News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraq Security Up, Violence Down
U.K. Forces Hand Over Control of Southern Iraq - VIDEO
U.S. confident troop cuts won't hurt Iraq security - Video
Turkey bombs Kurdish rebels in north Iraq
Grants Put Businesses Back in Business
Extremists Lose Influence over Iraqis

Operation Enduring Freedom
US: Afghan border attacks drop 40 pct.
Troops Purge Taliban From Afghan District

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Pakistan Says Suspected Terrorist Has Escaped Custody
Lawmakers say not deterred on CIA probe
Donors meet in Paris to back Middle East peace bid
Palestinian rocket wounds 2-year-old
Al-Zawahri warns of traitors in Iraq

Fallen Heroes
Volunteers Decorate Veterans’ Graves

Other Military News
WWII Vet Gets Back Pay, Six Decades Later
Military Sealift Command to Deliver Largest MRAP Shipment

Worldwide Wackos
Israel: U.S. Iran Report May Cause War
Ahmadinejad Says No Grounds for New U.N. Sanctions
Iran says U.S. report a "declaration of surrender"

Homegrown Moonbats
Hulk Hogan Says He'd Like to See a Gladiator Pummel Rosie O'Donnell (From your lips to God's ears, Hulkster!)

Politics / Government
Romney Deflects'Flip-Flopper' Charges
Lieberman to Endorse McCain for President
'Campaign Carl' Cameron's Blog From the Trail
You Decide 2008 Campaign Coverage
GOP House Members Mary Bono and Connie Mack Marry in North Carolina
Romney Roughs Up Huckabee Over Anti-Bush Comments, McCain Alleges Push-Polling
Clinton and McCain win big newspaper endorsements - Video
Ron Paul White House bid raises $4.5 million
Democrats assess Hill damage, leadership
Thompson seeks to boost popularity
Election result critical to Musharraf
Zimbabwe opposition says talks with ZANU-PF stuck
Serbia sees Russia, China backing more Kosovo talks
South Africa's ANC prepares to decide Mbeki's fate
Violence mars Algerian women's equality

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Investigators: Texas Cops Made Homeless, Prostitutes Sign Blank Tickets
Police: Student Poisons Teacher With Visine
Vick Dogfighting Mansion Fails to Sell at Auction (If you ask me, the place should be donated to an animal rescue organization. They could do a lot of good with it)
Teen Held After E-Mailing Satanic Group Threat to Kill Grandparents (How bad do you have to be to freak out the Satanists?!?!?!)
Bank Records: Drew Peterson Funneled $250G to Son After Wife's Disappearance
Judge Bans Rocker from Stage, Says He Used Music to Win Favor of Underage Girls
Admitted Olympic Skater Nancy Kerrigan Attacker Brian Sean Griffith Dies at 40
Not Smart: Man Shot After He Pepper Sprays Cop
3 Dead in Missouri Murder-Suicide After Domestic Dispute
Cops Hunt Escaped N.J. Inmates After Daring Jail Break
Evacuees in Texas to Get Criminal Background Checks
School to Pay $95,000 for Pooh-Poohed Dress Code
How to Survive a Fall From a 47-Story High-Rise
The Struggle to Keep a Juvenile Killer in Prison
Pettitte admits using HGH during 2002
Texas juvenile prison changes questioned
For gangs, tattoos out; college look in
Megachurch moves forward after shootings

Adventures in Political Correctness
Philadelphia Cheesesteak Shop Owner Defends 'Order in English' Policy (You go, dude!)
Spain Takes Calendar Complaint to EU

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Narcissism on the Web
News Anchor Pleads Not Guilty to Punching Cop

Science / Medicine and Health / Technology
L.A. to Drain Two Reservoirs Due to Cancer Risk - VIDEO
Dad Sells Video Game After Son Smokes Pot - VIDEO
Nintendo and GameStop to guarantee Wiis after holiday
At 90, sci-fi guru Clarke yearns for E.T., peace
Asian food hub Malaysia takes on health eating
One dead, five infected with bird flu in Pakistan
Troubled times for Texas hallucinogen harvesters
Mutation in one gene tied to Lou Gehrig's disease
Spacewalkers to inspect station for meteoroid strike
Madagascar fights to keep HIV rate down

Mother Nature
Bali climate deal paves way for hotter U.S. debate - Video
Simple numbers to shape climate talks

News from My Neck of the Woods
Snow, Wind, Ice Slam Great Lakes to New England - PHOTOS
Pats beat weather, Jets to move to 14-0

Oddities
California Man Electrocuted While Hanging Christmas Lights
Author of nasty letters from Santa sought
You think Christmas trees grow on trees?

Other News of Note
Favre becomes NFL's passing yards leader
Singer Dan Fogelberg, 56, dies of cancer

Fox News
Report: Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn Clash on Set

Reuters
Come to Jerusalem, see the messiah
GAO says SEC not using all its arsenal: report
Digital business heats up for Latin music
Hollywood moguls show their unity in strike
Bob Marley and sons take top 3 spots on reggae chart
Oil rises on storm
Bank earnings hold pre-Christmas key - Video
Stocks eye housing and consumer data
Housing and consumer data may buoy stocks
Wall Street indexes fall as inflation worries weigh - Video
Crunch time hitting for holiday retail sales
Investors look to banks recouping losses
FTSE ends up despite credit woes; banks feature
Retailers see slower holiday growth: reports
Rio to invest in Australian coal mine
Zinifex bids for Australian nickel miner
Coates shareholders back $1.5 billion National Hire bid
Australia's Centro hit by credit crunch, shares dive
With prices high, farming is bright spot in U.S.

AP World News
Baseball faces long, difficult recovery
Retailers look to last-minute shopping
Todd Herzog wins 'Survivor: China'
Eagles rough up Romo to slow Cowboys
Smith's 'Legend' grows with $76.5M debut
Greenspan: Give homeowners financial aid
Michigan hires West Virginia's Rodriguez
Investors await earnings, housing data
Celine Dion takes final bow at Caesars

CENTCOM: News Releases
BY CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES PATRICIA A. BUTENIS AND GENERAL DAVID H. PETRAEUS ON THE TRANSFER OF SECURITY RESPONSIBILITY FOR BASRA PROVINCE

USJFCOM
U.S. Joint Forces Command, IBM sign new cooperative research and development agreement
More about CRADAs
Ribbon cut for new SOCJFCOM headquarters - podcast

Multi-National Force-Iraq
Patrol Base Produces Progress
Face of Defense: Virginia Soldier Excited About Future
Troops Make Initial Payment to Concerned Local Citizens in Jamia
Iraq’s Criminal Investigation Department plans for the future, marks success
MND-Center Soldiers disrupt extremist activity (Khargulia)
Iraqi and Coalition Forces flush al-Qaeda from Euphrates hideouts (Iskandariyah)
Mayor of northern Iraq town receives new prosthetic (Riyahd)
Coalition forces disrupt al-Qaeda operations; six terrorists killed, 23 detained
Joint Statement on the Transfer of Security Responsibility for Basra Province

DefenseLink
TOP NEWS
President Calls on Congress For Action on War Funding
Bush Reports to Congress on Scope of Force Deployments - Photos

IRAQ NEWS
Educating Iraqi Teens Key to Security
U.S. Troops Help Renovate Iraqi Clinic

AFGHANISTAN NEWS
Infantrymen Teach Gun Skills to Police

MILITARY NEWS
NORTHCOM Prepares to Provide Midwest Storm Aid - Video

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
N.Y. Group Gets Holiday Mail to Troops

WHY WE SERVE
Marine Carries Legacy

FACE OF DEFENSE
Service Bonds Family

Weather
Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Germany
Ansbach Aschaffenburg Berlin Berlin-Tempelhof Berlin/Schonefeld Bremerhaven
Darmstadt Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Freiburg/Breisgau Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Geilenkirchen Gelnhausen Giessen Kitzingen
Hanau Am Main Heidelberg Mainz Mannheim Nurnberg Stuttgart Trier
Wiesbaden Wurzburg

Gitmo

Guam
Agana Agana Heights Agat Andersen AFB Asan Barrigada

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

Japan
Kadena Air Base Okinawa Tokyo Yokohama

Today in History
0882 - John VIII ends his reign as Catholic Pope; Marinus I begins his
1431 - King Henry VI of England crowned king of France
1538 - King François I orders renewed pursuit of Protestants
1577 - Danzig surrenders to troops of Polish king István Báthory
1617 - Spanish viceroy Hernando Arias de Saavedra founds provinces Río de la Plata (Argentina)/Guaira (Paraguay)
1631 - Mount Vesuvius, Italy erupts, destroys 6 villages & kills 4,000
1653 - Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, Scotland & Ireland
1659 - General Monck demands free parliamentary election in Scotland
1689 - English Parliament adopts Bill of Rights after Glorious Revolution
1740 - Prussian Libya falls to Silezie
1761 - Russian army occupies Kolberg
1773 - Boston Tea Party
1809 - Napoleon Bonaparte divorces Empress Josephine by the French Senate
1811 - Most violent & prolonged quakes in US begins in Midwest region; 8.0 earthquake shakes New Madrid MO
1817 - Leaders of Molukkas uprising hanged in Ambon
1824 - Great North Holland Canal opens
1835 - Fire consumes over 600 buildings in New York NY
1838 - Boers beat Zulu chieftain Dingaan in South Africa
1857 - Earthquake in Naples, Italy
1858 - Dutch government decides to vacate Schokland Island
1862 - Kingdom of Nepal accepts its constitution
1864 - Battle of Nashville ends after 4400 casualities
1880 - Republic of South-Africa forms
1884 - Great Britain recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State
1897 - 1st submarine with an internal combustion engine demonstrated
1900 - Boer army under General Kritzinger take Cape colony
1905 - "Variety", covering all phases of show business, 1st published
1907 - Great White Fleet sails from Hampton Downs on its World Cruise
1909 - US pressure forces Nicaraguan President José Santos Zelaya from office
1912 - 1st US postage stamp picturing an airplane, 20¢ parcel post, issued; Austria-Hungary engage in conflict with Serbia
1913 - Charlie Chaplin began his film career at Keystone for $150 a week
1914 - French offensive in Artois (Pétain)
1915 - Albert Einstein publishes his "General Theory of Relativity"
1920 - Over 180,000 die when 8.6 earthquake destroys 15,000² miles (Kansu China)
1930 - Golfer Bobby Jones wins James E Sullivan Award
1931 - German SPD begins Eiserne Front against fascism
1932 - Heavy earthquake ravages Kansu China, 70,000 killed
1940 - British air raid on Mannheim
1941 - Sarawak occupied by the Japanese
1942 - Hitler orders combat against partisans in Russia & Balkan
1943 - "Tamiami Champion" trains collide, kills 73 & injures 200
1944 - Battle of the Bulge begins in Belgium; German V-2 strikes Antwerp bioscope (638 kill); US 2nd Infantry division occupies "Heartbreak Crossroads," Wahlerscheid
1949 - Sukarno becomes President of Indonesia; Mokammed Hatta becomes premier
1950 - Truman proclaims state of emergency against "Communist imperialism"
1953 - 1st White House Press Conference (President Eisenhower & 161 reporters); Charles E. Yeager flies over 2,575 kph (1,650 mph) in Bell X-1A (first man to fly at nearly two and one-half times the speed of sound)
1960 - 134 die as United DC-8 & TWA Super Constellation collide over Staten Island, New York NY
1962 - Constitutional Monarchical Hindu State of Nepál adopts new constitution
1965 - Gemini 6 returns to Earth; Pioneer 6 launched into solar orbit; Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, becomes King of Tonga
1969 - British House of Commons votes 343-185 abolishing the death penalty
1970 - 1st successful landing on Venus (USSR)
1971 - Bangladesh (East Pakistan) declares independence from Pakistan
1973 - US kidnap victim Paul Getty III freed
1976 - Government halts swine flu vaccination program following reports of paralysis; Andrew Young named Ambassador & Chief US Delegate to UN; Liberian tanker stranded at Nantucket, 180,000 barrels oil in sea
1978 - Ronald Reagan denounces President Jimmy Carter's recognition of China People's Republic
1980 - President-elect Reagan announces Alexander Haig as Secretary of State
1981 - Dutch Van Agt's 2nd government falls
1983 - Riverside CA judge denies cerebral palsy victim Elizabeth Bouviato request to starve herself to death in a county hospital
1988 - Political cult leader Lyndon LaRouche convicted of tax, mail fraud
1990 - Reverend Jean-Betrand Aristide elected President of Haiti
1991 - UN reverses ruling that Zionism is racism by 111-25 (13 abstain) vote
1992 - Israel orders deportation of 415 Palestinians after escalating terrorist activity
1997 - President Clinton names his Labrador retriever, "Buddy"

Birthdays
1485 - Catherine of Aragon, Spanish princess/1st wife of Henry VIII
1622 - Kurt S. Adeler, Danish admiral/ship builder
1742 - Gebhard Leberecht Fürst Blücher von Wahlstatt, German fieldmarshal
1809 - Peter P. van Bosse, Dutch attorney/liberal minister of Finance
1812 - William Grose, Union Brevet Major General
1819 - Robert Selden Garnett, Confederate Brigadier-General
1825 - Henry Heth, Confederate Major General
1828 - John Beatty, Union Brigadier-General
1830 - John Frederick Hartranft, Union Brevet Major General
1851 - Theodoor H. de Meester, Dutch premier (1905-08)
1857 - Edward Emerson, astronomer (Jupiter's 5th satellite)
1863 - Ralph Adams Cram, US gothic architect (Cathedral of St John the Divine NYC)
1888 - Alphonse Juin, French marshal
1906 - John Morrison, politician/landowner; Lord Margadale, English Conservative parliament leader/large landowner
1907 - Ray C. Bliss, Ohio State Republican Chairman
1909 - Henricus Verbunt, civil servant/resistance fighter
1941 - Lesley Stahl, White House correspondent (CBS-TV)
1955 - Carol M. Browner, US Administrator (EPA)

Passings
0714 - Pippin II of Héristal, Duke/prince of France
0875 - Ado of Vienne, French archbishop of Vienne, dies at about 75
0882 - John VIII, Italian Pope (872-82), dies
0999 - Adelheid the Saint, German empress of Otto I/saint, dies at about 68
1404 - Albrecht of Bavaria, duke of Bavaria, dies at about 74
1670 - Dorothy, 1st English marquis of Halifax, dies
1672 - John II Casimir Vasa, cardinal/king of Poland (1648-68), dies at 63
1774 - François Quesnay, French personal physician of Louis XIV, dies at 80
1858 - Richard Bright, British Dr. (Bright's disease/nephritis), dies at 69
1859 - Wilhelm Grimm, writer (Grimm's Fairy Tales), dies at 73
1916 - Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, powerful Russian monk, murdered at 45
1920 - Ma Mua-Ming-Hsin the Benovelent, Chinese muslim rebel (holy war)
1922 - Gabriel Narutowicz, 1st President of Poland (December 7-16, 1922), assassinated
1944 - Glenn Miller, USAF veteran, jazz composer/orchestra leader (Danny boy), dies at 40 when his plane disappears on the way to entertain US troops
1945 - Fumimaro Konu Japanese prince/PM (1937-39, 40-41), commits harakiri
1949 - Traitsjo Kostov Bulgarian communist vice-premier, executed
1980 - Harland "Colonel" Sanders, founder Kentucky Fried Chicken, dies at 90
1983 - Kusan Sunim, founded Milae Sa temple/Bulsung Sa Zen in Korea, dies at 74
1985 - Paul Castellano, Organized-crime chief, shot dead at a New York, NY restaurant
1987 - Albert P. Morano (Representative-CT, 1951-59), dies at 79
1993 - Bentri Seddik, Algerian court judge, murdered at 46; Kakuei Tanaka premier of Japan (1972-74), dies at 75; Ratu Penaia Ganilau President of Fiji (1987-93), dies at 75
1996 - Jean-Pierre Levy, resistance leader, dies at 85

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Wickhamm, David W. II, USN (WV);A4C shot down, KIA, body not recovered

1967
Hill, Howard J., USAF (IL); F4D shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive as of 1998

Low, James Frederick, USAF (CA); F4D shot down, released August, 1968

1969
Buckley, Victor P., USN (VA); RF8G shot down, KIA, body not recovered

Labels: Headlines, History