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Editor's Note: The CNN Wire is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents and producers, and The CNN Wire editors. "Posted" times are Eastern Daylight.
Source: Coalition and Iraqi forces conduct raid in Sadr City to recover kidnapping victims
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi security forces launched a raid in Sadr City Friday with the aim of recovering "kidnapped persons" and to "disrupt kidnapping and terror cells," a statement issued by Multi-National Corps - Iraq said.
The raid was conducted after "intelligence" indicated an illegally armed group was holding hostages kidnapped earlier in the week in that area.
Iraqi and coalition forces did not suffer any casualties, the statement said. There was no word on whether civilians were wounded or killed. (Posted 12:27 a.m.)
R&B singer Ruth Brown dead at 78
(CNN) -- Tony- and Grammy-winning rhythm-and-blues performer Ruth Brown died Friday in a Las Vegas-area hospital, her publicist said. She was 78.
Brown was hospitalized two weeks ago suffering from internal bleeding, said her friend and publicist, Alan Eichler. She later suffered a heart attack and a stroke while in the hospital and was placed on life support. Her family decided to remove her from life support when they realized her condition was too grave to anticipate a recovery, Eichler said.
Brown's hit records included the single "So Long," and her first number-one hit, "Teardrops From My Eyes." From 1949 through the 1950s, Brown frequented the R&B charts. According to the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, which she co-founded, Brown helped establish Atlantic Records' predominance in the R&B field. For a while, according to the foundation statement, the label was known as "The House That Ruth Built." (Posted 10:07 p.m.)
Lott: 'I've been able to seek and receive redemption'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- First, ill-chosen remarks forced him from the powerful post he worked a lifetime to attain, and then Hurricane Katrina wiped away his family's home. But Thursday, the tide seemed to turn for Sen. Trent Lott, with his surprising election as the new Senate minority whip.
"I guess men are not supposed to really show their emotions too much, but I was pretty emotional, and I thanked my colleagues for a second chance," Lott said Friday, reflecting on his election in an interview with CNN's "The Situation Room." "I've been given another chance. I've been able to seek and, I think, receive redemption, and I want to build on that."
Lott's new position, shepherding key votes for minority Republicans, is a coveted post, but still a far cry from the job he gave up four years ago, when, as majority leader, he set the Senate's agenda and was one of the most powerful people in Washington. But Friday, a smiling Lott professed to be "delighted to be back in a position where I can use the experience I had in the House in the '80s and in the Senate in the '90s, hopefully in a positive way." (Posted 9:33 p.m.)
On eve of biggest Big Game, Michigan legend Bo Schembechler dies
DETROIT (CNN) -- On the eve of his school's historic gridiron showdown with Big Ten arch rival Ohio State, legendary former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler died Friday after collapsing at a Detroit TV station. He was 77.
"This is a tremendous shock and an irreplaceable loss," University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman said in a written statement. "Bo Schembechler embodied all that is best about Michigan -- loyalty, dedication and the drive for ever-greater excellence." Another football coaching legend, Penn State's Joe Paterno, released a statement calling Schembechler "a giant" of the game. "He was a great supporter of college football and the way it's supposed to be played," Paterno said.
President Bush called Schembechler "a true legend of college football." "He inspired generations of players and fans by insisting that his teams play hard, play fair and bring honor to themselves and their school by finishing their educations and contributing to society," Bush said in a statement released by the White House. (Posted 9:04 p.m.)
Romney giving 'serious thought' to 2008 bid; no exploratory committee this year
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Friday he is giving "serious thought" to a 2008 White House bid, but he does not expect to follow the lead of two of his potential Republican rivals by forming a presidential exploratory committee this year.
In an interview with Fox News, Romney also said Republicans need to find a candidate for 2008 with "Reagan optimism" in order to defeat Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, who he expects to be the Democratic nominee. "I want to make sure that we have a very strong contender with a positive message for the future that goes up against Hillary Clinton," Romney said. "Among all of these Republicans, someone's going to emerge as the person who can lead our party and our nation in an absolutely critical time."
Romney confirmed that he will meet this weekend with supporters of his political action committee, but "I'm not planning on organizing an exploratory committee immediately." (Posted 8:38 p.m.)
House Republicans complete leadership picture for new Congress
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- All of the leadership pieces are now in place on the next congressional chessboard, after House Republicans Friday turned away challenges to two of their top leaders but ushered in fresh faces for their campaign operation and lower-level posts.
Rebuffing pleas from reform-minded conservatives for a stronger demonstration of a new direction after their stinging defeat last week, the House GOP rank-and-file chose House Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio to be minority leader and House Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri to be minority whip in the next Congress.
With House Speaker Dennis Hastert's decision to leave the leadership after the Republicans' election defeat, Boehner and Blunt were challenged for the top two posts by members of the Republican Study Committee, a influential caucus made up of 110 of the House's more conservative members. Boehner defeated the study committee's chairman, Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, by a vote of 168-27, while Blunt defeated Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona by a margin of 137-57. (Posted 8:33 p.m.)
Families of men executed by Castro regime to get $90 million in Cuban assets
NEW YORK (CNN) -- The families of two men executed by Fidel Castro's government will receive more than $90 million in Cuban assets held in escrow in the United States, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Howard Anderson was accused by the Cuban government of smuggling guns to anti-Communist rebels in 1961 when U.S.-backed expatriates launched the Bay of Pigs invasion. During that attack, Cuba shot down a bomber flown by Thomas "Pete" Ray, 30, a CIA contractor. Both men eventually were shot to death; Anderson, in front of a firing squad.
"I just wish this had come a month earlier," Anderson's daughter and former CNN correspondent Bonnie Anderson told CNN. "We are distraught. We lost our mother one month ago. We so hoped that she would live long enough to see this final payment." (Posted 8:31 p.m.)
Lawsuit alleges spilled hot chocolate was made too hot for a child
INDIANAPOLIS (CNN) -- An Indiana couple has filed a lawsuit against Starbucks Corp., alleging the company was negligent when it served them a hot chocolate that burned their young daughter.
The lawsuit -- filed Tuesday in Marion County Superior Court -- claims Rachel Brennan was severely burned two years ago when the drink spilled on her lap.
The girl's parents, Michael and Alexis Brennan, said Starbucks erroneously served their daughter an adult hot chocolate instead of a child's hot chocolate, which was supposed to be prepared at a lower temperature.
Starbucks denied any wrongdoing in a written statement provided to CNN, saying "We believe our store partners prepared and served the drink properly and that we are not responsible for the injuries." --From CNN's Stacey Francisco in New York (Posted 5:50 p.m.)
Reid: Gates should be confirmed barring new revelations at hearings
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said Friday that Robert Gates, President Bush's choice to be the nation's next defense secretary, should be confirmed to the post unless something "untoward" turns up at hearings in December.
"The one thing he has going for him ... is we want the change to take place very quickly," Reid told reporters during a brief appearance with Gates after the two met Friday. "So it's to our interest to have this change at the head of the Defense Department as soon as possible."
Reid described Friday's meeting with Gates as a "personal visit," and he said they did not discuss the war in Iraq.
"This is not the time to get into a deep philosophical discussion about Iraq or anything else," Reid said. "He'll get a fair hearing, and that's what I wanted to convey to him today." (Posted 5:26 p.m.)
Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza
GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Israel launched three airstrikes in Gaza late Friday and early Saturday, striking a home, a mosque and an office, Palestinian security sources said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The first airstrike targeted the home of a member of Azzedine al-Qassam Brigade, the militant wing of Hamas, in a Gaza City refugee camp, the sources said. The second occurred moments later in a neighborhood just east of Gaza City. A mosque was hit, and its second floor, which housed a library and a Hamas charity center, was damaged, the sources said. The third strike targeted a Hamas office in Gaza City, the Palestinian sources said.
Israel Defense Forces confirmed the first two airstrikes, saying the first targeted the home of a Hamas operative and the second struck a Hamas meeting place. (Posted 5:19 p.m.)
FDA approves silicone breast implants again
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FDA is allowing silicone breast implants to be sold once again, 14 years after they were removed by the same agency over questions of safety.
The approved silicone implants are made by two companies, Allergan Corp. -- formerly Inamed Corp. -- and Mentor Corp.
The FDA says these implants are approved "for breast reconstruction in women of all ages and breast augmentation in women ages 22 and older."
In 1992 then-FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler took silicone breast implants off the market, citing concerns over their safety, including how often they rupture in a woman's body and whether leaking silicone could lead to diseases as some women claimed.
After the ban they were available only to women in clinical trials who needed them after surgery, especially after breast cancer. At that point, lawsuits over the products drove one of the the manufacturers, Dow Corning, into bankruptcy.
Since then, most studies have failed to link the implants to serious or chronic diseases such as cancer and lupus, but questions remained over how often the implants rupture and what happens if the silicone enters the body. (Posted 5:02 p.m.)
New detail emerges from al Qaeda operative's memo
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Some new detail emerged Thursday from a memo convicted British al Qaeda terrorist Dhiren Barot wrote outlining his plans to conduct terror attacks in New York and New Jersey.
Barot, 34, was sentenced last week in a London courtroom to life in prison for conspiring to commit mass murder. In a memo he wrote "the most obvious technique to utilize, that comes to mind ... would be a limousine in the VIP underground car park," referring to an underground parking area of the Prudential Building in Newark, N.J., one his intended targets.
Surveillance tapes Barot shot in 2000 and 2001 that were played during the sentencing show, in addition to the Prudential Building, the New York Stock Exchange, the Citigroup headquarters in New York and the International Monetary Fund building in Washington.
Parts of the memo were read at a New York Police Department briefing Thursday for private security firms. (Posted 3:51 p.m.)
Congress sees plan to improve terrorism information-sharing
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The director of national intelligence provided to Congress on Thursday a new plan intended to improve the sharing of terrorism information among federal, state and local agencies as well as the private sector and foreign partners.
The failure to share information and "connect the dots" was often cited as one of the major reasons the intelligence community and other government agencies were unable to prevent the 9/11 attacks.
The 165-page report is designed to help meet the goals of improved information sharing mandated by Congress in the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act and in response to the recommendations of the 9/11 commission.
Thomas McNamara, who led the effort to develop the implementation plan for the Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, said the report provides a "road map" for building upon the progress already made in enhancing information sharing. It provides a framework for improving the flow of terrorism information and seeks to clarify the roles, responsibilities and reporting expectations for all participants. --From CNN National Security Producer Pam Benson (Posted 2:56 p.m.)
Foreign Office: British civilian killed, another wounded in fighting between security contractors, Iraqi forces
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A British civilian was killed and another was wounded in an "incident" Friday in southeastern Iraq involving members of a private civilian convoy and "Iraqi authority personnel," the British Foreign Office told CNN.
The convoy was from a company called Securiforce. However, it is unclear whether the civilian was a Securiforce employee.
Earlier, a British military spokesman said Iraqi security forces and members of a civilian convoy fought around Zubeir, just southwest of Basra city, around noon.
No multi-national forces were involved in the incident, the Foreign Office said. (Posted 2:44 p.m.)
4 children critical from tornado; damage being assessed
RIEGELWOOD, N.C. (CNN) -- Four children remained in critical condition Friday following a tornado that killed eight residents when it ripped through their mobile home park in Riegelwood, west of Wilmington, North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley said.
The hospitalized children included two 2-year-olds, a 3-year-old and a 9-year-old, said a hospital spokeswoman Thursday. They were being treated at different medical centers.
A fifth hospitalized child was recovering from injuries received in Thursday's twister, which damaged or destroyed 35 homes, Easley told reporters.
Meanwhile, search-and-rescue teams were making sure no victims had been overlooked, and assessors were determining the extent of damage. All that was left of the stricken Old Farm Estate mobile home park were piles of rubble. (Posted 2:33 p.m.)
Federal audit finds fault with some security guards of federal buildings
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Security guards who scrutinize visitors to U.S. government buildings in the District of Columbia may be in need of some scrutiny themselves.
The Federal Protective Service, which contracts private firms to protect federal buildings, has deployed some unqualified and uncertified contract guards, jeopardizing the safety of building occupants, according to a federal audit released Friday.
Investigators visited 18 federal buildings in the Washington area and interviewed 93 contract guards that were on post. They found that four guards had expired background checks. Other guards carried guns at posts where none were called for, and still others didn't carry guns, but should have.
In a five-page letter accompanying the report, DHS Assistant Secretary Julie Myers outlined steps she said the agency is taking to address all of the concerns raised by the inspector general. --From CNN Producer Mike M. Ahlers (Posted 1:55 p.m.)
25 slain people found in Baghdad
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- More slain bodies were found across Baghdad Friday, police said.
Police told CNN that 25 bullet-riddled bodies were found in various neighborhoods.
The discovery of dumped bodies is a daily occurrence in the capital. The people are thought to be victims of Sunni-Shiite sectarian revenge killings.
Police said that at least eight of the 25 bodies were blindfolded, tied up, and apparently tortured. --From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 1:39 p.m.)
Dutch Cabinet seeks to ban Muslim burqas
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CNN) -- Citing security concerns, the Dutch Cabinet adopted a plan Friday that would ban the burqas worn by many Muslim women or other clothing that covers the face in public places, the government announced.
The proposal, which came from Rita Verdonk, minister of immigration and integration, will be submitted to the Dutch parliament for a vote.
"The Cabinet finds it undesirable that face-covering clothing -- including the burqa -- is worn in public places for reasons of public order, security and protection of citizens," Verdonk said in a statement released by the Ministry of Justice. (Posted 12:25 p.m.)
O'Connor talks about attempt to poison Supreme Court justices
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- During a recent legal conference, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor talked publicly about a little-known attempt last year to poison her and her colleagues.
In fact, Barbara Joan March, a 60-year-old Connecticut woman, was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison for sending 14 threatening letters in April 2005 -- each with a baked good or piece of candy laced with rat poison -- to the nine Supreme Court Justices, FBI Director Robert Mueller, his deputy, the chief of naval operations, the Air Force chief of staff and the chief of staff of the Army. March pleaded guilty in March to 14 counts of mailing injurious articles.
The letters did not seem to pose much of a real danger since the threatening note told the recipients the food was poisoned. In court papers submitted with the plea agreement, prosecutors said each of the envelopes contained a one-page typewritten letter stating either "I am" or "We are" followed by "going to kill you. This is poisoned."
Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathleen Arbergh said the poison packages never reached the chambers of the justices. --From CNN's Kevin Bohn (Posted 12:05 p.m.)
PlayStation mania turns violent
PUTNAM, Conn. (CNN) -- Two armed men hoping to capitalize on PlayStation 3 mania in Connecticut shot a man waiting in line to purchase the gaming console after he refused to hand over his money early Friday morning, state police said.
The new PlayStations debuted in the United States on Friday, selling for around $500 to $600, and people lined up outside stores hours before they opened to get one.
Around 3 a.m., about 15 to 20 people waiting outside a Putnam Wal-Mart store were confronted by the two armed men, according to Connecticut State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance. "One of the patron's resisted and he was shot," Vance said.
The two suspects, described as white 17-year-old males wearing all black, then fled the scene on foot. Both remain at large, police said.
The victim, Michael Penkala, 21, of Webster, Mass., is reported to be in stable condition at University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., state police said. --From CNN's Zak Sos in New York (Posted 12:04 p.m.)
Pentagon announces 57,000 troops next to rotate into Iraq
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Some 57,000 U.S. troops will be sent to Iraq in early 2007, as the part of the routine rotations to maintain the current force levels there, Pentagon officials said Friday.
The Pentagon said the rotation plan calls for 47,000 active duty troops, plus 10,000 reserves to rotate into Iraq early next year.
The force levels in the country have been fluctuating between roughly 140,000 and 150,000. --From CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre (Posted 11:43 a.m.)
Sunnis in Iraq enflamed by government move against Sunni symbol
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's government on Friday clarified that it issued an investigation warrant -- not an arrest warrant -- for an influential Sunni Arab leader. But Sunni Arabs continue to rail against the action and consider the moves against Hareth al-Dhari as a major affront.
The furor over the warrant comes during widespread tension and violence between Iraq's Sunni and Shiite communities.
A strong critic of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government, al-Dhari is the head of the influential Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars and a highly respected Sunni symbol.
The Interior Ministry's Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf told CNN on Thursday an arrest warrant was issued for al-Dhari, accused of violating Iraq's antiterrorism law by inciting sectarian violence and killings. --From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 10:30 a.m.)
Housing starts hit six-year low
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- New housing starts sank to the lowest level in more than six years in October and a key measure of builders' confidence in the market hit a nine-year low, a government report showed Friday.
Both housing starts and applications for new building permits tumbled well below Wall Street forecasts -- a sign that the slumping housing market has not yet hit bottom.
"Today's figures clearly reveal that a quick turnaround in this sector is not just around the corner," said Anthony Chan, chief economist for JPMorgan Chase Private Client Services. "Any real turnaround may not be forthcoming until the central bank reverses course and begins to lower short-term rates again."
Housing starts plunged nearly 15 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.49 million in October from a revised 1.74 million in September, according to the Census Bureau report. That was the lowest reading since July 2000.
Building permits, seen as a measure of builder confidence in the real estate market, fell to the their lowest pace since December 1997, coming in at 1.54 million, down from 1.64 million in September. --By CNNMoney.com's Chris Isidore (Posted 10:26 a.m.)
Foley faces Florida criminal probe
MIAMI (CNN) -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has opened a criminal investigation of former GOP Rep. Mark Foley, who resigned in September after his e-mails to male teenage congressional pages came to light.
"The change to a criminal investigation from preliminary inquiry happened in recent weeks," FDLE spokeswoman Heather Smith said Friday. Another FDLE spokeswoman said the agency found "a basis to open a criminal investigation."
"If we find factual and credible information that a... criminal act may have occurred, charges will be filed," Smith said. Authorities have been investigating whether Foley might have used computers in Florida to engage or solicit minors in any illegal activities.
Foley's attorney, David Roth, has denied any accusations against his client. Foley resigned from Congress in September, a day after his e-mails to pages surfaced in the media. (Posted 10:11 a.m.)
Sudan agrees 'in principle' to U.N. peacekeeper presence in Darfur
(CNN) -- Sudan has agreed "in principle" to a plan that would allow U.N. peacekeepers to be stationed in the country's war-torn region of Darfur, and America's top diplomat hailed the development on Friday.
Sudan, which opposed a U.N. peacekeeping force to quell the bloodshed in Darfur, is supporting a "hybrid operation" consisting of U.N. peacekeepers and African Union troops that will have a "predominantly African character." A communique was issued on the plan Thursday.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she expects the plan to be presented soon to the Sudanese government.
At least 200,000 people are estimated to have been slain in brutal fighting between government forces, allied militias and rebels seeking greater autonomy. The fighting has displaced more than 2 million people.
The attacks by militias who support the Arab government against blacks in Darfur have been characterized as a genocide. (Posted 8:50 p.m.)
British citizen 'free man' after Pakistani president released from jail
LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- A British man locked in a Pakistani prison for more than 18 years, awaiting the death penalty, was released from jail Friday after Pakistan's president lessened his sentence to life in prison, Pakistani authorities said.
Mirza Tahir Hussain, a British Muslim of Pakistani descent, was convicted in 1988 of killing a taxi driver.
But after receiving pleas from British authorities and various human rights groups to lower his sentence, "(President Pervez Musharraf ) commuted his death sentence to a life sentence," Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao told CNN on Thursday.
"He was released this morning. He's a free man. It's up to him whether he stays here or not," Sherpao said. Under Pakistan's sentencing rules, a life sentence is actually equivalent to 14 years, which means Hussain has served his time.
There is no death penalty in Britain and the British government opposes use of the death penalty in any country. (Posted 7:29 a.m.)
Military source: Combined forces in Iraq 'aggressively' searching for 4 kidnapped American contractors
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Coalition forces Friday were "aggressively" searching for five security contractors -- four Americans and an Austrian -- who were abducted Thursday after local militia masquerading as Iraqi police ambushed their convoy at a fake police checkpoint, a military source said.
A spokesman for Crescent Security Group, which operates out of Kuwait City, said five of their security personnel had gone "unaccounted for" in Iraq near Basra Thursday afternoon.
A supply convoy was ambushed while traveling from Kuwait to Tallil Airbase, which is near Nasiriya in southern Iraq, the Crescent spokesman said. Crescent is not releasing the number of people and drivers in the convoy. Some of the drivers who were of South Asian origin were taken and later released up the road, Crescent said.
Except for the five, "everyone else has been accounted for," the Crescent spokesman. He said "the wheels of the military machine are in motion" and they are sorting out the specifics of the incident. (Posted 7:28 a.m.)
Bush on Iraq: "We'll succeed unless we quit'
HANOI, Vietnam (CNN) -- Emphasizing that the United States is in Iraq for the long haul, U.S. President George Bush on Friday drew an often-avoided parallel to Vietnam, saying "we'll succeed unless we quit."
Detractors have often tried to compare the war in Iraq to America's ill-fated military operation in Vietnam, but Bush used it as an opportunity to stress patience.
"One lesson is that we tend to want there to be instant success in the world and the task in Iraq is going to take a while," the president told reporters after a meeting with Australian Prime Minister John Howard. "We'll succeed unless we quit."
Howard echoed Bush, saying "the idea of the coalition leaving in circumstances where the Iraqi people would not seem to be able to look after themselves and to enjoy the democracy they want would be a catastrophic defeat for our cause." (Posted 3:36 a.m.)
Nobel Prize economist Milton Friedman dies at 94
SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman died Thursday at the age of 94, according to a spokesman for the Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation.
Spokesman Robert Fanger did not know the cause of death.
Friedman won the Nobel in 1976 for "his achievements in the fields of consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and for his demonstration of the complexity of stabilization policy," according to the Nobel Prize Web site.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice characterized Friedman on Friday as "a close personal friend" whom she knew from the Hoover Institution in Stanford, Calif.
"He was one of the smartest human beings I've ever known. He was funny and warm and a great support to me both when I was Provost at Stanford," she said. "I've lost a great friend and the country has lost a one-of-a-kind leader and intellect." -- CNN's Katy Byron in New York contributed to this report (Posted 3:11 a.m.)
