International:

China sub stalked US Navy carrier group

A Chinese submarine stalked a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier battle group in the Pacific last month and was undetected until it surfaced within firing range, The Washington Times reported on Monday.

The Chinese Song-class diesel-powered attack submarine was seen within five miles of the carrier Kitty Hawk and its accompanying warships on October 26, the newspaper said, citing defense officials. More here

Plutonium Traces FoundIn Iran Waste Facility
International Atomic Energy Agency experts also find unexplained traces of enriched uranium, ask Tehran for explanation... see VIDEO or read full story here. In the meantime, Ahmadinejad: Iran Willing to Talk If U.S. 'Corrects Behavior'. He also stated that Iran would soon celebrate completion of its nuclear fuel program and claimed the international community was ready to accept it as a nuclear state.

National:

Dems First Bump In The Road

Rep. John Murtha, the anti-war congressman who is the likely new House speaker's pick for majority leader, fended off what he called "swift boat-style attacks" on his ethics record Tuesday.
The Pennsylvania Democrat also blasted his rival for majority leader, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, for siding with President Bush on Iraq.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who as the House Democratic leader is in line to be the next speaker, has backed Murtha against Hoyer, who is currently the No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives.

Democrats are slated to vote Thursday on who will take the chamber's leadership posts when the Congress reconvenes in January.

Frist’s Post-Election Revelation: We Are ‘Not Winning’ In Iraq
Last night on Fox News, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) was asked to explain the midterm election results. Frist answered, “clearly, number one, the fact that we were not winning in Iraq dominated.” See the video here

Abramoff Reports to Prison Tomorrow; Offers Testimony on Democratic Senators

Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff is scheduled to report to federal prison tomorrow, over the objections of federal prosecutors who say they still need his help to pursue leads on officials he allegedly bribed.

Sources close to the investigation say Abramoff has provided information on his dealings with and campaign contributions and gifts to "dozens of members of Congress and staff," including what Abramoff has reportedly described as "six to eight seriously corrupt Democratic senators." Get the details here.

In Other News…
Following a meeting with members of the Iraq Study Group yesterday, the White House said it would reject proposals for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq as lacking specifics or "meat on the bones." Without committing to accepting the commission's recommendations, Bush said, "I'm not sure what the report is going to say. I'm looking forward to seeing it."

Immigrants arrested in the United States may be held indefinitely on suspicion of terrorism and may not challenge their imprisonment in civilian courts, the Bush administration said Monday, opening a new legal front in the fight over the rights of detainees.

Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), who was forced to step down as Senate majority leader in 2002 after comments he made at former Sen. Strom Thurmond's (R-SC) birthday party touched off a racially charged controversy, last night formally declared his bid for minority whip.

Up to 150 people were abducted yesterday from a government research institute in downtown Baghdad, "the largest mass abduction since the start of the U.S. occupation." Iraq's higher education minister has ordered all universities closed. Latest reports are that most of those kidnapped Tuesday from a Baghdad research institute have been freed.

Top Air Force leadership in Washington is increasingly concerned about the Army using Air Force personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan for tasks traditionally performed by the infantry. The airmen's non-traditional duties include operations such as convoys, interrogations and military policing.

Chad has declared a state of emergency, as a result of at least 300 people being killed this month, in violence between Arabs and black Africans. "Chad accuses Sudan of exporting the Darfur conflict, while Sudan accuses Chad of backing Darfur's rebels."

From The Right:
Bill Murchison: A mission for the Republicans What to do, oh, what to do? Jump off a tall building, or just wait for the Democrats to begin exhibiting the consequences of hubris and distraction? I propose to Republicans the latter course -- easier on the dry-cleaning.

From The Left:
Amy Goodman: War Crimes Suit Filed in Germany Against Rumsfeld, Other Top U.S.Officials Over Prisoner Torture Attorneys with the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a war crimes lawsuit today in Germany against outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and other high-ranking U.S. officials, for their role in the torture ofprisoners in Iraq and Guantanamo. Listen/ watch at the link above.

Quote of the Day: “I severed my ties with Halliburton when I became a candidate for Vice President in August of 2000.”– Dick Cheney, 1/22/04

Thought to Ponder: Along with the $433,000 stock options, Cheney still receives about $150,000 a year from Halliburton.– CNN, 10/25/03

(Sources: BBC, UPI, AP, Washington Post, TheHill, Washington Times, Chicago Tribune, Townhall, DemocracyNow, FOXNews, Center for American Progress, Drudge, Reuters, PoliticalCartoons.com, CNN, ABCNews)