The latest news on Defense Spending, White House Internet, Economy, Climate Change & War, Secret U.S. Raids, Congo, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Mideast, Kristallnacht, Passing, and Select Op-eds.

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Presidential transition. Obama to review Bush orders "President-elect Barack Obama plans an 'across-the-board' review of President George W. Bush's executive orders, with an eye toward making his own quick imprint on important matters, and will swiftly put in place a 'diverse,' bipartisan team of Cabinet members and aides." Aide: Middle-Class Tax Cut a Priority "President-elect Barack Obama plans to push ahead with a middle-class tax cut soon after taking office." Obama, Bush and the economy "Amid continued signs of economic trouble, Barack Obama will travel to the White House today for what his aides have said will be substantive discussions with President Bush about the economy and other issues." Obama Weighs Quick Undoing of Bush Policy "President-elect Barack Obama is poised to move swiftly to reverse actions that President Bush took using executive authority, and his transition team is reviewing limits on stem cell research and the expansion of oil and gas drilling, among other issues."

Defense spending. Pentagon board says cuts essential "A senior Pentagon advisory group, in a series of bluntly worded briefings, is warning President-elect Barack Obama that the Defense Department's current budget is 'not sustainable'" and he must scale back or eliminate some of the military's most prized weapons programs."

White House internet. Under Obama, Web Would Be the Way "Armed with millions of e-mail addresses and a political operation that harnessed the Internet like no campaign before it, Barack Obama will enter the White House with the opportunity to create the first truly 'wired' presidency."

Economy. Unemployment rate hits 6.5%, a 14-year high "Employers slashed jobs from one end of the economy to the other in October, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.5%. That's the highest level in more than 14 years, and makes a deep recession a virtual certainty." Working Poor and Young Hit Hard in Downturn "A kind of domino effect is beginning to squeeze out the least skilled or experienced workers -- those already on the bottom of the ladder -- who are settling for part-time employment and fewer hours if they can find work at all. Hardest hit of all are younger job-seekers, especially black males in their late teens or early 20s without more than a high school education."

Climate change & war. Changing climate may push more countries past the brink of war "The Earth's fast-changing climate has a range of serious thinkers -- from military brass to geographers to diplomats -- predicting a spate of armed conflicts driven by the weather."

Secret U.S. raids. Secret Order Lets U.S. Raid Al Qaeda in Many Countries "The United States military since 2004 has used broad, secret authority to carry out nearly a dozen previously undisclosed attacks against Al Qaeda and other militants in Syria, Pakistan and elsewhere."

Congo. African troops to back Congo army "Southern African leaders say they are ready to support DR Congo's army in its fight against rebel forces." African Leaders Act to Defuse Conflict in Congo "As skirmishes continued to test a shaky cease-fire in eastern Congo on Sunday, southern African leaders agreed to send military advisers to the region immediately, and a peacekeeping force later if necessary."

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe power-sharing talks collapse "Talks aimed at saving a power-sharing deal collapsed Sunday after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai rejected a call by regional leaders to share control of Zimbabwe's police with the party of President Robert Mugabe." One million will starve, says Tsvangirai "Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai issued a stark warning to regional heads of government yesterday, telling them that one million of his countrymen would 'starve to death' unless a new government was formed immediately."

Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Islamists' influence widens "As an incoming Obama administration contemplates sending thousands of extra troops to Afghanistan to fight Taliban-led insurgents, the fledgling U.S.-backed democracy in Kabul is suffering growing pains, making decisions that would raise eyebrows in many of the 41 mostly Western nations that have troops here." Defense chief will resist any U.S. call to send more troops to Afghanistan "Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the chief of the defense staff, said that a reduction in the 'operational tempo' was essential for British troops and it was time other NATO countries contributed more to the fight against the insurgency in Afghanistan."

Iraq. In Iraq, Muqtada Sadr's followers struggle for relevance "Once the mightiest of Shiite militias, the Mahdi Army finds itself on the run as rivals benefit from government ties and U.S. backing. Efforts to reorganize into a socio-religious group may not help."

Iran. Iran economists denounce Ahmadinejad's policies "A group of 60 Iranian economists Sunday condemned the economic policies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and contradicted recent boasts by Tehran officials who said the Islamic Republic has been successfully weathering the global financial crisis." Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shuts down Iranian weekly that featured Obama on cover "A Tehran news weekly that featured a smiling photograph of the American President-elect on its front cover last week and asked 'Why doesn't Iran have an Obama?' has been closed down."

Mideast. Mediators upbeat on Mideast talks "With a year-end target date for a peace deal certain to be missed, international mediators pledged support for continued Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on Sunday, and their envoy, Tony Blair, urged President-elect Barack Obama to make the peace effort a priority." Middle East Negotiators Press Pursuit of a 2-State Solution "Middle East peace mediators reaffirmed their backing for Israeli-Palestinian efforts toward a two-state solution, but shed no light on their political progress after a year of negotiations." Olmert at Rabin memorial: We must cede parts of Jerusalem "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday used a Jerusalem memorial ceremony for former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin to reiterate that Israel must be willing to cede parts of the capital."

Kristallnacht. Lights on as Jewish world remembers Kristallnacht "More than 150 Jewish communities across Europe kept the lights of their local synagogues on overnight Sunday, as the Jewish world marked the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht -- the Night of the Broken Glass. The notorious 1938 Nazi pogrom was the first in a series of violent riots that effectively began Nazi Germany's attempt to destroy European Jewry."

Passing. South African musical legend Miriam Makeba dies "Miriam Makeba, the 'Mama Africa' whose sultry voice gave South Africans hope when the country was gripped by apartheid, died early Monday of a heart attack after collapsing on stage in Italy. She was 76." Mandela mourns icon Miriam Makeba "Former South African President Nelson Mandela has paid tribute to singing legend Miriam Makeba, who has died aged 76 after a concert in Italy. She was the 'mother of our struggle' and 'South Africa's first lady of song.'"

Commentary. Beginning of the end for newspapers? (Leonard Pitts Jr., The Miami Herald) "Lately, many people have asked me about the fate of the American newspaper in an era when circulation, advertising and staff size are all sharply down. I've told them what editors have told me: The next 18 to 24 months may well see the first major U.S. city without a daily paper." G.O.P. Dog Days? (William Kristol, New York Times) "So Barack Obama will be formidable. But conservatives should welcome the challenge. It could even be good for conservatism." Green, meet God (Henry G. Brinton, USA Today) "The greening of religion, although long overdue, is really a quite natural phenomenon. The texts of many faiths, indeed most, at some point reference the stewardship of this earth. More surprising is that today, secular environmental groups are seizing the opportunity to reach out to faith communities."