SPB News for Wednesday.

Beth Ann Kucinich, sister of Congressman Kucinich, dies

FEC Unlikely To Audit Obama Campaign, Obligated To Audit McCain's

Shocker: Wall Street Journal questions McCain's honor

Fed sued for hiding loan details

Bloomberg News files federal lawsuit seeking to force disclosure.

Obama hires 'prog- ressive liaison'

Bush: ‘I regret’ some things 'I shouldn't have said' — NEW YORK (CNN) — As his presidency nears its end, a reflective President Bush suggested Tuesday he regrets some of his more blunt statements on the war on terror over the last eight years, and said he wishes he had not spoken in front of a …

Obama puts leash on lobbyists for transition — WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama, who vowed during his campaign that lobbyists “won't find a job in my White House,” announced today that he would allow lobbyists on his transition team as long as they work on issues unrelated to their earlier jobs.

It's Official: Full Dem Caucus Will Vote On Lieberman's Fate — The full Democratic caucus will vote on whether Joe Lieberman is allowed to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee at its caucus meeting next week, a leadership aide confirms to us.

Anti-war camp urges Obama to dump Gates — Arms control advocates and anti-war activists are ratcheting up pressure on President-elect Barack Obama to dump Defense Secretary Robert Gates and replace him with a more strident anti-war voice. — Nominating Gates to stay …

Saxby Chambliss Seeks Deferment From Runoff - Cites “Bum Knee” — Never one to let an opportunity to mislead the people of Georgia, Saxby Chambliss has requested that he actually be excused from the December 2nd runoff against Jim Martin and just be declared the winner.

US 'has launched secret attacks on al-Qaeda since 2004' US special forces have conducted nearly a dozen secret operations against 'al-Qaeda' in Syria, Pakistan and other countries under a broad 2004 mandate approved by President [sic] George W Bush, The New York Times has reported. A classified order authorising attacks on al-Qaeda anywhere in the world, even in countries not a war with the US, was approved by Mr Bush and signed by former Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the newspaper said, citing anonymous US officials.

Canadians deny prisoner swap for journalist Canadian and Afghan leaders rejected reports that Taliban prisoners had been swapped for the release of Canadian journalist Mellissa Fung, with officials from Ottawa to Kandahar issuing a string of denials. Authorities in both countries have been close-lipped about the circumstances that led to the release of Ms. Fung almost a month after she was abducted outside Kabul on Oct. 12.

World powers to meet anew on Iran sanctions Senior diplomats from six world powers are to meet this week to discuss stalled efforts to impose new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Thursday's meeting in Paris will bring together high-level foreign ministry officials from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and Germany, the officials said.

After banning YouTube, military launches TroopTube --The Pentagon screens each video for 'taste,' copyright violations and national security issues. The U.S. military, with help from Seattle startup Delve Networks, has launched a video-sharing Web site for troops, their families and supporters, a year and a half after restricting access to YouTube and other video sites. TroopTube, as the new site is called, lets people register as members of one of the branches of the armed forces, family, civilian Defense Department employees or supporters.

Goldman Sachs urged bets against California bonds it helped sell Goldman, Sachs & Co. urged some of its big clients to place investment bets against California bonds this year despite having collected millions of dollars in fees to help the state sell some of those same bonds. The giant investment firm did not inform the office of California Treasurer Bill Lockyer that it was proposing a way for investment clients to profit from California's deepening financial misery.

Bonuses for Wall Street Should Go to Zero, U.S. Taxpayers Say U.S. taxpayers, who feel they own a stake in Wall Street after funding a $700 billion bailout for the industry, don't want executives' bonuses reduced. They want them eliminated. "The bailout money shouldn't have been given to them in the first place," said Ken Karlson, a 61-year-old Vietnam veteran and freelance marketer in Wheaton, Illinois.

Probe sought of Bush handling of Alaska oil-spill case An environmental watchdog group asked the Department of Justice's inspector general on Monday to investigate whether the department had prematurely halted a criminal prosecution of BP for a 2006 oil spill in Alaska. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed the complaint on behalf of Scott West, who as the special agent in charge for the Environmental Protection Agency participated in the federal and state investigation of the spill.

Prescription Drugs Kill 300 Percent More Americans than Illegal Drugs A report by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission has concluded that prescription drugs have outstripped illegal drugs as a cause of death. An analysis of 168,900 autopsies conducted in Florida in 2007 found that three times as many people were killed by legal drugs as by cocaine, heroin and all methamphetamines put together.

Military won't cover rape kits

Wasilla not the only place a victim may be expected to pony up for medical help.