SPB News for Friday.

McCain Spent 70th Birthday On Con Man's Yacht

Petraeus: I Don't Know That I Will Ever Use The Word “Victory” For Iraq — One of the McCain campaign's chief assaults on Barack Obama is that McCain is insisting that the troops return only after “victory” in Iraq, while Obama refuses to use that word — a position the McCain forces describe as tantamount to wanting to lose.

U.S. Government Assisting in Sale of Lehman Brothers — The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve are helping Lehman Brothers put itself up for sale. The details are not finalized, but sources familiar with the matter say the purchase is expected to be completed and announced …

Pamela Anderson tells Sarah Palin to suck it Pamela Anderson was recently in Toronto speaking out against the abuse of animals in Hollywood. When asked by E! News Weekend Canada about Palin, she has some choice words for the Republican hopeful. The reporter asked Pam if she saw a recent Newsweek article, which showed a gigantic bear hide in the office of Palin’s house. "I can’t stand her," Pam blurted out. "She can suck it!"

Israel asks U.S. for arms, air corridor to attack Iran The security aid package the United States has refused to give Israel for the past few months out of concern that Israel would use it to attack nuclear facilities in Iran included a large number of "bunker-buster" bombs, permission to use an air corridor to Iran, an advanced technological system and refueling planes. Officials from both countries have been discussing the Israeli requests over the past few months.

Japan to end controversial Iraq mission Japan said Thursday it was ending an air mission in Iraq, wrapping up a military deployment which was historic for the pacifist nation but deeply unpopular among the public. Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said Tokyo planned by the end of the year to bring back planes which flew goods and personnel into Iraq in support of the United Nations and US-led 'coalition.'

Critics: Under Palin, Wasilla charged rape victims for exam Eight years ago, complaints about charging rape victims for medical exams in Wasilla prompted the Alaska Legislature to pass a bill -- signed into law by Gov. Tony Knowles (D) -- that banned the practice statewide. "There was one town in Alaska that was charging victims for this, and that was Wasilla," Knowles said. A May 23, 2000, article in Wasilla's newspaper, The Frontiersman, noted that Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies regularly pay for such exams, which cost between $300 and $1,200 apiece. "(But) the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests," the newspaper reported.

Update: Chafee stands by calling Palin 'cocky whacko' Former U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee this morning stood by his comments that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is a "cocky whacko" and "dangerous for the country." Chafee, a former Republican turned independent, did not back down when reporters questioned him across from Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies, where he is a visiting fellow.