SPB News for Friday.

State rep confirms that son is subject of Palin e-mail chatter — State Rep. Mike Kernell confirmed Thursday that his son, a University of Tennessee-Knoxville student, is at the center of heated Internet discussion into the hacking of the personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

McCain Flub? Republican Says He'd Fire SEC Chair as President — ABC News' David Wright reports: At a joint rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Thursday, Republican John McCain slammed the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) for being “asleep,” saying that if he were president, he would fire Chris Cox … Statement From SEC Chairman Christopher Cox

Palin disinvited from Iran rally — The organizers of an anti-Iran rally Monday rescinded their invitation to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin after Democrats protested that her presence would turn the event into a political rally, McCain campaign and Jewish community sources said.

Fed and Treasury Offer to Work With Congress on Bailout Plan — WASHINGTON — The head of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve began discussions on Thursday with Congressional leaders on what could become the biggest bailout in United States history. — While details remain to be worked out …

Republican congressman endorses Obama — Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, a maverick Republican from Maryland, endorsed Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president in an interview Wednesday with WYPR, Baltimore's National Public Radio station. — Gilchrest, who lost a primary campaign …

California gay marriage ban losing steam.
The Sacramento Bee reports that Proposition 8, a California constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, has “lost support during the past two months and now trails by a 17-point margin.”

Federal officials: No charges expected for Foley Two federal officials have told The Associated Press that no charges are expected against former Congressman Mark Foley after a lengthy investigation into his lurid computer messages to underage pages. They also told AP results of the state investigation will be announced Friday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.

US wants $20bn to fund Afghanistan effort --Thousands more soldiers will head for country The US is seeking $20bn from its allies to help [de]stabilise Afghanistan as it plans to send thousands more of its own troops to confront the growing 'insurgency' in the country, American officials disclosed yesterday. The message of Robert Gates, the American defence secretary, was clear - the US expected countries which did not contribute troops to Afghanistan to contribute money instead.

Lawyer: Todd Palin won't testify in 'Troopergate,' despite subpoena Todd Palin is refusing to testify in an abuse-of-power investigation into his wife, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Palin had been subpoenaed to appear Friday before Alaska lawmakers to testify as to whether Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was fired because he refused to dismiss a state trooper who had gone through a bitter divorce with Sarah Palin's sister.

US thinktank names Palin as enemy of the environment --Centre for Biological Diversity condemned Alaska governor as a 'global warming denier' The Centre for Biological Diversity awarded Sarah Palin its Rubber Dodo award for her insistence - despite scientific evidence to the contrary - that the polar bear population was rising across the Arctic. The Arizona thinktank condemned the Alaska governor as a "global warming denier". "Governor Palin has waged a deceptive, dangerous, and costly battle against the polar bear," Kieran Suckling, the centre's director, said in a statement. "Her position on global warming is so extreme, she makes Dick Cheney look like an Al Gore devotee."

Obama mocks McCain's call to fire SEC chair --'This is not a time for fear,' says Democratic candidate Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama promised new ideas Thursday to calm America's financial meltdown and help struggling families avoid mortgage foreclosure, saying "this is not a time for fear and it's not a time for panic." Obama heaped criticism and sarcasm on John McCain, his Republican rival, and mocked his call to fire the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bail-Outs Will Cost America $1-2 Trillion

Poll: GOP loses Arab-Americans, but support for Obama is soft