Cut to the News . . . Your Daily News Briefing
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 Make us your homepage
Breaking News
This Morning's Cut
Leading The News
Edward Kennedy Dead at 77 . . . Loses his battle with brain cancer Tuesday night at his Hyannis Port home. Boston Globe
Obama on Brink of Mideast Breakthrough . . . Israel would freeze construction of settlements while US would adopt much tougher line over Iran. The Guardian
CIA Details Interrogations . . . Guidelines for high-value detainees show step-by-step procedures to elicit stress, exhaustion, fear.
Washington Post
Politics
House Hands Out its Own Bonuses . . . Even as it slams Wall Street, House leaders give staffers new perk helping them pay down their student loans. Washington Times
Top Democratic Fundraiser Busted . . . Jailed Tuesday on charges he masterminded a $74 million fraud. Raised massive amounts for Clinton and Obama campaigns. Washington Times
Deficit to be Used Against Obama . . . White House projects $9 trillion deficit over the next decade. Republicans say healthcare Overhaul is too expensive. Los Angeles Times
Obama's Vacation Activity List . . . He's golfing, playing tennis, tackling a hefty reading list and otherwise doing what most Americans do on vacation: hanging out. USA Today
National Security
Mullen Offers Harsh Assessment on Afghanistan . . . Joint Chiefs chair says that due to years of neglect, U.S. is essentially starting over.
Boston Globe
Two Rivals to Lead Pakistan Taliban . . . Group finally acknowledges U.S. killed former leader. One of the new chiefs calls Obama "our foremost enemy." McClatchy Newspapers
CIA Sacked Baghdad Station Chief After Two Deaths . . . Agency reorganized operations there in late 2003 following "potentially very serious leadership lapses." McClatchy Newspapers
CIA Tightly Ran Interrogations . . . New documents show overwhelming control from Washington, not gung-ho operatives running wild.
New York Times
Money
Microsoft Erases Photo of Black Man in Promo . . . Pastes white man's head on to a black man's body in a promotional photo shown in Poland. Daily Telegraph
Subprime Lenders Get Subsidies . . . Many participants in the $75 billion foreclosure prevention program helped fuel the housing crisis.
Washington Post
Sony e-reader Takes on Kindle . . . Sony intensifies competition with rival Amazon to dominate the e-book market and adds a few chapters of its own. USA Today
GM Reconsiders Sale of German Automaker Opel . . . German government, Opel's workforce are angry about the decision and may protest.
Der Spiegel
International
Death Row Organ Scandal in China . . . Official admits 65 percent of donated organs come from executed prisoners - with ambulances waiting at prisons. Times (UK)
Runoff Possible in Afghanistan . . . Early returns point to tie between Karzai and Abdullah, holding prospect of divisive rerun.
Los Angeles Times
Korean Family Reunion Talks Begin . . . Talks aimed at allowing families divided by the border to begin meeting again. BBC
Also Today. . .
Gay Marriage Foe Targets Iowa . . . A group behind California's Proposition 8 will seek to ban same-sex marriage in Iowa by referendum.
Christian Science Monitor
Singer Chris Brown Gets Five Years Probation . . . Also receives six months of community service for the beating of pop star Rihanna.
The Guardian
Marines Blame Water for Rare Cancer Cluster . . . At least 20 people who had lived at Camp Lejeune, N.C., got male breast cancer.
Los Angeles Times
Extreme Obesity Can Shorten Lives by 12 Years . . . Extremely obese people - those 80 or more pounds overweight - live three to 12 fewer years less. USA Today
Powerball Winner Comes Forward . . . A retired South Carolina state employee who spent two bucks on the lottery has won the a $260 million jackpot. USA Today
Today's Video
Tamil Massacre by Sri Lankan Soldiers . . . TamilNet
