Come Together: It appears that insurgents in Pakistan and Afghanistan are setting aside long-held rivalries to join forces against the U.S., The New York Times reports. After one recent attack on a remote base in eastern Afghanistan, a check of the dead insurgents found evidence that the fighters were from three different factions, military officials said.
A Housing Double Dip? The Wall Street Journal reports that a new bout of declining home prices is threatening to hamper the U.S. recovery, just as consumers and the overall economy have been showing signs of healing. Home prices across 20 major metropolitan areas fell 1.3% in October from September, the third straight month-over-month drop, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home-price index released Tuesday.
Reconciliation Rollback: Talking Points Memo reports that a peek at proposed House rules for the upcoming Congress reveals that House Republicans plan to rollback changes made by Democrats that limited loopholes in the reconciliation process. Citing a report by the The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, TPM reports that the proposed rules would allow the House to use reconciliation to push through bills that increase deficits as long as the deficit increases result from tax cuts, while barring the use of reconciliation in the House for legislation that reduces the deficit if that legislation contains a net increase in spending that is more than offset by revenue-raising provisions.
South Korea Proposes Nuclear Talks With North: South Korean President Lee Myung-bak described international talks as the necessary means to coax North Korea's denuclearization, opening a narrow window for resuming long-dormant negotiations, The Washington Post reports. Lee's comment--coming after weeks of more hawkish rhetoric--suggests that South Korea won't rely solely on military muscle to pressure its neighbor.
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