the latest news on Health insurance, Children, Attorney General nominee, Immigration, Politics-Republican, Iraq-diplomats, Iraq-violence down, Iran, Nuclear power in Mideast, Afghanistan, Turkey, Green housing, and selected Op-Eds.

Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »

Health insurance. Unlikely alliance forming on healthcare "The National Federation of Independent Business will join AARP, the Service Employees International Union and the Business Roundtable -- which represents chief executives of major companies -- in an umbrella group called Divided We Fail." Bush calls children's health insurance bill a 'trick' "President Bush again vowed to veto a renewed push to expand a popular children's health care program, saying it would play a "trick" on Americans by moving the country closer to a federalized health system."

Children. Census Reveals Fear Over Neighborhoods "Nearly half the nation's children live in places where their parents fear that neighbors may be a bad influence, and one-third or more of black and Hispanic children are generally kept inside their homes because their neighborhoods are considered too dangerous."

Attorney General nominee. Two More Democrats To Oppose Mukasey "Democratic support for attorney general nominee Michael B. Mukasey dwindled further over his refusal to comment on the legality of a harsh CIA interrogation technique," Attorney general nominee's confirmation may now be in doubt "The confirmation of attorney general nominee Michael Mukasey shifted from a foregone conclusion to a question mark as top Senate Democrats said they couldn't support him." Nominee's Stand Avoiding Tangle of Torture Cases "In adamantly refusing to declare waterboarding illegal, Michael B. Mukasey, the nominee for attorney general, is steering clear of a potential legal quagmire for the Bush administration: criminal prosecution or lawsuits against Central Intelligence Agency officers who used the harsh interrogation practice and those who authorized it,"

Immigration. Illegal immigrant licensing drives debate "Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls pounce on Hillary Clinton's seemingly varied responses on the controversial issue." New Hampshire Republicans fired up over immigration "Immigration is the issue that Republican conservatives in this state want most to talk about, complain about and probably vote about." Immigration: From Talking Point to Sore Point "Since the failure of immigration overhaul in Washington last spring, the path to citizenship supported by many Democrats has been blocked. With no resolution in sight, the burden has fallen to state and local governments, and their struggle, reflected in the driver's license proposal by Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York, is forcing leading presidential contenders to state specific positions."

Politics-Republican. Republican field still up for evangelical grabs "White evangelical Protestants, a key support base for the Republican Party, still have not united behind a single candidate for the 2008 White House race, according to a new poll released on Wednesday."

Iraq-diplomats. Envoys Resist Forced Iraq Duty "Uneasy U.S. diplomats yesterday challenged senior State Department officials in unusually blunt terms over a decision to order some of them to serve at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad or risk losing their jobs."

Iraq-violence down.Baghdad violence, U.S. deaths hit new lows for year "Violence hit a yearly low in Baghdad during October, even as killings elsewhere raised worrisome questions about whether security improvements will hold if the United States begins drawing down its forces next spring." Iraqi civilian deaths plunge "Iraq's civilian body count in October was less than half that at its height in January, reflecting both the tactical successes of this year's U.S. troop buildup and the lasting impact of waves of sectarian death squad killings, car bombings and neighborhood purges."

Iran. Iran sanction battle "Russia and China have been blocking tough U.N. sanctions against Iran, the United States said, adding there would be a push to impose them if Iran did not halt nuclear activity within two weeks." Within Democratic field, Iran is the new Iraq "In the 2008 campaign cycle, perhaps no area is more ripe for the appearance of senatorial maneuvering than foreign policy. Lately, the focus has been Iran - and Exhibit A is Clinton's mid-October vote to declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization. The vote launched a wave of attacks from fellow Democrats,"

Nuclear power in Mideast. Middle East racing to nuclear power "This week Egypt became the 13th Middle Eastern country in the past year to say it wants nuclear power, intensifying an atomic race spurred largely by Iran's nuclear agenda,"

Afghanistan. Battle For Kandahar 'Vital' "Canadian and Afghan forces are in the midst of a key battle to secure Kandahar and to keep the Taliban from taking advantage of a perceived power vacuum just outside the city."

Turkey . Pressure increases on PKK rebels "Turkey, Iraq and the US take steps to combat the threat of Kurdish fighters based in northern Iraq." Turkey denies nothern Iraq airspace shut "Turkey said planned economic sanctions against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq would be targeted at groups providing support for the rebels."

Green housing. Eco-friendly homes are moving into mainstream "The "green" movement that has spurred schools to discourage paper lunch bags and motorists to trade in gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles for hybrids is creeping into the housing market as a growing number of builders construct environmentally friendly homes and state and local governments offer incentives to create such communities."

Commentary. Inexorable march toward war with Iran? (Joseph L. Galloway, McClatchy Newspapers) "There were some things far more frightening this week than Halloween's small ghouls and goblins - and the scariest of all is the Bush administration's seemingly inexorable march toward military confrontation with Iran. What ARE they smoking back there at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?"

Editorials.

When wages don't pay the bills (Boston Globe)"MODERN LIFE depends on the efforts of millions of low-wage workers - cooks, waiters, hair stylists, and child-care providers. But in these and other fields, according to a new report, wages can be so low that workers can't even cover their basic living expenses. Americans, the report declares, "have not gotten serious enough about making work work for families."

The new religious right (Dallas Morning News) "In 2004, white evangelicals gave 79 percent of their votes to George W. Bush. That was then. Today, evangelical leaders like Dr. James Dobson can't find a Republican presidential candidate to support, and while they dally, polls indicate that a significant share of the evangelical vote is lining up behind Rudy Giuliani, who is pro-choice and pro-gay rights."

Playing Sudan's Game(New York Times) "Sudandoes not really want a peace agreement. It merely wants more time to let the janjaweed militias it backs in Darfur finish killing or drive off what remains of the region's non-Arab population."