1. The three big U.S. papers all cover the suicide attack on a U.S. convy in Afghanistan. The LA Times reports that At least 18 Afghan civilians and a U.S. soldier are reportedly killed in the attack at a busy market. “The attack outside the eastern city of Jalalabad also left scores of market patrons and other bystanders injured and pointed up one of the conflict’s grimmest ongoing patterns: civilians being caught up almost daily in insurgent attacks aimed at foreign troops.” The death toll is now at 18.

   The NY Times adds “One of the dead was a 12-year-old boy, who died when a suicide car bomber in a Toyota Corolla approached an American military convoy and then swerved into a weekly market at around 8 a.m., according to American and Afghan accounts. Dr. Ajmal Pardes, the director of public health in the area, said 74 people were injured.”

   According to the Washington Post, “at least 17 U.S. soldiers had sustained injuries in the attack.” This was the “the second major Taliban strike in two days. On Wednesday, six people were killed and 40 wounded in southern Kandahar City after a suicide bomber in a tanker truck packed with explosives attacked the offices of the provincial council there.”

Four at Four continues with a Blackwater wrist slap, Obama and Iran, and the deadly pollution from Asia.

1. The Washington Post reports an Iraqi soldier kills two U.S. soldiers and wounds six others. “American soldiers returned fire and killed the Iraqi soldier… The altercation occurred shortly before 12 p.m. in Zanjeli, a district in western Mosul, at a facility controlled by an Iraqi Army division”.

   While the U.S. military refused to provide details, the NY Times reports “members of the Iraqi police and Iraqi army were more forthcoming, providing some details on condition of anonymity”.

   They said that an American military patrol had stopped Wednesday afternoon to inspect a checkpoint staffed by Iraqi soldiers in the predominantly Sunni Arab neighborhood of Zanjili, on Mosul’s west side.

   A heated argument ensued between one of the American soldiers and an Iraqi soldier identified as Barzan Mohammed Abdullah, prompting the American to curse the Iraqi, spit in his face and then slap him, the Iraqis said.

   The Iraqi soldier then opened fire on the Americans, the Iraqi sources said, killing two and wounding six. Other American soldiers responded with a barrage of fire directed at the Iraqi , the Iraqis said, killing him instantly.

Four at Four continues with the bailout, G20 summit, and Supreme Court OKs whale slaughter.

1. Chris Carey at the Bailout Sleuth writes on The rising cost of the bailout. “Although the price tag on the Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program is $700 billion, the full amount that the government has invested in its rescue effort for struggling financial institutions appears to be closer to $2.5 trillion.“

   Yup, $2.5 trillion borrowed and thrown into the bottomless pit of bad money.

   And Paul Keil of ProPublica reports on Bailout II: Bail Harder. By his estimate, only $60 billion of the first $350 billion authorized by Congress is still unspoken for and “the Treasury has not even begun implementing its original plan, to purchase troubled mortgage assets.” Meanwhile more and more corporations are lining up for their slice taxpayer bailout pie. So many have asked, that “Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will be forced to return to Capitol Hill for the second helping.”

   So what kind of welcome will Paulson get when he returns? Democratic leaders in Congress have been voicing three main complaints. First, both House Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank (D-MA) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have called for Treasury to require that banks receiving the government’s billions use the money for lending, as opposed to paying dividends and bonuses or funding takeovers of weaker banks. Second, the Democratic leadership has very publicly pushed Paulson to include the country’s struggling auto companies in the bailout. And third, they want immediate aid directly to homeowners.

   So that $700 billion or $2.5 trillion, depending on who’s counting, is about to get much, much bigger. Personally, I think the bailout is a bottomless pit that will ultimately bankrupt the United States.

Four at Four continues with a brazen hijacking by the Taliban, the Maldives becoming un-islands, and Veterans Day.

1. The Charlotte Observer concludes today a two-part series looking at the employment conditions of young undocumented immigrants. Part one, “Hard labor at a tender age“, tells of “the largest immigration raid ever conducted in the Carolinas” that took place last month at the House of Raeford Farms chicken processing plant in Greenville, SC. “Six underage workers, ages 15 and 16, found among the 331 arrested workers at the Greenville plant.”

   Part two, “Child labor going largely unchecked“, tells of how teenagers are doing work dangerous and deadly for their age. The article begins with the gruesome death of Nery Castañeda, a 17-year-old Guatemala native, by a pallet shreader. The company was fined a mere $12,250 for his wrongful death despite eight serious safety violations and allowing a juvenile to work in a hazardous job.

   Decades after the enactment of regulations designed to prevent such tragedies, thousands of youths still get hurt on American jobs deemed unsafe for young workers. On a typical day, more than 400 juvenile workers are injured on the job. Once every 10 days, on average, a worker under the age of 18 is killed, federal statistics show. added

   Enforcement has waned, despite new evidence that many employers are ignoring child labor laws. U.S. Department of Labor investigations have dropped by nearly half since fiscal year 2000…

   Employers who flout child-labor rules often face few consequences.

   Federal law allows a maximum penalty of $11,000 for each violation, but in 2006 the average penalty was less than $1,000, according to the National Consumers League. Total federal penalties for child labor violations dropped 29 percent from 2000 to 2007.

Four at Four continues with Obama transition news, more bailout money for AIG, and another deadly day in Iraq.

1. The Washington Post reports As Job losses soar, the unemployment rate rises to a 14-Year high. “The U.S. economy shed 240,000 jobs in October and the unemployment rate jumped sharply to 6.5 percent, a worse-than-expected showing that highlights one of the top issues President-elect Barack Obama faces when he meets with his economic advisers later today.”

   More than 10 million people are now jobless, actively seeking work but unable to find it, a number that has spiked by 2.8 million over the past year.

   In his first press conference after being elected, the LA Times reports Obama calls for quick economic relief. He said “he will rely heavily on his economic advisers to help with several rescue efforts, including an extension of unemployment benefits and an emphasis on job growth.” He also said “he supports Congress’ plan to give billions to help the ailing auto industry.”

   Or as The Onion explains “Black Man Given Nation’s Worst Job“.

   African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation’s broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind.

2. Newsweek reports that the Obama and McCain computers were ‘hacked’ during election campaign.

   The computer systems of both the Obama and McCain campaigns were victims of a sophisticated cyberattack by an unknown “foreign entity,” prompting a federal investigation…

   At the Obama headquarters in midsummer, technology experts detected what they initially thought was a computer virus-a case of “phishing,” a form of hacking often employed to steal passwords or credit-card numbers.

   But by the next day, both the FBI and the Secret Service came to the campaign with an ominous warning: “You have a problem way bigger than what you understand,” an agent told Obama’s team. “You have been compromised, and a serious amount of files have been loaded off your system.”

   The following day, Obama campaign chief David Plouffe heard from White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, to the same effect: “You have a real problem … and you have to deal with it.” The Feds told Obama’s aides in late August that the McCain campaign’s computer system had been similarly compromised…

   The Feds assured the Obama team that it had not been hacked by its political opponents.

   The Guardian adds that experts speculate the hackers originated from China. “US officials said they discovered that the cyber attacks originated in China but do not yet know if they were government-sponsored or from an unaffiliated source.”

   As an aside, this is precisely why the U.S. should not be outsourcing software engineering and computer engineering and manufacturing to other countries.

Four at Four continues with another attack on Pakistan, Habeas Corpus, and a bonus look at Africa’s reaction to Obama’s election.

1. Democrats lower expectations reports The Hill. Well that sure didn’t take long and the usual suspects speak up. “The country must be governed from the middle,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. Pelosi she will emphasize “civility” and “fiscal responsibility” in the 111th Congress. While for his part, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said “There is a wave of hope that swept the country … not a mandate for any hope or ideology, but a mandate to get things done.” The usual lame excuse of not having the votes in the Senate have already emerged as well. The point of politics is to find the votes. That’s Reid’s job.

   And the NY Times chimes in with Obama aides tamp down expectations.

   President-elect Barack Obama has begun an effort to tamp down what his aides fear are unusually high expectations among his supporters, and will remind Americans regularly throughout the transition that the nation’s challenges are substantial and will take time to address…

   While the energy of his supporters could be a tremendous political asset as Mr. Obama works to enact his agenda after taking office in January, his aides said they were looking to temper hopes that he would be able to solve the nation’s problems or fully reverse Bush administration policies quickly and easily…

   They said they would discourage the traditional yardstick for measuring the accomplishments of a new president – the first 100 days. Mr. Obama told an interviewer toward the end of his campaign that it was more appropriate to talk about the first 1,000 days.

   The LA Times adds Downturn and deficit could hinder Obama’s economic plan. “Barack Obama was elected with a mandate for economic change on a scale that hasn’t been seen in decades… But insiders say Obama may have to mediate between opposing camps on his own economic team. Moderates are cautioning against stimulus efforts that might sharply increase the budget deficit, while others are urging the kinds of aggressive measures associated with President Franklin Roosevelt.”

   But despite the challenges ahead, here is some potentially good news. McClatchy Newspapers report Big business prepares for a less friendly Washington. They’re on the defensive.

Four at Four continues with news of Iraq and Afghanistan, Sarah Palin as senator, High speed rail in California, and a bonus story about the potential for White House slumber parties.

1. And so it begins; the challenging task of governing in difficult times, or as the New York Times reports Now the hard part. “No president since before Barack Obama was born has ascended to the Oval Office confronted by the accumulation of seismic challenges awaiting him… Now falls the responsibility of prosecuting two wars, protecting the nation from terrorist threat and stitching back together a shredded economy.”

   While Roosevelt refused to get involved in prescribing economic medicine between his election in 1932 and his inauguration, advisers said Mr. Obama had concluded that he could not follow that example and remain silent until he was sworn in. At the same time, they said, Mr. Obama understands he should not overstep his bounds and wants his inauguration to mark a clean break from the past…

   But there are limits to Mr. Obama’s capacity to act in the short term. The politics of assembling a stimulus package in this netherworld between administrations could be difficult to overcome as he tries to balance pent-up demand from now-victorious Democrats eager to use their power of the purse with the reality that Mr. Bush still holds the veto pen for 77 more days…

   Whatever collaboration there may be in the short term, Mr. Obama represents the end of the Bush era in the long term. Yet he will find himself dealing with the Bush legacy for years to come. He promised on the campaign trail to close the detention facility at the United States naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but analysts in both parties expect that to be more difficult than he imagines. He will inherit a deficit that could approach $1 trillion next year, which could curtail his ambitions, like expanding health care coverage…

   Even as Mr. Obama focuses initially on the economy, he faces a perilous moment abroad… The Obama transition team has made more extensive pre-election preparations than any other previous president-elect. Thanks to a new law signed by Mr. Bush, some of Mr. Obama’s transition advisers should have interim security clearances starting on Wednesday.

   The LA Times reports Afghan war to loom large for Obama. “President-elect Barack Obama will inherit a war in Afghanistan that is certain to play a central role in his presidency, a conflict whose cost in blood and money is escalating even as many Afghans speak of a growing sense of peril in their daily lives.” The war has been waged for the past seven years. U.S. and NATO military commanders say “they are struggling as never before to find a winning strategy against an insurgency that has amply proved its determination and durability.”

   The NY Times reports that Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a news conference today that his first request to Mr. Obama would be “to end the civilian casualties.”

   While In Iraq, U.S. troops watch the election from afar. And according to the anecdotes reported by the Washington Post, the troops interviewed favored McCain and believed a lot of Republican disinformation about Obama, however, this quote I though was telling.

   “I don’t have time for it,” company commander Capt. Ryan Edwards said earlier in the day. “I don’t worry about it. All I have time for is what happens in this country now.”

   The NY Times also reports that Obama moves ahead with transition planning. “The three co-leaders of Mr. Obama’s transition team are expected to be announced sometime on Wednesday – John D. Podesta, the former Clinton chief of staff; Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama adviser; and Pete Rouse, Mr. Obama’s Senate chief of staff.”

   Also, these are the ‘voices’ speaking for Obama’s transition team. “Dan Pfeiffer, who served as the Obama campaign’s communications director, is to become the communications director for the transition, with Stephanie Cutter, a senior Obama adviser and former aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, serving as spokeswoman for the transition, according to Democrats close to the process.”

   The Washington Post reports that Rahm Emanuel is mulling Obama job offer “to serve as White House chief of staff, according to Democratic sources… In pursuing Emanuel, Obama is also sending a message to Capitol Hill that he recognizes the need to work with them by selecting one of their own but that he also will not be afraid to play tough — Emanuel’s trademark.”

   Lastly, there is this bit of good news. According to The Guardian, Obama victory signals rebirth of US environmental policy. Obama will “introduce a major climate change bill in an attempt to bring the US back into the international environment fold according to his senior advisers… He will now send his own energy representatives to the UN’s climate change talks in Poznam, Poland, in three weeks’ time. He is also expected to announce a goal of reducing US greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and then cutting them by 80% by 2050.”

Four at Four continues with Russia warns of EU border missile deployment, the Tornado in England, and urban cowboys in India.

1. Today is election day in America. Here’s how it is being reported by some of the newspapers from across the United States.

   The NY Times reports After epic campaign, voters go to the polls. “Voters began lining up before dawn at polling locations up and down the East Coast, in what election officials said was an unusually high level of turnout.”

   “Mr. Obama cast his ballot at the Beulah Shoesmith Elementary School in Chicago with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Sasha and Malia, at 7:36 a.m. local time. ‘I voted,’ he announced to a few dozen people standing in the gym who snapped photos of him with their cell phone cameras.” — NY Times

   The Washington Post reports Americans cast ballots across the country. “Isolated problems were reported in several states, mostly minor malfunctions that were not expected to disrupt the process… More than 29 million Americans locked in their choices during early and absentee voting, relieving some of the pressure on election officials. Still, roughly 100 million voters are predicted to show up at the polls today, in many cases facing voting machines they have never used before.”

   The LA Times reports a Historic vote underway across America. “By 8 a.m., monitors from Election Protection Coalition, a private group of Democratic watchdogs, were reporting long lines and malfunctioning voting machines in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio and lost ballots at precincts in Florida’s capital, Tallahassee… But at most polling places there was an upbeat mood as voters happily endured long lines, many with lattes in their hands, reading newspapers and smiling.”

   The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Heavy early voting points to likely record turnout. “Voters in Greater Cincinnati who are planning to cast ballots after they get off work this afternoon should expect long lines at the polls. Elections officials say voters were standing in line as polling stations opened in the region at 6:30 a.m. Sometimes the polls never opened… Some polls that were open were overwhelmed… Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said that there are no major problems in the state.”

   The News & Observer in Raleigh reports that Voters brave drizzle and small glitches. “A dreary rain today met voters heading to the polls… Wake elections officials were taking paper towels to voting places to keep voting booths dry after a soggy ballot jammed an optical scanner at a downtown Raleigh precinct. Water had dripped onto the ballot from an umbrella that a voter had placed on the voting booth, Wake Elections Director Cherie Poucher said. After that incident, precinct officials kept other voters’ completed ballots in a bin until a replacement machine arrived, Poucher said.”

   In Virginia, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports Problems at the polls: Voting issues caused by weather, human error. “Nancy Rodrigues, secretary of the board of elections, this afternoon called the turnout ‘phenomenal’ and noted that some polls opened with 500 people in line… She said officials have received many reports of issues at the polls, but ‘the reality is we have not seen a pattern of widespread problems.’ There have been some allegations of voter suppression in Richmond, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake — that people outside the polls are “pouncing” on voters headed inside to ask about how they’re voting.”

   The Indianapolis Star reports Indiana voters head to the polls. “The removal of two Republican election workers from a Warren Township polling site – for using improper methods to challenge voters’ rights to cast a ballot – has prompted local Republican Party leaders to issue a statement of regret.”

   The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Voting lines shorter than many expected. “The long lines for advance voting in Georgia last week generally gave way to an orderly procession through metro Atlanta polling stations Tuesday. Elections officials said waits averaged less than one hour in most precincts. But voting rights groups received hundreds of calls reporting scattered problems across the state, and officials warned of possible long lines later in the afternoon.”

   The Miami Herald reports the Polls are busy across Florida, and a few glitches have been reported. “Voters waited between one and three hours in most spots, but the lines are shorter Tuesday than they were during the two-week early-voting period… About one of every four registered voters in Miami-Dade, Broward and statewide cast their ballots early, and many others voted absentee. That is helping to keep Election Day waits at a minimum despite an expected 80 percent turnout.”

   The Oregonian reports Democrats outpace Republicans in Oregon voting. “By Monday afternoon, 1,365,831 ballots had been returned, amounting to 63 percent of Oregon’s 2,166,019 registered voters. For Republicans, the most worrisome sign was a lag in turnout compared with Democrats. About 70 percent of Oregon Democrats voted compared with 64 percent of Republicans and 50 percent of nonaffiliated voters. Democrats outnumber Republicans statewide by nearly 240,000 voters.”

   The Missoulian reports Election emotional for some. “Rod Murphy got a tear in his eye when he voted Tuesday morning. Like others casting their ballots on a soggy gray morning, Murphy felt like he was doing something historic as he cast his ballot for Barack Obama. ‘I’m pleased that we’ve finally gotten to the voting, and I’m excited about the prospects,’ said Murphy… Lines also developed very quickly at the Missoula County Courthouse, where people were both voting and registering to vote. A handful of people waiting to register said they finally realized that this was an election where their vote really mattered.”

   The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Problems, glitches surface at area polls. “Reports of technical problems have, so far, outnumbered those of electioneering. But those are starting to come in, too.”

   The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Heavy Election Day turnout continues. “Western Pennsylvania voters flocked to the polls in what could turn out to be record numbers today, with long lines reported well before the 7 a.m. voting start and the steady turnout continuing through mid-day… Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin arrived back in Pittsburgh at 3:30 after last night’s Monday Night Football victory over Washington, went to the office, and about three hours later joined the queue.”

   The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Philly turnout: “It’s big. Real big.” “The turnout stunned election officials in many areas. ‘This is big. Real big,’ said election judge Lowell Webb… Webb said he had worked 35 years as an election official and had never seen a turnout of this magnitude… Precincts across the city told much the same story.”

   The Detroit Free Press reports Voters report polling problems. “Voting difficulties, from malfunctioning ballot scanners to inept poll workers, are being reported at polling places in numerous Michigan municipalities… The problems at some polling places are resulting in long lines, some lasting two hours, causing some voters to leave without casting a ballot.”

   The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Great weather, few glitches for morning voters. “Glitches and frustrations – malfunctioning ballot counters and a speed play by day-of voter registrants – were reported in several locations. Early reports suggest tempers did not rise as quickly as the temperature, which approached an election-day record shortly after noon… An older gentleman voting 11:40 a.m. at Wilson Elementary School in Wauwatosa bragged that he had been married for 56 years, then asked if he could cast a ballot for his wife, who was unable to travel to the poll. The diplomatic response: ‘This is not Chicago, sir.'”

   “I think I voted.” That slogan certainly inspires confidence that every vote cast will be counted, doesn’t it?

   The Chicago Sun-Times reports Mayor Daley basks in Election Day glow. “Fully expecting an Obama landslide, Daley turned his attention to what it would mean for Chicago. ‘This is the first time since John F. Kennedy that a president has come from an urban community. You don’t have to sit there and educate him about … urban problems. He has the knowledge already. What a difference,’ Daley said.”

   The Pioneer Press in St. Paul reports Minnesotans casting their votes amid power outages, lines. “Despite a power outage in St. Paul, voters are casting their ballots in what could be a record turnout. By midday, lines at some polling places had dwindled compared with the crush of voters when polls opened at 7 a.m. As of early afternoon, no widespread problems had been reported. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie… hopes Minnesota will challenge the state record of nearly 83 percent turnout in 1956.”

   The Denver Post reports Some snags, but voters persist. “Problems with touch-screen voting machines slowed voting in some Denver precincts early this morning, but paper ballots and a little persistence kept the lines moving and election day attitudes light… Gil Wall began voting in 1960, and never misses an election. ‘I’ve been accused of voting for Obama because he’s African-American,’ Wall said, amused. ‘Well, I’ve been voting for white folks since 1960. I like his ideas. Even if he only pulls half of them off, he’s way ahead.'”

Four at Four continues with the Bushes battle against Cheney to protect two vast areas of the Pacific Ocean, bombing in Baghdad, the bailout, diesel that grows on trees, and a bonus look back over the election campaign.

1. The NY Times reports the Pentagon expects cuts in military spending.

   After years of unfettered growth in military budgets, Defense Department planners, top commanders and weapons manufacturers now say they are almost certain that the financial meltdown will have a serious impact on future Pentagon spending.

   Across the military services, deep apprehension has led to closed-door meetings and detailed calculations in anticipation of potential cuts. Civilian and military budget planners concede that they are already analyzing worst-case contingency spending plans that would freeze or slash their overall budgets.

   The obvious targets for savings would be expensive new arms programs, which have racked up cost overruns of at least $300 billion for the top 75 weapons systems, according to the Government Accountability Office.

   The $500 billion annual base budget for the Pentagon is at the highest level since World War II. In addition, the Pentagon gets $100 billion each year to fight the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

   Some critics, citing the increase in military spending since Sept. 11, 2001, say it would be much easier to cut military spending than programs like Social Security and Medicare at a time when most people’s retirement savings are dwindling because of the financial crisis. Representative Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who is chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has raised the idea of reducing military spending by one-quarter.

Four at Four continues with Bush still “hopeful” for a McCain victory, the global water crisis, and Mayan kites.