SPB News for Saturday

Sebelius HHS Confirmation Hearings Set For Thursday

DSCC Donates $100K In Madoff Contributions To His Victims

Bank CEOs Emerge From WH: 'We're All In This Together'

Obama Taps Ex-MS Gov. Mabus As Navy Secretary

Tough Questions: RNC Survey Asks Yay Or Nay On 'More Socialism'

Likely Specter Challenger To Join Joe The Plumber Against EFCA

Ex-official: Bush panicked after 9/11

Lawyer confirms Bush tortured prisoners; GOP leader: Bush a 'millstone.'

AIG Bonuses Could Be Closer to $450 Million --Conn. lawmakers said AIG is slated to award more bonuses in 2010 AIG employees might be taking home $450 million in bonuses, rather than the $185 and $232 million figures tossed around last week, according to the co-chairs of the Connecticut banking committee and the state's Attorney General. The discrepancy lies in similar payments that could be made in 2010, to the tune of $230 million or so.

Obama plans to expand strikes against terror to Pakistan US President Barack Obama intends to expand the strikes against terror across the border of Afghanistan to Pakistan, which many of his team members believe has emerged as the ground zero of terrorism. The new policy, to be unveiled by Obama at the White House this evening [part of the Obama Friday evening bad news dump], would endorse more drone attacks inside Pakistan much beyond their traditional strike zones of the tribal regions of Pakistan, media reports said.

UN probing misuse of reconstruction funds in Afghanistan The United Nations has confirmed it is probing the alleged misuse of reconstruction funds in Afghanistan by a former UN official. Gary Helseth, a US national who headed the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2006, reportedly supervised the expenditure of one billion dollars in aid money. Helseth allegedly improperly used hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for lavish purchases, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

'Mumbai terrorists' say group will increase attacks on India The terrorist group which carried out the Mumbai massacre last November and is suspected of the commando raid on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Pakistan earlier this month has warned it is to step up its attacks on India. A spokesman for the al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] linked Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) said the group will carry out more "lethal" attacks in the near future. The warning came as India's army chief said the group was mounting its biggest ever infiltration into India with up to 400 terrorist commandos dispatched to cross the border.

Outcry after new Ground Zero tower loses 'Freedom' --China's Vantone Industrial Company, signed to a 21-year deal, will take the entire 65th and 69th floors and part of the 64th with a business and cultural facility dubbed the China Center. The owners of the skyscraper being built at Ground Zero ran into controversy Friday with the decision to strip the building of its patriotic unofficial name "Freedom Tower." "No more freedom," read the front page of the Daily News, declaring in an editorial that the site's owner, the New York and New Jersey Port Authority, was "erasing history." The Port Authority announced that the planned 1,776-foot building will instead be known by the same name as one of the twin towers destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks: One World Trade Center.

Lawmakers Want Cameras to Catch Speeders --Senate Proposal Would Mean Tickets of Up to $100 For Those Caught You could get a speeding ticket even if you're never pulled over by a squad car and stopped by a police officer. There is a new push to use stationary radar cameras to catch drivers speeding. under a bill now pending in the Illinois Senate, counties and municipalities could issue speeding tickets of up to $100 if caught by a camera positioned on the roadway.

U.S. Expected to Give More Aid to Automakers The Obama administration is likely to extend more short-term aid to General Motors and Chrysler on Monday, but impose a strict deadline for bondholders and union workers to make concessions [!] that would help the ailing automakers become viable businesses and avert bankruptcy. President Obama’s auto task force is expected to say that despite its recommendation of more federal assistance for G.M. and Chrysler, bankruptcy could still be an outcome for either company, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Reid: Roberts 'didn't tell us the truth' — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Friday that John Roberts misled the Senate during his confirmation hearings by pretending to be a moderate - and that the United States is now “stuck” with him as chief justice.

House GOP obtains e-mails from Countrywide's VIP loan program
The 63-page report, titled "Countrywide's Systematic and Successful Effort to Buy Influence and Block Reform" was released by Darrell Issa of California.