Iraq Panel to Recommend Pullback of Combat Troops
The Iraq Study Group final report will call for a gradual pullback of 15 brigades but stops short of setting a firm timetable for their withdrawal.

Bush: U.S. troops will remain in Iraq
AMMAN, Jordan – President Bush pledged Thursday that U.S. troops will remain in Iraq to strengthen the authority of embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and said the two agreed to speed a turnover of security responsibility to Iraqi forces.

Buck Fush

Analysis: Iraq changing Mideast balance
WASHINGTON – President Bush’s chaotic summit with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a telling sign of U.S. worries that the raging conflict in Iraq could tip the balance of power in the Middle East well beyond embattled Baghdad.

Shiite official demands more security
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki must improve security and provide more reliable electricity and other basic services before Shiite politicians end a boycott of the government launched to protest the premier’s summit with President Bush, a top legislator said Thursday.

Iran leader writes letter to Americans
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a letter to the American people on Wednesday, accused their government of coercion, force and injustice and urged the United States to pull out of Iraq.

Hezbollah groups call for mass protests
BEIRUT, Lebanon – Hezbollah-led opposition groups called for mass protests in Beirut Friday in an effort to bring down Lebanon’s Western-backed government.

Dozens of Turkish nationalists protest Pope visit
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Dozens of nationalists protested against Pope Benedict’s visit to predominantly Muslim Turkey and called on him to stay away from Aya Sofya, which was once Christianity’s largest church and is now a museum.

US envoy declares ‘ball is in North Korea’s court’
NARITA, Japan (AFP) – US envoy Christopher Hill has said the ball was now in North Korea’s court, admitting there remained “a lot of work to do” to restart talks on ending its nuclear program.

Japan capable of making nuclear weapon
TOKYO – Japan has the technological know-how to produce a nuclear weapon but has no immediate plans to do so, the foreign minister said Thursday, several weeks after communist North Korea carried out a nuclear test.

Mexican lawmakers seek end to standoff
MEXICO CITY – A strange standoff continued in Mexico’s Congress as rival legislators refused to stop blocking the platform where conservative President-elect Felipe Calderon wants to be sworn in Friday in front of foreign dignitaries including former President Bush.

Bolivian land reform faces opposition
LA PAZ, Bolivia – Bolivia’s leftist president must overcome steep bureaucratic obstacles and fierce political opposition before using his newly won right to seize huge swathes of land held by the country’s richest and most powerful families.

Weapons Trafficking in Somalia Condemned
UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The U.N. Security Council condemned a “significant increase” in the flow of weapons to and through Somalia in violation of a 1992 arms embargo and voted unanimously Wednesday to keep monitoring weapons trafficking in the poor and lawless Horn of Africa nation.

Analysis: Bush Avoids Major Changes on Iraq
Despite the Democratic congressional victory and James Baker’s independent commission, President Bush seems unwilling to make major policy changes on Iraq.

Powell says US should open up to Arabs, Muslims
Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday President George W. Bush could fight terrorism better by reaching out to Arabs and Muslims.

Administration to push visa waivers
WASHINGTON – The Bush administration will ask Congress to change and expand a program that allows citizens of some countries to enter the U.S. without visas, but in exchange would require visitors to provide more data about themselves before they board planes.

FEMA ordered to resume Katrina housing payments
A federal judge ordered the Bush administration to immediately resume housing benefits for thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon said the Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to adequately explain why it ended the 18-month housing assistance program.

Republicans want vote on abortion bill
WASHINGTON – While they still can, House Republicans are looking at scheduling a vote next week on a fetal pain abortion bill in a parting shot at incoming majority Democrats and a last bid for loyalty from the GOP’s base of social conservatives.

US Supreme Court appears divided over global warming
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The nine-member US Supreme Court appeared split as it took up the debate over global warming, with rival lawyers arguing whether some greenhouse gas emissions should be regulated.

Coalition targets convicted lawmakers
WASHINGTON – More than 20 citizen groups are urging the new Democratic leaders in Congress to include in any ethics reform the denial of pensions to lawmakers convicted of felonies.

Frist Won’t Make 2008 White House Run
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says he will not run for president in 2008, the most high-profile dropout from the field of contenders for the Republican nomination.

Stocks jump on gains in energy sector and GDP
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks rose sharply on Wednesday as shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. and other energy-related companies climbed on rising oil prices, and after the U.S. government raised its estimate of third-quarter economic growth.

US GDP growth revised up to 2.2 percent
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US economy held up better than expected in the third quarter, expanding at a 2.2 percent pace, according to a new official estimate that supports the notion of a “soft landing.”

Dollar finds relief in US growth data
The dollar found some respite from heavy selling on Wednesday as revised data showed the US economy grew much more strongly than first reported.

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US questions AP report about Sunnis being burned to death
US military officials say the Associated Press report about six Sunni men being burned to death in Baghdad on Friday relies on a source who “is not who he claimed he was.” They want a retraction or correction, reports Mark Memmott. AP International editor John Daniszewski stands by the story. “The attempt to question the existence of the known police officer who spoke to the AP is frankly ludicrous and hints at a certain level of desperation to dispute or suppress the facts of the incident in question,” he says.

Alter: Why did it take so long for media to use “civil war”?
“The answer says a lot about the relationship between the press and the presidency in the early years of the 21st century,” writes Jonathan Alter. “With the midterm election returns, we’ve forgotten how recently the White House held a hammer over the head of anyone who might dare dissent. Earlier this year, any major news organization deciding to call Iraq a civil war would have almost certainly been attacked as unpatriotic by the White House-RNC-Fox industrial complex.”

Tech folks suggest taking the “paper” out of newspaper
Kevin Maney asked about a dozen Internet entrepreneurs and thinkers what they’d do if they owned a newspaper. They had intriguing thoughts, says Maney, but “no one offered an idea that totally broke form, reinventing newspapers the way eBay reinvented garage sales. …Most of the tech people said they’d blow off the print product as quickly as possible to focus on digital content.”

Why Tribune wants more time to review buyout proposals
Tribune CEO Dennis FitzSimons says “this process has generated strong interest from a number of parties,” but James Rainey hears that lukewarm bids had increased the chances that the company would be sold in parts or that it would be reduced in size and taken private by current management. “Clearly bids are not coming in as high as expected, so Tribune needs more time to figure out what to do,” says one person involved in the auction.

Judge stalls MediaNews, Hearst plan to pool some operations
Federal judge Susan Illston says new evidence of a proposed advertising sales and newspaper distribution collaboration between the companies has increased “the likelihood that the transactions at issue here were anti-competitive and illegal.”

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Scan of Entire Human Genome Finds Unexpected New Clues on Lou Gehrig’s Disease
A comprehensive scan of the human genome has identified more than 50 genetic abnormalities in people with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease)

New Breast Scanner Rivals Mammograms
(HealthDay News) — A new imaging system has the promise of equaling or surpassing mammography in detecting breast cancer. And it does it without squeezing the breast in a vice.  But the device is not thoroughly proven, and experts are urging caution in interpreting the findings.

Churchgoers Breathe Easier
Some people live and breathe their religion. Turns out going to church might actually help them breathe easier. Researchers measured the breathing of 1,189 people aged 70 to 79. Those who attend church regularly scored better on a test that measures pulmonary flow rate. The findings could not be explained by differences in smoking or physical activity, the scientists said.

Female Chimps Fight Back
Female chimpanzees in the wild form coalitions to retaliate against aggressive males, a new study reveals.
Well, actually, this information isn’t so new.  I read this about bonobo chimpanzees, our closest relatives, some years ago.  Bonobos have a matriarchal society, and they’re peaceful.  They just don’t put up with testosterone poisoning.

Legendary Violins Were Chemically Treated
A researcher claims he is one note closer to the secret recipe that produced the famous Stradivarius and Guarneri instruments.

Scientists Unravel Mystery of Ancient Greek Machine
Scientists have finally demystified the incredible workings of a 2,000-year-old astronomical calculator built by ancient Greeks. A new analysis of the Antikythera Mechanism [image], a clock-like machine consisting of more than 30 precise, hand-cut bronze gears, show it to be more advanced than previously thought—so much so that nothing comparable was built for another thousand years.

Bush: ‘Not Going To Pull Our Troops’
President Bush, under pressure to change direction in Iraq, said he will not be persuaded by calls to withdraw American troops before the “mission is complete.” He also urged allies to increase forces in Afghanistan at the opening of the NATO summit.

The Radical Fringe

Sectarian violence kills 24 Iraqis
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Fierce fighting between coalition forces and insurgents shut down a city north of Baghdad on Wednesday and gunfire crackled across the capital, as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki prepared to travel to Jordan for a summit with U.S. President George W. Bush aimed at halting the country’s escalating sectarian violence and paving the way for a reduction of American troops.

Bush focusing on Iraqi troop training
RIGA, LATVIA – President Bush will ask the embattled Iraqi prime minister in Jordan on Wednesday how best to train Iraqi forces faster so they can shoulder more responsibility for securing the nation, yet a top White House adviser has doubts that Nouri al-Maliki will be able to halt escalating sectarian violence.

Lebanese leaders move forward
Lebanon s Cabinet recently approved an international tribunal to try suspects accused of participating in the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri. Marwan Hamade, an outspoken anti-Syrian minister and Cabinet minister, discusses the current political landscape.

NATO seeks more troops in Afghanistan
RIGA, Latvia – NATO was divided at its summit Tuesday on deploying more troops to Afghanistan’s volatile south, with Germany resisting any permanently expanded presence and Canada complaining of bearing the brunt of an increasingly bloody mission.

Canada warns public support at risk in Afghan role
RIGA (Reuters) – Public support in Canada for its participation in NATO peacekeeping in Afghanistan could dissolve if other allies do not help its troops in the violent south, Foreign Minister Peter MacKay said on Tuesday.

Bolivian Senate OKs sweeping land reform
LA PAZ, Bolivia – President Evo Morales signed ambitious land reforms into law late Tuesday night in a boisterous ceremony that packed the presidential palace with cheering Indian supporters.

Argentine protesters clash with police
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – A protest against Argentina’s former military dictatorship turned into a clash Tuesday evening between police with tear gas and rubber bullets and demonstrators with Molotov cocktails.

Somali Islamists claim clash with Ethiopian troops, warn of importing jihadists
MOGADISHU (AFP) – Powerful Somali Islamists claimed to have fought Ethiopian troops in central Somalia and warned of importing foreign fighters to join their holy war if the United Nations authorizes peacekeepers.

U.S. troop levels in Iraq stymie panel
WASHINGTON – Members of an independent commission on Iraq policy could not reach a consensus Tuesday on how many or how long U.S. troops should remain in Iraq, forcing the group to return for a third day of debate, according to an official close to the panel’s negotiations.

Wars wearing down military gear at cost of about $2 billion a month
About $2 billion worth of Army and Marine Corps equipment from rifles to tanks is wearing out or being destroyed every month in Iraq and Afghanistan, military leaders and outside experts say.
Yes, and that’s exactly why the makers of rifles and tanks invest in politicians who support perpetual war.

Bush wants more countries in visa-waiver program
President Bush said Tuesday that he wants more countries in a program that allows foreigners to stay in the USA without visas, despite criticism that the move could open the door to terrorists.

Bush willing to work with Dems on trade
WASHINGTON – President Bush’s top trade negotiator said Tuesday the president still hopes to achieve bipartisan support for an aggressive trade liberalization agenda in the next Congress even with Democrats in control.
You’re not the only one calling the shots this time, Junior.  The Democrats will work with you on trade if the result is to reverse the tide that’s destroying the middle class.

U.S. bans sale of iPods to North Korea
WASHINGTON – The Bush administration wants North Korea’s attention, so like a scolding parent it’s trying to make it tougher for that country’s eccentric leader to buy iPods, plasma televisions and Segway electric scooters.
Yeah, that’ll show ‘em.  All three people in North Korea who could afford these things can’t have them.

Senate leader-elect sets agenda
WASHINGTON – Senate Majority Leader-elect Harry Reid said Tuesday he’s doing away with the “do-nothing Congress” that Democrats campaigned against and plans to keep senators working long hours — focusing first on ethics, the minimum wage and stem cell research.

Democrats plan to revive stem cell bill
WASHINGTON – The same embryonic stem cell bill that prompted President Bush’s only veto is headed to his desk again, this time from Democrats who have it atop their agenda when they take control of Congress in January.
Damn straight.  Make him veto it.

Webb may test Senate s limits
At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving line or to have his picture taken with the man he had often criticized on the stump this fall.

Pelosi passes Hastings for Intel chair
WASHINGTON – In a decision that could roil Democratic unity in the new House, Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi passed over Rep. Alcee Hastings Tuesday for the chairmanship of the Intelligence Committee.

Judge strikes down Bush on terror groups
LOS ANGELES – A federal judge struck down President Bush’s authority to designate groups as terrorists, saying his post-Sept. 11 executive order was unconstitutionally vague, according to a ruling released Tuesday.
Vague?  VAGUE??  How about unconstitutional?  How about we’re not a monarchy?  How about we have the rule of law, not the rule of men?

Cyber Monday Sales Look Strong
Predictions indicate online retailers could ring up $599 million in sales for that day.

Dow, Nasdaq close higher on housing gain
NEW YORK – Stocks advanced modestly Tuesday after Wall Street shrugged off a sharp drop in orders for manufactured goods and took comfort in the first gain in existing home sales in eight months.

Durables orders dip, but home sales rise
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New orders for U.S.-made durable goods registered their sharpest fall in six years last month and consumer confidence fell in November, reports showed on Tuesday, lending support to views the Federal Reserve will trim interest rates next year.

San Diego to ban Wal-Mart Supercenters
SAN DIEGO – The City Council here voted late Tuesday to ban certain giant retail stores, dealing a blow to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s potential to expand in the nation’s eighth-largest city.

The French Say Au Revoir to Microsoft Software
The French parliament has said au revoir to Microsoft. Starting in June of next year, French deputies will use desktops and servers running Linux, Mozilla’s Firefox Web browser, and OpenOffice.org, a free open-source alternative to Microsoft’s Office software.

NBC Universal to go online for tree lighting
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – You won’t need to be in New York this year to attend NBC Universal’s annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center.

TiVo sets ads on programs to be deleted
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Before deleting that television show you just watched courtesy of TiVo, you’ll be given the option to view a commercial, the latest in a series of enhancements the DVR pioneer will launch in an effort to profit from the proliferation of ad-skipping.

Wal-Mart to test movie downloads
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is edging into selling video downloads by offering buyers of the “Superman Returns” DVD a chance to buy downloads of the same movie, beginning Wednesday.

DoCoMo, others plan multimedia for cellphones
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437.T), Fuji Television Network Inc. (4676.T), Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. and other firms will team up to develop new broadcast services for cellphones, the companies said on Wednesday.

Newspapers have survived technological challenges before
“They will survive this, too,” writes Amanda Bennett in her last column as Philadelphia Inquirer editor. “This is a tough time for newspapers everywhere. Perhaps more so here than in most places,” she says. “But it’s not the end of journalism — or of newspapers — here or anywhere else. Reinvention is difficult and painful. But ultimately I am certain that the fundamental need people have for smart, timely, interesting and relevant information will prevail.”

LAT started describing Iraq situation as “civil war” last month
NBC is the first television network to officially adopt the term “civil war,” while the Los Angeles Times was the first major news outlet to formally adopt the description when it began to refer to the hostilities as a civil war in October — “without public fanfare,” the paper notes.

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A wind-powered skyscraper in Paris
Developers have selected a design for a new building nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower and powered partly by the wind.

Violent video game effects linger in brain
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Teens who play violent video games show increased activity in areas of the brain linked to emotional arousal and decreased responses in regions that govern self-control, a study released on Tuesday found.

Canada experts find path round Internet firewalls
TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadian university researchers have developed software that will let users hop over governments’ Internet firewalls, raising the prospect of unfettered Internet access in countries that have long tried to control how residents use the Web.

White House says Iraq in ‘new phase’
TALLINN, Estonia – President Bush intensified diplomatic efforts on Monday to quell rising violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, turning to allies as his national security adviser said the conflict in Iraq had entered “a new phase” requiring changes.
Is Bush now giving himself an excuse to change his “stay the course” nonstrategy in Iraq?  Let us hope and pray.

Dan Wasserman, Boston Globe

Bush: Iraq violence part of al-Qaida plot
TALLINN, Estonia – President Bush said Tuesday that the sectarian violence rocking Iraq is part of an al-Qaida plot to goad Iraqi factions into repeated attacks and counterattacks.
Nonsense.  Al-Qaida barely exists, especially in Iraq.  In September, the U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, said, “There is no question that the al-Qaida in Iraq network has been degraded and disorganized here in Iraq.”

Iraqi army not ready to defend Fallujah
FALLUJAH, Iraq – It’s been two years since U.S. forces cleared out this dangerous western city, the bloodiest urban combat of the Iraq war. But Iraqi soldiers still aren’t ready to stop Fallujah from becoming an insurgent stronghold again.

Hezbollah Said to Help Shiite Army in Iraq
Between 1,000 and 2,000 fighters from the Mahdi Army and other Shiite militias have been trained by Hezbollah in Lebanon, a senior U.S. official said.

Israel Offers Palestinians A Deal
On the second day of a cease-fire, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is telling the Palestinians if they keep the peace and hold serious talks, Israel will release funds and prisoners, reduce checkpoints and help establish a Palestinian state.

Muslim Brotherhood in ascent in Egypt
CAIRO, Egypt – Egypt’s largest Islamic opposition group is asserting itself as the main challenger to President Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic regime, overshadowing secular reform groups a year after winning nearly one-fifth the seats in parliament.

Afghan opium fight hurts poorest
U.S. and European efforts to end heroin production in Afghanistan have done little to hamper the drug industry and have hurt the country’s poorest people, according to a new report by the United Nations and the World Bank.

U.S., China, NKorean nuclear envoys meet
BEIJING – North Korea’s nuclear envoy sat down with top negotiators for the United States and China on Tuesday, an unannounced meeting aimed at reactivating stalled six-nation talks on persuading North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons.

Iraq bribes probe clears Australia, condemns executives
SYDNEY (AFP) – An official inquiry into the corruption that riddled the UN oil-for-food program in Iraq has cleared the Australian government but cited 12 top executives for bribing Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Canada Parliament recognizes Quebecers as a nation
OTTAWA (Reuters) – The Canadian Parliament recognized Quebecers as a nation within a united Canada on Monday, backing a controversial proposal that already prompted one minister in the minority Conservative government to quit.

Poll finds most Mexicans oppose protest
MEXICO CITY – Most Mexicans disapprove of plans by Mexico’s main leftist party to disrupt Friday’s swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Felipe Calderon, according to a poll released Monday.

U.S. seeks relationship with Ortega
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – A senior State Department official said Monday the United States will seek to forge a solid working relationship with Nicaragua’s President-elect Daniel Ortega.

Bolivia’s Morales to push land reform
LA PAZ, Bolivia – Bolivia’s president will impose his sweeping land-reform bill by decree if conservative lawmakers refuse to end their boycott of the Senate by Tuesday afternoon, a government spokesman said.

Correa looks toward reforms in Ecuador
QUITO, Ecuador – Rafael Correa, the leftist nationalist headed to victory in Ecuador’s presidential race, is already planning radical reforms when he takes office in January.

Post-midterm tips for Bush
As President Bush struggles to recover from a thrashing in the midterm elections, his advisers are studying the Clinton and Reagan models for lessons to revive his presidency.

Oversight Board Briefed on NSA Spy Program
WASHINGTON (AP) – Several members of a government board appointed to guard privacy and civil liberties during the war on terror say they’re impressed with the protections built into the Bush administration’s electronic eavesdropping program.
Would they be Bush-appointed members of this government board, who were impressed with these supposed protections?

Dubai firm expects bids for U.S. ports
WASHINGTON – A Dubai-owned company will accept final bids within two weeks for the sale of all $700 million worth of its U.S. port operations to an American buyer, a plan forced by concerns over terrorism security.

Feds say there is enough flu vaccine
There’s still time to get a flu shot. Federal health officials reminded people Monday that the flu season usually doesn’t peak until February or later. There’s more than enough vaccine to go around.

Gates may take Pentagon job in December
Robert Gates, the former CIA director who is President Bush’s choice to replace Donald Rumsfeld as defense secretary, is likely to assume the Pentagon post before year’s end if he is confirmed by the Senate as expected, officials said Monday.

Biden sets benchmarks for Iraq study group
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden, who will be the next chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, set down benchmarks on Monday that he said should be addressed by an influential panel considering the United States’ alternatives in Iraq.

Biden: Blame immigration woes on Mexico
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Sen. Joe Biden, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s incoming chairman, wants to get tough with Mexico, calling it an “erstwhile democracy” with a “corrupt system” responsible for illegal immigration and drug problems in the U.S.
Um, excuse me, Sen. Biden, but what does Mexico’s problems with democracy and corruption have to do with us?  You can stop most illegal immigration by punishing the companies and individuals who hire them.  It’s that simple.  And similarly, for the drug problem, we’d do better to fight the demand than continue our multi-billion dollar, losing battle against the supply.

Court rejects N.Y. Times on leak probe
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court ruled against The New York Times on Monday, refusing to block the government from reviewing telephone records of two Times reporters in a leak investigation concerning a terrorism-funding probe.

Recount required in Ohio House race
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce won re-election Monday by a margin so slim that a recount will be required.

Groups to push O’Malley on environment
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Environmental groups poured thousands of dollars and worked the phones to help get Democrat Martin O’Malley elected governor. Now they’re looking for Maryland’s next governor to steer changes in how the state approaches growth, Chesapeake Bay restoration and other environmental concerns.

Stocks mark worst drop in months
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks tumbled on Monday, with major indexes falling by their biggest margin in months, amid concern about Google Inc.’s valuation and doubts about holiday spending after a disappointing sales estimate from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. .

Online shopping season begins with deals
NEW YORK – After jamming malls on Friday for discounted flat-screen TVs and toys, shoppers clicked onto their computers at work Monday as retailers ushered in the start of the online shopping season with bargains and marketing hype.

Paulson warns on trade protectionism
LONDON (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Tuesday trade protectionism was on the rise despite strong global prosperity and warned it was a potentially dangerous trend.
Dangerous.  Uh huh.  Because the removal of trade protections has done so much for the American middle class.

Vietnam’s WTO membership ratified
HANOI, Vietnam – Vietnam’s legislature ratified the country’s entry into the World Trade Organization on Tuesday, paving the way for the communist nation to become the global trade body’s 150th member.

Media Starting to Describe Iraq Conflict as ‘Civil War’
For months, nearly every mainstream press outlet has refrained from calling the violence in Iraq a “civil war,” relying instead on qualfiers or phrases such as “sectarian conflict.” But now that is changing, everywhere from the Los Angeles Times to the Today show.

Grading Newspapers’ Website Progress: B-
Just about everyone — finally — is on board and working to address the big problem: How to transition a significant part of the newspaper business to online and new media while keeping enough money flowing in during the transition period to fund quality journalism, and prevent newspapers from entering a downward spiral. So how’s this going?

Online Video ‘Eroding TV Viewing’
The online video boom is starting to eat into television viewing time, suggests an ICM survey for the BBC. Some 43% of Britons who watch video from the Internet or on a mobile device at least once a week say they watch less traditional TV as a result.

Verizon Wireless to Feature YouTube Videos
NEW YORK (AP) – YouTube videos will be viewable on cell phones for the first time under a deal with Verizon Wireless, which will also allow users to upload videos shot with their camera phones.

Media Giants to Hunt for Next YouTube in 2007
Media execs expect another round of frenzied deal-making next year, as film, television and Internet media companies try to reach a new generation of viewers as entertained by each other as by the latest TV show. The hunt for the “next YouTube” is seen as a top media priority.

With Additional Deals, Monster Now Has 43 Newspaper Partners
The country’s top three online recruiting sites have continued sealing new partnerships with newspapers.