Media Spotlight

Military wants more views on Iraq reports (National)

On the Bypass

Does the U.S. have a smoking gun against Iran? (International)
U.S. officials accuse nation of seeking a nuke arsenal, sponsoring terrorism.

Murder Most Wired (International)
Police in Italy find new evidence from a web search suspect used containing "blood and bleach" immediately following murder of 20 year old girl.

Where Are The Monks? (International)
The junta has jailed some of Burma's Buddhist clergy, derobed others and driven many into exile.

Route 66

Two arrested in ‘Baby Grace’ case (National)
Officials believe Texas girl who washed ashore belongs to a couple who never reported their daughter as missing to authorities.

All 4 on board dead in Minn. plane crash (National)
Small plane crash at Faribault, Minn., airport kills 4; pilot was making 2nd landing attempt

Pacific Post

Suspect Arrested After High-Speed Chase On 101 Freeway (Local)
Police capture carjacking suspect after circling neighborhood along the 101 and 405 freeways.

Good weather helps Malibu fire efforts (Local)
Better weather helps firefighters nearly contain Malibu blaze that destroyed dozens of homes

Script for strike not all fun and games - well, maybe (Local)
Strikers are making the most out of a bad situation by adding special attractions to picket line.

The Olive Branch

The Google Primary (National)
There's a new mandatory stop for the 2008 presidential candidates: Google's California headquarters.

Media Spotlight

Troop levels in Iraq to fall by 5,000 (International)
This article definitely contains all the information you need to know about troop levels. It includes all the names and which brigades are preparing to depart. The trouble I have with it is what information it does not seem to contain.

I find it hard to believe anything inside of an article that continues to leave out information that should be included. When I hear that the levels of violence have dropped I cannot help but wonder if the reason for it has something to do with the millions of people that have been displaced by the violence, and maybe not so much because of the troop surge.

Not only that, but when I read articles that parrot what the Bush Administration says is true, it immediately makes me question what it says because of the lack of credibility the white house has right now.

For instance, troop levels were due to draw down anyway without the recommendations of General David Patraeus. However, this article leaves out information like this that is very relevant when speaking about troop withdrawals, and if only included facts like this that may be on peoples minds when reading the article could help put the questions to rest and trust the words printed are not in any way misleading.

The Olive Branch

The Surge Draws Down (National)
The U.S. military says it will pull 5,000 troops by mid-December.

IRAQ
MacGyver in Mesopotamia (International)
Silly String, tampons, Saran Wrap: U.S. soldiers in Iraq get innovative.

President Pardons the National Turkey! (National)
President thinks it's customary to pardon his turkey dinner. (No, their names are not "Scooter" and "Libby"!)

Pacific Post

L.A. County might get new homeless program (Local)
Supervisors expected to approve Project 50, which aims to get skid row's most vulnerable people into supportive housing.

After a dry spell, DWP's Drought Busters program is back (Local)
Six full-time DWP employees will drive around the city in hybrid cars and tell people to stop wasting water.

Shop till you drop (Local)
People share their Black Friday deals and experiences.

Route 66

Business: What Would Jesus Buy? (National)
In a new documentary about his annual crusade, 'Reverend' Billy Talen preaches the gospel of his Church of Stop Shopping.

Study Predicts Net Will Crash in 2010 (National)
Wireless service and internet providers, must invest $55 billion in new copper wiring, 70% more than planned.

On the Bypass

Cruise ship passengers flown out of Antarctica (International)
More than 150 passengers and crew members escaped unhurt after being evacuated into lifeboats Friday from the ship Explorer that hit ice off King George Island in Antarctica.

Media Spotlight

Seaman Says Ship's Gear Conked Out(Local)
This is a responsible article that includes how recent investigations into reasons why the cargo ship spilled over 58,000 gallons of "Bunker fuel" into the San Francisco Bay has found equipment fully functional.

The article includes information that was originally reported to be only 140 gallons was later found to be actually 58,000 gallons and that the response time for the clean up was four hours, which is unacceptable.

The only thing I wish it would have included is that "bunker fuel" is one of the dirtiest fuels used and it is not necessary. There already have been activists calling for the ban of this this fuel. Not only that, but that cargo ships are not required, but should be, to have what is called a double hull. This may have prevented this accident completely.

Unfortunately, with all of the information you get about what happened there really is not a lot included about how to prevent it from happening again.

Hollywood Hall

Home Run King Bonds Charged With Perjury (Local)
Barry Bonds,the most prolific slugger in baseball history , is facing four perjury charges and one obstruction of justice charge being brought against him for allegedly lying under oath

On the Bypass

Pakistani court frees British suspect (International)
Courts ordered the release of Briton suspected in an alleged plot to blow up jetliners.


Cyclone kills hundreds in Bangladesh (International)
The 150-mph winds late Thursday, killed at least 242 people, and forcing the evacuation of 650,000 villagers.

The Olive Branch

Regan says she was told to lie to protect Giuliani (National)
In a lawsuit against News Corp., the former publisher alleges that she had to keep quiet on an affair with the mayor's top cop.

President Bush Delivers Remarks at Federalist Society's 25th Annual Gala (National)
President Bush announced he will nominate five more individuals to serve in senior posts.


Bush, justices address Federalist Society (National)
Most of the president's remarks to the conservative legal group attack the Senate confirmation process as harsh and partisan.

Pacific Post

Ex-drill instructor gets six months (Local)
The Marine sergeant was convicted of abusing recruits at boot camp. A military jury rules that his rank should be reduced and that he should get a bad-conduct discharge.


32 alleged gang members arrested in L.A. sweep (Local)
Hundreds of FBI and L.A. officers join forces across the city in a crackdown on the violent El Salvadoran organization MS-13.

Officer for Oil Spill Response Replaced
(Local)
Capt. William Uberti, the Coast Guard commander for the bay region, was replaced by Capt. Paul Gugg.

Media Spotlight

Ron Paul celebrates an online fundraising coup (National)

This article by the L.A. Times is one of the first times we have seen anything written about Ron Paul, a Texas GOP Congressman who is taking a shot at the US Presidency.

They are finally recognizing that he is not just popular on the Internet after his campaign pumped out $4.2 Million in one day, November 05, Guy Fawkes Day, a symbolic representation for minimal government which Paul represents.

The article includes many quotes from other sources and shares their different opinions, all positive, about his chances in the race. Although their is still some uncertainty about whether he will be able to shake up the primaries, the general message is that the Republican Candidate is going to have to be taken more seriously. Up until now he has been pushed aside like he was not even there with no one giving any mention of his name or talking about him at all.

Paul ran as a Libertarian years ago, but has been a Republican Congressman for the last 10 years, and a Doctor who has delivered over 3000 babies. So he knows about what state our health care is in. He not only wants to bring our troops home immediately, he is one of the few who talks about restoring the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

No doubt the supporters of Ron Paul are growing stronger everyday because the money he has generated surpasses all other candidates for single day donations. He is well on his way to the $12 Million goal set by the end of the year.

One supporter of Paul said, "After I heard Ron Paul speak and the message he has I immediately knew this man is going to be our next President. He has the look of regular guy, but the voice of one of the greatest Presidents in history."

Route 66

Terror case could turn on eyewitness (National)
Defense lawyers say they just became aware of a potentially helpful onlooker in a Canadian suspect's alleged attack on U.S. troops. The development renews concerns over military commissions.

On the Bypass

Japan's police see no evil (International)
Doctors are discouraged from autopsies from police officials.

Afghanistan pushes reconciliation effort (International)
Facing a resilient insurgency, officials say President Karzai is seeking negotiations with elements of Taliban to end the conflict.

The Olive Branch

Congress overrides Bush veto of water bill (National)
The Senate voted against Bush and for the $23 Billion water bill that will help clean up Florida Everglades and California Rivers.


Mukasey has been able to get his views on torture overlooked and confirmed as the next U.S. Attorney General with the votes passing 53-40.

Pacific Post

Writers picket outside studios (Local)
Havoc breaks out in the picket lines outside of studios where writers let frustrations get out of control.

New holiday parade to make Hollywood premiere (Local)
Hollywood Santa Parade replces the underfunded Christmas Day Parade.

Reagan library can't fully account for 80,000 artifacts (Local)
Reagan Library left security issues unanswered and open to insiders taking off with the goods.

Woman dies as car rams crowd (Local)
A brawl took place involving 30 women in Los Angeles and unfolded in front of 300 onlookers as a clear and intentional act of violence.

Media Spotlight

Squeezing Mukasey on Torture (National)
This article nails this issue on the democrats and their decision to push Mukasey to declare waterboarding illegal. Veteran Illinois Senator Dick Durbin was the first to ask Mukasey about his position on waterboarding during the Oct. 18 Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing to which Mukasey said, "It is not constitutional for the United States to engage in torture in any form, be it waterboarding or anything else."

However, Times points out the problem democrats face now that Durbin "drafted a letter to Mukasey asking him to state — or rather, to restate — that waterboarding is torture and therefore illegal." The move they note as "politically savvy" but "not without its own risks".

The article says it best with, "Now that Mukasey has responded with a hedge democrats practically helped write, the burden of moral clarity is on them. Will they reject Mukasey on the moral absolute of torture, or will they quietly abandon the moral high ground in the interest of getting a competent hand on the wheel at the demoralized Justice Department?"

Pacific Post

A landscape born to burn (Local)
Over 500,000 acres and 1,700 homes destroyed by fires.

Fire was started by boy with matches, detectives say (Local)
38,000 acres and 21 homes in the Santa Clarita area were burned as a result.

On the Bypass

21 convicted in Madrid train bombings (International)
Sentences were given for tens of thousands of years, but Spanish law has maximum policy of only 40 years with no death penalty. No links to Osama were found.

Hollywood Hall

Hollywood Writers Going on Strike (Local)
Writers fight for DVD revenue, money from the internet sales and other digital platforms.

The Olive Branch

Fake FEMA Briefing Costs Official New Assignment (National)
FEMA gives fake news conference by disguising their own employees as (what was suppose to be) reporters interviewing FEMA with softball questions.

Torture Complaint Filed Against Rumsfeld (National)
Rumsfeld seen on streets of Paris as complaint filed against him for war crimes he committed.

Mukasey Prospects Dim Over Waterboarding (National)
Democrats voice concerns over Mukasey's refusal to call waterboarding torture.

Woodstock museum earmark dropped (National)
Hillary Rodham Clinton loses $1 million battle for woodstock museum

Bush raises stakes on Mukasey (National)
Democrats' insistence on a torture declaration is unfair and could leave the Justice Department without a leader, the president says.