HOUSE SEARCH — U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Travis J. Schellpeper, an explosive ordnance disposal technician assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3, Multi-National Division - Central South, searches the home of a suspected insurgent during a cordon and search in Naimi, Iraq, Nov. 20, 2006. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Bush, Iraqi PM to Meet in Jordan to Talk Security
U.N. says Iraqi deaths hit new high - Video
Iraq, reversing course, to keep U.N. oil watchdog
Doctors are reportedly fleeing Iraq
October deadliest month ever in Iraq

Homeland Security / War on Terror
U.S. to implement passport requirement

Other Military News
Marine Corps may need to grow: commander

Mid-East Ceaefire / Hamas Rising / Israel at War
Lebanon Cancels Independence Day Celebrations After Assassination of Prominent Anti-Syrian Figure
Lebanon Mourns Assassinated Anti-Syrian Minister
Leaders call Lebanese to slain minister's funeral - Video
U.N. to help Lebanon investigate Gemayel murder - Video

Worldwide Wackos
Ortega to revive 1980s programs
Mexico leftist seeks presidential salary donations

Politics / Government
Dallas Marks 43rd Anniversary of JFK Assassination
Crowd remembers JFK assassination
Report: Bush Daughter's Purse Stolen in Buenos Aires
Hastings seeks to head House intelligence panel
Bush, as well as Barney, spare turkey
Edwards, Obama gain popularity on tours

Science / Nature
New human gene map shows unexpected differences
Company clarifies controversial stem cell study
Mount St. Helens brooding, not bursting: experts
Rare lion cubs poisoned to save costs

News from My Neck of the Woods
Chemical plant explodes near Boston

Oddities
New York Woman Found Living With Husband's Skeleton
Cops Shoot, Kill 92-Year-Old Woman After She Opens Fire on Them
Transvestite killings on the rise in Guatemala
Drunken bus driver asks to continue school run
Group scraps attempt to smoke biggest joint
Chinese Pornography King XXX'd Out for Life
NYC Man Allegedly Murders Autistic Son, 12
Man eats 4.8 pounds of turkey in 12 min.

Other News of Note
Serial Killer Fears Hit Atlantic City
Clerics in India dismiss Quran ringtones

Fox News
Rain, Planes & Automobiles - PHOTO ESSAY
Truck Carrying Alcohol Overturns, Causing LAX Nightmare
Late Shoppers Weaken Black Friday, Cyber Monday Outlook
Bush Pardons Turkeys, but PETA Wants Better After-Care
Video: Turkey Farmer's Tips to Make Sure You Get the Best Bird
O.J.: I Knew Book Was 'Blood Money'
Black Eyed Peas Top American Music Awards With 3 Wins

Reuters: Top News
Canadian police arrest 73 in organized crime sweep
Dutch Christian Democrats keep power in election
Salvadoran Church asks forgiveness for sex abuse
Flights set to be stuffed over Thanksgiving
Microsoft says Office unfazed by Google threat
Satellite, cable fight for U.S. customers in stores
Gardeners cultivate hope in battered New Orleans
Being transgender no longer about surgery in NY
Blood thinner less risky for heart patients: study
Diabetes linked to lower prostate cancer risk
O.J. says advance spent as book removed from eBay
Mariah Carey snubbed at another awards show
Casino stocks rise on MGM share offer
Nasdaq shares surge on Heyman stake - Video
Tech stocks gain on Dell; Dow rises with Alcoa
Oil falls after big rise in U.S. crude stocks
Dollar hits 5-1/2-month low vs euro
Do the housing loan shuffle
Verizon hike casts doubt on price war
Kerkorian cuts GM stake, shares slide
Airlines rally, but customer service falls
Sentiment data spurs retail worries
Goldman Sachs to buy into China Midea -official paper
Judge denies class status in Vioxx cases
Stores set flat-panel TV blitz for holiday weekend

AP World News
Moderate gas prices boost holiday travel
Baby with heart outside body has surgery
Walters: O'Donnell-Ripa feud is over
Dodgers sign Pierre to $44 million deal
Blue Jackets hire Ken Hitchcock as coach
Garcia gets nod to replace McNabb
Kitaen charged with drug possession
Study finds podcast use rising but small
Unemployment claims rising faster
Leafs pick up option on GM John Ferguson
Gorbachev recovering from artery surgery
Comcast, Disney ink video-on-demand deal

Military.com
Army Signs More Dropouts
Energy Efficiency Key to New Weapons
Op-ed: Backsliding in Ukraine
Blog: Elbow Grease in Mid East
Def Tech: Nuke Bazookas and more!
Kit Up! Takes Off With Cool Gear
Thanksgiving: Pressure on Milspouses?
Beat the Mall Crowds this Friday
Gear in the News: FFG7

CENTCOM: News Releases
TERRORIST CACHES SEIZED IN RAID

ISF TARGETS KIDNAPPING AND MURDER CELL, CAPTURES 7

IA, CF DETAIN 4 INSURGENTS, FIND CACHE, RESCUE 2 HOSTAGES

THREE TERRORISTS KILLED, FOUR DETAINED

MND-B SOLDIERS DETAIN WANTED TERRORIST IN SOUTHERN BAGHDAD

'GATORS' DISCOVER LARGE WEAPONS CACHE

JOINT OPERATION DETAINS 45 SOUTH OF IRAQI CAPITAL

IRAQI SECURITY FORCES TARGETS KIDNAPPING, TORTURE CELL

COALITION FORCES CONDUCT AIR STRIKE TARGETING INSURGENTS IN RAMADI

JOINT MISSION NETS 8 CACHES SOUTHWEST OF BAGHDAD

USJFCOM
Exercise preps 82nd Airborne Division staff for Afghanistan deployment
Milestone reached in development of Cross Domain Collaborative Information Environment - podcast
Liveblogging: Unified Endeavor 07-1
Omni Fusion ties Army into UR 2015 - podcast

Department of Defense
NEWS UPDATES
Iraqi Forces Target Suspect in U.S. Soldier's Disappearance - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Preparation Key to Turkey Day in Iraq - Story
Army’s BOLT Helps Secure Iraqis Future - Story
New Iraq-Zakros Primary School to Open in Kirkuk - Story
Musical Marine Helps Lift Morale of Wounded - Story

IN IRAQ
Marines Stop Insurgents With Vehicle Checkpoints
Musical Marine Helps Lift Morale of Wounded
Transition Teams Teach and Mentor Iraqi Soldiers
Border Transition Teams Secure Relationships
New Iraqi Commander Instills Discipline, Order

IN AFGHANISTAN
Aircraft Continue Missions Over Afghanistan
Engineers Dodge Explosives to Provide Services
Afghan Officer Saves Governor, Coalition Soldiers

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (PDF)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Marine Casualty - Story

Weather
Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Gitmo

National Hurricane Center

Today in History
1809 - Peregrine Williamson of Baltimore patents a steel pen.
1842 - Mount St. Helens (Washington) erupts.
1906 - International Radio Telecommunications Com adopts "SOS" as new call for help
1910 - Arthur Knight patents steel shaft golf clubs.
1923 - President Coolidge pardons WWI German spy Lothar Witzke, who was sentenced to death.
1924 - England orders the Egyptians out of Sudan.
1935 - The China Clipper (flying boat) takes off from Alameda, CA, carrying 100,000 pieces of mail on the first trans-Pacific airmail flight.
1943 - FDR, Churchill and Chiang Kai-shek meet to discuss ways to defeat Japan.
1950 - 79 die in a train crash in Richmond Hills, NY.
1967 - The U.N. Security Council passes a resolution that Israel must give back occupied land.
1975 - Juan Carlos is proclaimed King of Spain.
1977 - Regular Concorde passenger service between NY and Europe begins.
1980 - A Georgia tanker at Pilottown, LA, spills 1.3 million gallons of oil after an anchor chain causes a leak.
1989 - Conjunction of Venus, Mars, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and the Moon; The U.S.' 63rd manned space mission, STS 33 (Discovery 9), launches into orbit; Eastern Airlines pilots and flight attendants end their strike, but most are not rehired.
1990 - George H.W. Bush visits U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia during Thanksgiving; Margaret Thatcher announces her resignation as British Prime Minister.

Birthdays
1835 - Frank C. Armstrong, Confederate Brigadier General (Cavalry Commander under Forrest)
1868 - John Nance Garner, 32nd VP (1933-41)
1890 - Charles de Gaulle, President of France (1958-69)
1898 - Wiley Post, aviator/parachutist
1918 - Claiborne Pell (Sen-RI)
1930 - Owen K. Garriott, astronaut (Skylab 3, STS-9)
1940 - Terry Gilliam, comedy writer-animator (Monty Python)
1942 - Guion S. Bluford, Jr., Colonel USAF / astronaut (STS 8, STS 61A, STS 39)

Passings
1718 - Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, English pirate
1825 - Ann Bailey, pioneer
1871 - Oscar J. Dunn (Lt Governor - LA)
1896 - George Washington Gale Ferris, inventor (Ferris wheel)
1963 - C.S.Lewis, English novelist. ("The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"); John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. President, assassinated in Dallas, Texas
1980 - Mae West, actress

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Douglas, Thomas E., USMC (OH); UH34D shot down (passenger)

Miller, Richard A., USMC (NY); UH34D shot down

Pirker, Victor J., USMC (MT); UH34D shot down

Visconti, Francis E., USMC (NY);UH34D shot down (pilot)

Winkler, John Anthony, USN (VA); KIA, body not recovered

1966
Crecca, Joseph, USAF (NJ); F4C shot down (w/Wilson), released by DRV February, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998

Wilson, Gordon S., USAF (IN); F4C shot down (pilot, w/Crecca), remains returned April, 1986

1969
Bedinger, Henry J., USN (PA); F4J shot down, released March, 1973 - retired as a Commander - alive and well as of 1998

Collins, Richard F., USN (CA); A6A shot down (pilot, w/Quinn)

Deuter, Richard C., USN (IL); A6A shot down

Quinn, Michael E., USN (MN); A6A shot down (bombardier/navigator, w/Collins)

I'll be posting later today - lots of work to do on the last day before a long weekend....