Report: Georgian President Saakashvili Throws Punches, Telephone at Prime Minister…A Georgian tabloid quoted an anonymous source saying Saakashvili physically attacked newly appointed Prime Minister Grigol Mgaloblishvili. The story did not explain what provoked the president. [h/t: Danger Room]

In ‘pre-insurrectionary’ mood, riots have begun…Civil protest is breaking out in cities across Russia, China, and beyond. Greece [...]

http://www.guardian.co.uk…
David Pallister and Rob Evans
-US freezes tobacco trader’s assets over allegations
-Raid in Johannesburg linked to BAE arms deal
The US treasury has frozen the American assets of one of Britain’s richest men after accusing him of financially supporting Robert Mugabe’s regime in Zimbabwe.
Describing him as a “regime crony”, the US accused John Bredenkamp, 68, of providing [...]

http://www.latimes.com…
…
Among the initiatives unveiled by the Treasury secretary is a $200-billion program to help ease the credit pinch for consumers in three areas: student loans, automobile purchases and credit cards.
The federal government’s new $800-billion initiative to revive the nation’s credit markets and reverse the deepening economic crisis propels the government into risky territory — the [...]

1. GOP congressman says Congress must investigate the Bush administration…
There should be a thorough investigation of the ways in which the current Administration may have disregarded the Constitution

2. Mormon church under investigation for possible election fraud …
California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) confirmed Monday that it will investigate allegations that the LDS Church failed [...]

6 of one. Half Dozen of the other.

By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
Posted on November 18, 2008, Printed on November 18, 2008
http://www.alternet.org…
Amy Goodman: World leaders from nearly two dozen countries met in Washington over the weekend to discuss plans to increase regulation of international financial activity. They acknowledged that a failure of market oversight in countries like the United States had precipitated the [...]

http://rawstory.com…
Muriel Kane
Published: Monday November 17, 2008
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is making waves by criticizing Treasury Secretary Paulson’s handling of the bailout and saying that Congress should take back whatever is left of the $700 billion “blank check” it issued to the Bush administration in October.
In a letter posted on his website, Inhofe told his Senate [...]

http://www.americablog.com…
Joe Sudbay (DC)
This shouldn’t be a surprise. The Bush administration provided no oversight of Iraq. No oversight of the economy. No oversight of the country. So, this shouldn’t be a surprise:
In the six weeks since lawmakers approved the Treasury’s massive bailout of financial firms, the government has poured money into the country’s largest banks, [...]

1. Utah Legislators Call Mormon Leadership’s Bluff on LGBT Rights…
A group of at least five Utah legislators have asked the Mormon leadership to join their call for state legislation protecting LGBT rights to hospital visitation, medical care, fair housing, inheritance, and non-discrimination in employment, based on a statement from the Church itself last week that [...]

1. Cuban president to visit Russia, alliance grows…
Cuban President Raul Castro will visit Russia next year, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, in a new sign that Moscow is reviving a Cold War-era trade and military alliance.
2. Fed Hides Destination Of $2 Trillion In Bailout Money…
The Federal Reserve is facing a lawsuit after it failed to [...]