Good Morning...It is already Wednesday, the week is half over!!! It is just flying by!!! Here are the stories making headlines this morning...make sure you grab plenty of coffee, there is a lot going on today...

Top Stories

Powerful quake shakes Alaska's Aleutian Islands
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook the western end of Alaska's Aleutian Islands early Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Iraq war funding
After months of stalemate, the Senate late Tuesday passed a huge government spending bill that includes billions of dollars requested by President Bush to continue the war in Iraq.

Judge orders hearing on CIA videos
The administration must answer questions about the destruction of CIA interrogation videos of two Al-Qaeda suspects, a federal judge said Tuesday, rejecting the government's efforts to keep the courts out of the investigation.

Bush Lawyers Discussed Fate of C.I.A.Tapes
At least four top White House lawyers took part in discussions with the Central Intelligence Agency between 2003 and 2005 about whether to destroy videotapes showing the secret interrogations of two operatives from Al Qaeda, according to current and former administration and intelligence officials.

Dozens killed in Pakistani train derailment
A Pakistani express train derailed early Wednesday morning, killing at least 41 people and injuring at least 135 others, police said.

Raw Politics

POLL: In Iowa Democratic Caucuses, Turnout Will Tell the Tale
Turnout will tell the tale of the Iowa Democratic caucuses, where Barack Obama's theme of a fresh start in the nation's politics is resonating strongly against the bulwarks of Hillary Clinton's campaign -- strength, experience and electability.

Crying in politics
Having a Muskie moment isn't necessarily a bad thing anymore. Tears, once kryptonite to serious presidential candidates, today are more often seen as a useful part of the political tool kit.

Economy rivals security as top concern for voters
As an election approaches, campaigns often brace for a last-minute event that could alter the political landscape. But the surprise this time isn't a scandal or a calamity overseas. It's an abrupt shift in the debate away from the battlefields of the Middle East and toward kitchen-table issues, such as the economy.


Keepin' Them Honest

Effort to cut FEMA red tape knocked back
A week after Hurricane Katrina, a FEMA official in charge of streamlining the flow of disaster aid issued a directive that would have cut through the red tape and expedited a staggering 1,029 rebuilding projects and $5.3 billion.

Addicted doctors still practice while in rehab
Troubling cases in which doctors were accused of botching operations while undergoing treatment for drugs or alcohol have led to criticism of rehab programs that allow thousands of U.S. physicians to keep their addictions hidden from their patients.


Crime & Punishment

Trial in Slaying of L.I. Man
I did what I had to do; you might as well put the cuffs on me now. This is how the lead prosecutor began his closing arguments Tuesday, echoing words attributed to a black man on trial for manslaughter in the shooting of a white teenager. According to trial testimony, that is what the man, John H. White, 54, said to the police who arrived at his house in Miller Place, on Long Island, after the shooting on the night of Aug. 9, 2006.

White separatist group sues town of Jena
A white separatist group planning a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Jena is suing the town, claiming officials are violating the Constitution by asking participants not to bring firearms, changing the parade route by one block and requiring the posting of a bond.

Fight over heat makes wife hot
A woman who was angry because her husband wanted her to turn up the heat pulled out a gun and shot their flat-screen TV while he cowered behind a pillow, Macomb County authorities say.


AC360 folo

Mom pushes for Internet harassment laws
The mother of a teenage girl who committed suicide after being taunted online urged a state task force on Internet harassment Tuesday to recommend criminalizing such behavior.


What you WILL be Talking about Today

Britney Spears' 16-year-old sister pregnant
Another Spears baby is reportedly on the way -- and it's not Britney's. Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16-year-old "Zoey 101" star and sister of Britney, told OK! magazine that she's pregnant and that the father is her boyfriend, Casey Aldridge.

Omaha store to reopen Thursday
Enticing shoppers back into the department store where the deadliest mall shooting in U.S. history took place is the delicate task now facing Von Maur employees.

Scandal threatens Florida State
An academic cheating scandal could leave Florida State without as many as 25 players for its Music City Bowl game against Kentucky on New Year's Eve, coach Bobby Bowden said Tuesday.

Houston, we've got a problem...
--Barclay Palmer, Senior Producer, Anderson Cooper 360

Earth to the Fed! Yes, those too-good-to-be-true home sales helping drive the economy for so long were too good to be true. Now the Federal Reserve has is targeting deceptive home loan practices--but thousands of families already stand to lose their homes, and the mortgage credit meltdown is already putting a drag on home sales and the economy.

And The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the Fed and other regulators shrugged off warnings that lenders were luring people into risky mortgages they could not afford, and some were using deceptive practices. But the Times reports the vaunted Alan Greenspan didn't act.

So now we have the Fed's proposed solution. Is this the right move, or is it too little too late?

We'd like to know what you think.

Iowa, and the gathering storms
--David Gergen, Former Presidential Advisor

There is a growing disconnect right now between the turmoil in the financial markets and the tumult on the campaign trail. As the candidates make their closing arguments in Iowa, they seem almost oblivious to the rising fears about the U.S. mortgage crisis and a global credit crunch.

Just yesterday the Fed proposed new rules to curtail high-risk mortgages while the European Central Bank poured half a trillion dollars into the markets, apparently stunning investors. Will these be enough? Do we need far more action? Among the candidates, only Chris Dodd -- as head of Senate Banking -- has been speaking up loudly to say more is needed.

A far clearer cry came yesterday from Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary and highly respected economist. He thinks we are likely heading toward a punishing recession and is urging -- surprisingly for a Democrat -- a $50-75 billion package of tax cuts and spending increases; he also wants the Fed to act far more aggressively to reduce interest charges and increase spending by consumers.

If any of these candidates were in the White House today, they would be seized with these economic questions and debating the Summers proposal. But they are off in a different universe. Just a few days ago, Mike Huckabee didn't even know about the new intelligence finding on Iran until 24 hours after it had already caused an explosion among diplomats.

When the frenzy of these early primaries is finally over, the country needs the winners to settle down and have a serious conversation with us about how they think we should navigate the gathering storms.

Still Waiting for Hurricane Rita Relief Check out Randi Kaye's story on CNN.com:

SABINE PASS, Texas (CNN) -- Christmas will be anything but merry this year for Helena Saunders. The 69-year-old grandmother, who's been living inside of a cramped FEMA trailer since her home in Sabine Pass, Texas, was devastated more than two years ago by Hurricane Rita, says there isn't enough room for a Christmas tree.

Hurricane Rita slammed into the Texas and Louisiana coast on September 24, 2005, destroying thousands of properties and causing an estimated $9.4 billion in damages -- making it the ninth costliest storm in U.S. history, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Read the FULL STORY on CNN.com

Watch for Randi Kaye's report tonight at 10p ET on 360

Presidential Stocking Stuffers
--Roland Martin, CNN Commentator

What in the world is going on with these Christmas ads from the candidates?

First, Mike Huckabee garners a ton of attention for his over-the-top, cross-lovin' Christmas ad.

Now lo and behold, Obama, Clinton, Edwards and Giuliani are trotting out their Christmas ads.

I'm not impressed. Ron Paul is sitting on $16 million in Internet donations. When is he going to release his Christmas commercial?

Here's my suggestion--Paul should hook up with Dennis Kucinich, and they should put under their tree Christmas gifts for each of their opponents, with Mike Gravel playing Santa:

For Clinton, a cup of spiked eggnog and a helping of holiday warmth;

For Obama, a name change so we don't have to hear even more "Osama" flubs;

For Chris Dodd, a one-way ticket back to the senate;

For Joe Biden, one of those back to the future cars, so he can run all over again in 1988;

For Bill Richardson, a Careerbuilder.com account, cuz he'll need one a month from now;

For Edwards, a lifetime membership to Supercuts;

On the GOP side, for Mitt Romney, more hairspray;

For Rudy Giuliani, more hair;

For John McCain, how about a teddy bear, because he's coming off kind of abrasive;

For Fred Thompson, a case of the energy and caffeine drink Red Bull;

For Mike Huckabee, the George W. Bush foreign policy primer from his 2000 campaign;

For Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter, an all-expense-paid trip to Cancun, for two.

And for Paul and Kucinich themselves, a free, round-trip ticket on UFO Airlines;

The last thing we need are Christmas ads that are really just regular, boring political ads.

Have fun! Be irreverent! Do something different! But for goodness sake, stop being traditional!


Editor's note: See Raw Politics on tonight's 360: What's behind the candidates' holiday spirit. Coming right up at 10PM ET.

An email, a hoax and a death.
--Barclay Palmer, Senior Producer, Anderson Cooper 360

Tonight, 360 Correspondent Jason Carroll reports on one family who lost their son, and another family in danger of losing a father to prison.

For an instant -- they thought they were mortal enemies. But they were wrong -- all because of an Internet hoax.

Some hoaxes can be funny. And some can break your heart.

Come hear Jason's report if you have a couple minutes, tonight on AC360.

Morning Buzz Good Morning...It is Thursday!!! Not a ton of BIG headlines out there today. But take a look at today's morning buzz...



Top Stories

Rescuers spot lost family's twig 'Help' sign
Stranded in the snowy California woods for three days after losing their way while searching for a Christmas tree, a father and his three children fashioned a "Help" sign out of twigs on a nearby unpaved road, according to the helicopter pilots who found them.

Key Setbacks Dim Luster of Democrats' Year
The first Democratic-led Congress in a dozen years limped out of Washington last night with a lengthy list of accomplishments, from the first increase in fuel-efficiency standards in a generation to the first minimum-wage hike in a decade.

Congress -- Tax trap?
More than 20 million taxpayers will escape the alternative minimum tax this year, thanks to a stopgap measure Congress approved Wednesday. But lawmakers waited so late in the year to vote that many early filers could have to wait until March to get their refunds.

Realignment of the Army
President Bush has approved what officials are describing as the most significant realignment of the Army since World War II, signing off on a plan that will keep more troops than previously envisioned in Europe and add large numbers of soldiers to bases in Colorado, Georgia and Texas, Army officials said Wednesday.

New Zealand rocked by 6.8 quake
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake off New Zealand's east coast rocked much of mainland New Zealand on Thursday, emergency officials said.


Raw Politics

NEW CNN Iowa Poll -- It is down to the wire
Two weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses and itappears to be a dead heat in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination in the Hawkeye State, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll out Thursday morning. Thirty percent of likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers support Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York as the nominee, with Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois at 28 percent and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina at 26 percent.

Giuliani taken to hospital
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani was taken to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, with flu-like symptoms and is spending the night there, a Giuliani spokesman confirmed to CNN early Thursday.

Kerrey apologizes to Obama
Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey has apologized to Barack Obama for any unintentional insult he committed by raising the Democratic presidential candidate's Muslim heritage while endorsing rival candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Huckabee defends record on clemencies
Republican Mike Huckabee on Wednesday defended his handling of requests for clemency when he was Arkansas governor and in turn accused Mitt Romney of denying such requests to protect his political future.


Keepin' Them Honest

TONIGHT ON AC360 Drew Griffin reports: It's only fitting the International Museum of Women would be found in an international city, like San Francisco. There's just one problem.... It can't be found- and trust Drew, he looked all over.


Crime & Punishment

Congress OKs Va Tech-inspired gun bill
Congress passed a long-stalled bill inspired by the Virginia Tech shootings that would more easily flag prospective gun buyers who have documented mental health problems. The measure also would help states with the cost.

Aruba to detail evidence in Holloway case
Prosecutors on Thursday plan to divulge evidence they gathered over the last eight months against three young men who will not be charged in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway because it was not sufficient to charge anyone.


AC360 folo

Nicaraguan prosecutors appealing American's release
Nicaraguan prosecutors are appealing a court's decision that overturned an American man's conviction in the killing of his former girlfriend and set the stage for his release, officials said.


What YOU Will be talking about Today

Hitting the road (literally) with some faithful ***tonight on AC360***
If you turn to the Bible -- Isaiah Chapter 35, Verse 8 -- you will see a passage that in part says, "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness."

Whales may be related to deer-like beast
The gigantic ocean-dwelling whale may have evolved from a land animal the size of a small raccoon, new research suggests. What might be the missing evolutionary link between whales and land animals is an odd animal that looks like a long-tailed deer without antlers or an overgrown long-legged rat, fossils indicate.

Morning Buzz Good Morning...It is Thursday!!! Not a ton of BIG headlines out there today. But take a look at today's morning buzz...



Top Stories

Rescuers spot lost family's twig 'Help' sign
Stranded in the snowy California woods for three days after losing their way while searching for a Christmas tree, a father and his three children fashioned a "Help" sign out of twigs on a nearby unpaved road, according to the helicopter pilots who found them.

Key Setbacks Dim Luster of Democrats' Year
The first Democratic-led Congress in a dozen years limped out of Washington last night with a lengthy list of accomplishments, from the first increase in fuel-efficiency standards in a generation to the first minimum-wage hike in a decade.

Congress -- Tax trap?
More than 20 million taxpayers will escape the alternative minimum tax this year, thanks to a stopgap measure Congress approved Wednesday. But lawmakers waited so late in the year to vote that many early filers could have to wait until March to get their refunds.

Realignment of the Army
President Bush has approved what officials are describing as the most significant realignment of the Army since World War II, signing off on a plan that will keep more troops than previously envisioned in Europe and add large numbers of soldiers to bases in Colorado, Georgia and Texas, Army officials said Wednesday.

New Zealand rocked by 6.8 quake
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake off New Zealand's east coast rocked much of mainland New Zealand on Thursday, emergency officials said.


Raw Politics

NEW CNN Iowa Poll -- It is down to the wire
Two weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses and itappears to be a dead heat in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination in the Hawkeye State, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll out Thursday morning. Thirty percent of likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers support Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York as the nominee, with Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois at 28 percent and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina at 26 percent.

Giuliani taken to hospital
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani was taken to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, with flu-like symptoms and is spending the night there, a Giuliani spokesman confirmed to CNN early Thursday.

Kerrey apologizes to Obama
Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey has apologized to Barack Obama for any unintentional insult he committed by raising the Democratic presidential candidate's Muslim heritage while endorsing rival candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Huckabee defends record on clemencies
Republican Mike Huckabee on Wednesday defended his handling of requests for clemency when he was Arkansas governor and in turn accused Mitt Romney of denying such requests to protect his political future.


Keepin' Them Honest

TONIGHT ON AC360 Drew Griffin reports: It's only fitting the International Museum of Women would be found in an international city, like San Francisco. There's just one problem.... It can't be found- and trust Drew, he looked all over.


Crime & Punishment

Congress OKs Va Tech-inspired gun bill
Congress passed a long-stalled bill inspired by the Virginia Tech shootings that would more easily flag prospective gun buyers who have documented mental health problems. The measure also would help states with the cost.

Aruba to detail evidence in Holloway case
Prosecutors on Thursday plan to divulge evidence they gathered over the last eight months against three young men who will not be charged in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway because it was not sufficient to charge anyone.


AC360 folo

Nicaraguan prosecutors appealing American's release
Nicaraguan prosecutors are appealing a court's decision that overturned an American man's conviction in the killing of his former girlfriend and set the stage for his release, officials said.


What YOU Will be talking about Today

Hitting the road (literally) with some faithful ***tonight on AC360***
If you turn to the Bible -- Isaiah Chapter 35, Verse 8 -- you will see a passage that in part says, "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness."

Whales may be related to deer-like beast
The gigantic ocean-dwelling whale may have evolved from a land animal the size of a small raccoon, new research suggests. What might be the missing evolutionary link between whales and land animals is an odd animal that looks like a long-tailed deer without antlers or an overgrown long-legged rat, fossils indicate.

Jamie Lynn spurs a father-daughter talk
--Gary Tuchman, CNN Correspondent


I am among the billions of people on planet Earth who have more pressing concerns than the pregnancy of 16 year-old Jamie Lynn Spears. But like many other parents I suspect, the topic of this teen star dominated my morning, as my 10 year old daughter, and I had THE discussion.

" Have you heard about Britney's sister?" , I asked Samantha who enjoys they 16-year old's TV show.

"Yes Daddy", she said.
So I asked her what her feelings were about it.
Samantha told me she thought Jamie Lynn will have to be off her show for nine months.

I explained to my little girl it's a bit more complex than that, that when an adult gets pregnant, she often works very close to her delivery date, and then may take a few months off, and come back to her job.

But Jamie Lynn, I told her, is a different situation. Nickleodeon, I explained, has to decide if she will even be able to keep her job, because I assured Samantha the cable network never had plans to have episodes with Jamie Lynn informing the world's adoring child viewers that she is expecting a baby.

I also told my daughter that in my humble fatherly opinion, the Spears sisters are demonstrating to their adoring public that they are "role model" challenged, and although they are sometimes entertaining, it would not be great to be inspired by Jamie Lynn's or Birtney's behavior.

My daughter seemed to accept my commentary, and agreed to keep me informed about the discussion around the 5th grade "water cooler." I'm sure we will talk more about this, particularly after Samantha sees or hears about mother-to-be Jamie Lynn on the cover of OK magazine, a cover story, that surprise, I'm not particularly OK with.

Call me old fashioned, but beating the publicity drum about this doesn't strike me as particularly tasteful.

Jamie Lynn Spears, the law, and missplaced shame
--Lisa Bloom, 360 Contributor

Jamie Lynn Spears, who hails from Louisiana, is pregnant at 16. Louisiana is an abstinence-only education state, teaching teens only chastity, not birth control. We know that abstinence-only jurisdictions have the highest rates of teen pregnancy. Girls with older boyfriends are also statistically significantly more likely to be sexually active, to not use birth control, and to experience unintended pregnancies.

Can she be fired from her job as star of a Nickelodeon program? In my opinion that would be unlawful pregnancy discrimination. Actress Hunter Tylo successfully sued the producers of "Melrose Place" when they fired her for being pregnant. She was represented by my mother, feminist attorney Gloria Allred, who argued that no woman should have to choose between her baby and her job.

The jury agreed, awarding Tylo over $5 million. The same argument and the same law applies to Jamie Spears.

Could Spears' 18 year-old boyfriend be prosecuted for statutory rape? If the sex occurred in California, the answer is yes. Sex between a person over 18 and a person under 18 is a misdemeanor there, increasing to a felony when the age gap widens. If the sex occurred elsewhere, it would depend on state law. In any event, it would be Spears' boyfriend, not Spears herself, who may have committed a crime.

Nevertheless, the shaming and outcry against Spears has begun, ("THE SPEARS FAMILY SHAME," screams the New York Post headline this morning) as if she became pregnant all by herself, and notwithstanding the fact that nearly 50% of 16 year olds have had sexual intercourse.

Many of the sanctimonious pundits criticizing her probably were sexually active at her age, male athletes who father children out of wedlock, male celebs who don't even visit their own children, are not shamed.

In 2007, sexual shame is still reserved for girls. The same pundits who oppose educating teens about birth control and who oppose abortion rights shame this teenaged girl, who has made the choice to keep her baby. That, my friends, is a crying shame.