Cut to the News . . . Your Daily News Briefing
Sunday, December 13, 2009 Make us your homepage
Top Breaking News
This Morning's Cut
Leading The News
U.S., North Korea Agree to Resume Talks . . . Four-way talks aimed at replacing a 47-year-old armistice on the Korean War with a peace treaty. Yonhap
Banks Won't Refinance Banks that once handed out easy money now imposing stringent requirements. Many homeowners locked out.
New York Times
Fury at Danish Police Tactics . . . Climate activists slam Danish police for heavy-handedness after they detain 968 people at Copenhagen summit rally. BBC
Politics
Christian Science Monitor
Houston Elects Openly Gay Mayor . . . Annis Parker is the first openly gay person to lead a major U.S. city. Houston Chronicle
Legislator Sees Echoes of Vietnam . . . Democratic Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin is preparing to challenge the Obama’s troop buildup plan. New York Times
Dems Rebel Over Medicare Expansion . . . Ten senators voice concern the plan would make it harder for the elderly to get medical care. Bloomberg
National Security
Infiltrators Terrorize Kabul's Ruling Class . . . Taliban are nailing notes to the doors of policemen, soldiers and government workers, warning them to quit or face punishment. Times of London
Yemen Looks Nice for al Qaeda . . . Bad guys flocking to Yemen, where civil war is turning the lawless nation into an attractive alternative to Afghanistan. Boston Globe
Islamists Freed in Philippines Jailbreak . . . Militants storm a jail in the southern Philippines freeing 31 prisoners, including two rebel commanders. BBC
Thais Seize North Korean Plane With Weapons . . . Was en route from Pyongyang with 40 tons of arms, including rocket propelled grenades. Times of London
More Mumbai-Style Attacks Possible . . . Terror probe leads FBI to India, Pakistan to investigate plots. Los Angeles Times
Venezuela, Cuba Sign $3B in Joint Projects . . . Venezuela, an OPEC member, has become a vital source of energy and trade for Cuba. Reuters
Money
Senate Clears Way for Spending Measure . . . Senate moves to pass $1.1 Trillion spending measure that finances much of the federal government.
Associated Press
Google to Produce and Sell Own Phone . . . Nexus One to be sold online. May be on the market as early as 2010. Reuters
What Does a Credit Score Mean? . . . The world of credit ratings is more transparent, but making sense of rankings is still difficult.
Wall Street Journal
International
How Much Allah Can Europe Bear? . . . Swiss vote banning minarets shows growing sense of unease among Europeans troubled by Islam's increased visibility.
Der Spiegel
Philippines Hostages Freed . . . Tribal gunmen free dozens of hostages after authorities drop murder charges against them.
Reuters
New Era of Anti-Gay Hate Crimes in Africa . . . Uganda likely to pass law to make homosexuality a capital offense, joining 37 other African countries. The Guardian
Australia to Have Its First Saint . . . Beatified nun Mary Mackillop could be canonized in days after Vatican approves a second miracle. Times of London
You Must Also Know . . .
U.S. Froze $2B in Iranian Assets . . . Move done secretly 18 months ago in case involving destruction of Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983. Wall Street Journal
Beware: Toxic Algae . . . Did they kill the dinosaurs? Will they sicken you? Why was there a massive bloom of the stuff in the Pacific? McClatchy Newspapers
Twenty Years of The Simpsons . . . How a series of 60-second shorts turned The Simpsons into a global television phenomenon.
The Independent
Auschwitz Survivor Who Wouldn't See a Doctor . . . Sixty five years ago, Josef Mengele removed Yitzhak Ganon's kidney without anesthesia. Der Spiegel
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