stirred up controversy when he expressed uneasiness over the election of a Muslim to serve with him in the House of Representatives, which he said endangered "the values and beliefs traditional" to the United States.

Peace on earth, good will toward men. Except Muslims. —Caro

Report says Berger hid archive documents
WASHINGTON - President Clinton's national security adviser removed classified documents from the National Archives, hid them under a construction trailer and later tried to find the trash collector to retrieve them, the agency's internal watchdog said Wednesday.

Is Berger nuts? —Caro

Congress Asked To Probe Fla. House Race
Florida Democrat Christine Jennings is asking the House of Representatives to investigate ? and potentially invalidate ? her disputed Nov. 7 loss to Republican Vern Buchanan, which Jennings blames on faulty electronic voting machines.

I have no future, Jeb Bush says
The shadow of President Bush seemed to loom large over his younger brother Wednesday, as the outgoing Florida governor ruled out any plans to return to elected office.

Let us pray that it is so. —Caro

Economy & Business

Merchants try to deal with mad shoppers
NEW YORK - 'Tis the season to be ... angry? The countdown to Christmas has dwindled to the single digits: As the mall crowds have worsened, so has the stress on shoppers faced with a creeping deadline to buy gifts — and they're increasingly taking that stress out on salespeople.

Indexes flat amid M&A wave
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on Wednesday in light volume after early buying on the latest round of global mergers and acquisitions was offset by selling of transportation stocks.

Home loan demand slumps as refinancing plunges
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. mortgage applications slumped last week, pulled down by a plunge in home refinancing loan demand as interest rates climbed from recent lows, an industry trade group said on Wednesday.

Column: Resolve to save more, cut debt
NEW YORK - Resolved: I'm going to save more money, pay down my debt, check my credit report, improve my job prospects and review my life insurance. For those too lazy to come up with their own financial resolutions for the new year, these are the recommendations of consumer experts from around the country.

Media

Viacom Backs Out of 'YouTube Killer'
The new Internet video site collaboration that has been discussed by media heavy hitters including NBC Universal, News Corp., CBS, and Viacom may be on the rocks after Viacom backed out Tuesday afternoon, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.

Poll: Americans Prefer TV News to YouTube
Most Americans say they would rather watch an old-fashioned TV evening news report than a "citizen video," according to a Zogby poll of Internet attitudes. Americans also think that new camera and Internet technologies are turning the United States "into a nation of voyeurs."

Google Book-Scanning Effort to Inspire Rival
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is to announce a $1 million grant to the Internet Archive, a leader in the Open Content Alliance, to help pay for digital copies of book collections. The effort aims to rival Google's book-scanning initiative, which critics fear could "enclose culture."

The Death of the VCR
With the proliferation of iPods and broadband Internet, consumers are facing ever-increasing options for home entertainment. According to data released this week by Nielsen Media Research, for the first time in history more Americans own DVD players than VCRs.

Murdoch, Regan Face Lawsuits in O.J. Deal
Ousted publisher Judith Regan and the Rupert Murdoch-owned companies HarperCollins and News Corp. will likely be sued for fraud over the quashed O.J. Simpson book deal, says a lawyer for the family of slain Ron Goldman. The Goldmans are already taking Simpson to court.

Science & Technology

New study shows pre-marital sex pervasive in U.S.
NEW YORK - More than nine out of 10 Americans, men and women alike, have had premarital sex, according to a new study. The high rates extend even to women born in the 1940s, challenging perceptions that people were more chaste in the past. “This is reality check research,” said the study’s author, Lawrence Finer. “Premarital sex is normal behavior for the vast majority of Americans, and has been for decades.”

So give up on all this silly abstinence only crap, right wingers. —Caro

Researchers Demonstrate Direct Brain Control Of Humanoid Robot
Rajesh Rao, associate professor of computer science and engineering, and his students have demonstrated that an individual can "order" a robot to move to specific locations and pick up specific objects merely by generating the proper brain waves that reflect the individual's instructions.

Scientists identify gene mutation in autism
French scientists have identified genetic mutations in a small number of children with autism which could provide insight into the biological basis of the disorder.

Universe's first objects possibly seen
Astronomers might have seen the very first stars in the universe. If so, these are incredible stars, some 1,000 times as massive as the sun. The alternative is just as interesting: The objects might be early black holes consuming gas voraciously and spitting out radiation like crazy as nascent galaxies form.

What Will Replace The Laptop?
A decade or two from now, will there be a laptop replacement? Will an even smaller, more mobile device - perhaps something the size of today's smartphone - replace the laptop in the lives of consumers?