• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

• Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform and Obama’s Afghanistan speech.

• Declaring “our security is at stake,” President Obama ordered an additional 30,000 U.S. troops into the long war in Afghanistan last night, nearly tripling the force he inherited but promising an impatient public to begin withdrawal in 18 months. The buildup will begin almost immediately and will cost $30 billion for the first year alone

• Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) asserted yesterday during a rancorous floor debate that President Obama’s health care reform will shorten the lives of seniors by cutting Medicare. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) decried such comments as scare tactics designed to kill legislation that he said would improve some benefits for seniors. At times, the debate recalled the raw charges and countercharges of the summer’s town hall meetings.

• Copies of e-mails between the White House party crashers and a Pentagon official undermine their claims that they were invited to President Obama’s first state dinner.

• The Rude Pundit (Lee Papa) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about the news over the Thanksgiving weekend.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• The Senate is set to begin debate today on health care reform. Some Dem senators say they’ll jump ship from the bill without tighter restrictions on abortion coverage. Others say they’ll go unless a government plan to compete with private insurance companies gets tossed overboard. Such concessions would enrage Liberals, the heart and soul of the party.

• Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich), the leading Senate Dem on military matters, said yesterday that President Obama’s anticipated plan for expanding troop levels in Afghanistan must show how those reinforcements will help increase the size of the Afghan security forces.

• White House officials fended off new questions about how a fame-seeking couple finessed their way into the president’s State Dinner last week while the aspiring reality-TV stars themselves began trying to sell their story for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

• Ellis Henican, columnist for “Newsday,” calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about the news of the day, and preview his show on Friday when he fills in for Steph and the Mooks.

• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

• Alysa Binder, Executive Vice President and co-founder of Pet Airways, calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about the service her company provides.

• War-weary Americans will support more fighting in Afghanistan once they understand the perils of losing, President Obama declared yesterday, announcing he was ready to spell out war plans virtually sure to include tens of thousands more U.S. troops. Obama will make his case to the nation in a speech Tuesday night.

• Traditional evening gowns and vibrantly colored saris mixed with banded-collar dinner jackets and tuxedos at President Obama’s first State Dinner last night. There were also turbans and bindies and diamonds, as several hundred guests put on the glitz and joined a White House celebration in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

• With economic pressures still hitting household budgets hard, many Americans are foregoing air travel for Thanksgiving and opting for cheaper alternatives like staying home or driving.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Dr. Eric Chivian, founder and director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard, calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about the Climate Change Bill.

• Health care reform backers won a key victory Saturday night as the Senate voted to move ahead with a floor debate on a sweeping $848 billion bill. The 60-39 vote to prevent a GOP filibuster against the start of debate on Sen. Reid’s legislation broke down along party lines.

• Four U.S. service members were killed in the past 24 hours in Afghanistan, NATO forces said today. Three of the Americans died in southern Afghanistan yesterday. Two of them were killed by a bomb attack and the third in a separate firefight.

• Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people at Ft. Hood, is paralyzed from the chest down and doctors believe it will be permanent, his lawyer said yesterday.

• In this business week, which will be abbreviated due to Thanksgiving, investors will look to reports on home sales, unemployment and consumer confidence, and the start of the holiday shopping season on Friday for more insight into the direction of the economy.

• Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about jobs, the economy, and health care reform.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• David Plouffe, former campaign manager for President Obama, calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about his new book, “The Audacity To Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory.”

• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

• President Obama huddled with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao this morning, the final day of his visit to China. The White House praised the meetings as strengthening possibilities for future cooperation. President Obama then toured the Great Wall of China before flying to South Korea.

• Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) declined yesterday to say when he would introduce a hotly anticipated health care reform bill. He said he was waiting for a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office, and that estimate won’t be completed until at least this afternoon.

• Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama yesterday for the second time but guards on board repelled the takeover attempt.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Joe Decker, founder of GodHatesShrimp.com, calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about how ridiculous religious arguments against homosexuality are.

• Politely but firmly pressing for greater freedoms on China’s own turf, President Obama spoke in Shanghai this morning against censorship, saying tough criticisms of political leaders should be allowed and the free flow of information on the internet “should be encouraged.”

• While President Obama’s decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan is primarily a military one, it also has substantial budget implications that are adding pressure to limit the commitment. Governmental estimates place the cost of adding 40,000 troops at $40 billion to $54 billion a year.

• Today’s Commerce Department report on October retail sales is likely to set the tone for the rest of the week on Wall Street. Economists polled by Reuters predict retail sales rose 0.8 percent in October after at 1.5 percent drop in September. Stronger consumer spending is needed for any rebound, and disappointment is likely to send stocks falling today.

• Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about Veterans’ Day, health care reform, the economy, and his run for Senate.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

• Former President Bill Clinton told anxious Senate Dems yesterday to pass a health care bill soon because the U.S. economy can’t resist the toxic combination of exorbitant medical costs and nearly 50 million uninsured for much longer.

• Caution returned to the stock market yesterday as investors decided to slow an advance that has lifted the Dow Jones industrial average 475 points in five days. Stocks fell in light trading, though the Dow tacked on 20 points to close at a new high for the year.

• A senior government official tells ABC News that investigators have found that alleged Ft. Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan had “more unexplained connections to people being tracked by the FBI” than just radical cleric Anwar al Awlaki. Names and countries of origin are likely to emerge soon, according to officials.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Mary Bonauto, Civil Rights Project Director at Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), calls in at 7:30am Pacific to discuss the repeal of gay marriage in Maine.

• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for a special Monday edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”

• President Obama yesterday praised the “historic” House vote to pass a bill overhauling the nation’s ailing health care system, and said it is now time for the Senate to “take the baton” and complete its work. The House passed its health care bill late Saturday night by a 220-215 vote, with 39 Dems opposing and 1 GOPer supporting.

• The alleged Ft. Hood shooter apparently attended the same Virginia mosque as two 9/11 hijackers in 2001, at a time when a radical imam preached there. The FBI is looking into any possible associations.

• Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana as Hurricane Ida heads toward the Gulf Coast. It’s the first hurricane to target the U.S. this season.

• Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) calls in at 7:33am Pacific to talk about health care reform, the economy, and yesterday’s elections.

• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”

• Republicans won gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey yesterday, two states that had backed President Obama last year. Dem Bill Owens beat Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in upstate New York. Opponents of gay marriage claimed a victory in Maine, but voters approved an “everything but marriage” law in Washington State that greatly expands the rights of gay couples.

• In a blow to the White House, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) signaled yesterday that Congress may fail to meet a year-end deadline for passing health care legislation, leaving the measure’s fate to the uncertainties of the 2010 election season.

• Republicans boycotted the start of committee debate yesterday on a bill to curb greenhouse gases, protesting that the bill’s costs have not been fully examined. The action put a spotlight on the difficulties Dem leaders face in moving climate legislation this year.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:30am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Morgan Hurley, reporter for SDGLN.com (San Diego Gay and Lesbian News), calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about her story regarding a proposed ban on divorces in California.

• Afghanistan’s Election Commission announced this morning that Saturday’s runoff election between Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah has been cancelled. Abdullah dropped out of the race yesterday, and the Obama administration said it was prepared to work with Karzai to combat corruption and confront the Taliban insurgency.

• GOP nominee in New York’s 23rd Congressional special election tomorrow, Dede Scozzafava, announced this weekend that she’s suspending her campaign. Her exit leaves Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman as the favorite to win the formerly hotly contested 3-way race. Scozzafava threw her support behind Dem Bill Owens.

• The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that just 2 percent of Americans younger than 65 would sign up for the public option plan under the health care bill that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is steering toward House approval

• The New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 last night to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”

• Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said yesterday that while he’s “strongly inclined” to vote to move Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) health care plan with an opt-out public option to the Senate floor for debate, he would ultimately oppose the measure and join a GOP filibuster because it includes that option.

• The White House said yesterday that President Obama has nearly finished gathering information and advice on how to proceed in Afghanistan. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that a planned meeting on Friday with the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be among the last events in the decision-making process.

• The FAA has revoked the licenses of the two Northwest Airlines pilots who flew a passenger jet past their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles last week. They had violated numerous regulations, including failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Comedian Sara Benincasa calls in at 8:30am Pacific to tell us about her columns for The Huffington Post and her upcoming tour dates.

• Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are expected to make decisions this week in hopes the long-delayed health care reform bills can come to a vote early next month. Officials familiar with the Senate talks say businesses would not be required to provide health insurance, but large companies would owe significant penalties if any worker needs government subsidies to buy coverage on their own.

• Top lawmakers sparred yesterday over the timing of President Obama’s decision on how to move ahead in Afghanistan, with Republicans urging a quick move to boost troop levels and Dems counseling patience.

• President Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect non-infected patients.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

• Comedian Margaret Cho calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about her upcoming shows and the release of her new concert DVD, “Beautiful.”

• President Obama has sought to spend no more than $900 billion over a 10-year period on health care reform. Yesterday, however, House Dem leaders received a new cost estimate of $871 billion from congressional budget umpires who measured a bill with a a robust public option.

• President Obama spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday and congratulated him for accepting the report of the UN-backed Election Complaint Commission which ruled that he garnered under 50% of the vote in the August election after vote fraud had been factored in, mandating a recount.

• Oprah Winfrey announced yesterday that Sarah Palin will appear on her show on Monday, November 16th.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to make a major announcement about his campaign to be senator from Pennsylvania.

• Three days after the world watched a giant balloon fly through the air as a tearful family expressed fears that their 6-year-old boy could be inside, authorities announced what millions already suspected: The whole thing was staged. Colorado authorities believe the event was a “publicity stunt” by the family to market themselves for a reality show.

• The White House will not commit to health care legislation that would cap insurance premiums or tax benefits, taking a wait-and-see approach as congressional negotiators seek a deal. President Obama will not demand that a final bill include a public option, though that’s his preference, advisers said yesterday.

• Defense Secretary Robert Gates is undertaking the tricky task of trying to persuade allies to remain committed to the war in Afghanistan even as the Obama administration debates whether to send more troops to fight. Allies like Japan and Great Britain, however, are showing signs of pulling back.

• The Rude Pundit (Lee Papa) joins Steph in studio in NYC at 8:05am Pacific for “Rude Mondays”

• Tim Robbins calls in at 8:35am Pacific to promote “The WTF Festival” at The Actors Gang in Culver City, CA.

• President Obama pledged to end the ban on gays serving openly in the military in a speech to the Human Rights Campaign Saturday, but acknowledged to a cheering crowd that the policy changes he promised on the campaign trail are not coming as quickly as they expected.

• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton travels to Russia today hoping to win Moscow’s backing for a strong stance on Iran’s nuclear program and looking for progress on a new arms control pact.

• Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said yesterday that any added military deployment in Afghanistan smaller than the 40,000 troops reportedly requested by the top U.S. commander there “would be an error of historic proportions.” McCain also said that the war there could not be won with fewer than the 40,000 troops requested.

• Delegate Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands) calls in at 6:33am Pacific to talk about health care reform, its progress, and reconciliation of the bills.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”

• A new Associated Press poll says 56% of those surveyed in the past week approve of President Obama’s job performance, up from 50% in September. It’s the first time since he took office in January that his ratings have gone up.

• President Obama yesterday ruled out shrinking the Afghanistan war to a counterterrorism campaign. Yet he did not signal whether he is prepared to send any more troops to the war zone – either the 40,000 his top commander wants or a smaller buildup.

• The Obama administration is considering a series of measures to help the unemployed. Those ideas include extending unemployment and health benefits and offering states temporary “loan packages.”

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow for Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

• Nicole Sullivan, formerly of Mad TV, calls in at 8:30am Pacific to tell us about the second season of her Lifetime series, “Rita Rocks.”

• The Obama administration is considering steps to ease the burdens of laid-off workers, including possible extensions of unemployment and health benefits, officials said Saturday. The administration has stopped short of calling for a second economic stimulus package to augment the $787 billion measure approved this year.

• The White House said yesterday it sees signs of progress in confronting Iran’s nuclear program while members of Congress endorsed authorizing tougher U.S. economic penalties against the Tehran government. International inspectors are to visit Iran’s newly disclosed uranium enrichment site on October 25.

• President Obama said Friday he has “no doubt” that Chicago put together the strongest bid it could to win the 2016 Olympics. He said he wished he had brought back better news from Friday’s voting in Copenhagen, where his personal appeal did not help his adopted hometown win.

• House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) calls in at 6:35am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to help us with Right Wing World.

• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”

• The Senate Finance Committee yesterday rejected two amendments to include a government-run public health insurance option in the only compromise health care bill so far. The amendments were opposed by all 10 GOP-ers on the committee and a few Dems, including committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus of Montana.

• A powerful earthquake in the South Pacific hurled a massive tsunami at the shores of Samoa and American Samoa, flattening villages and sweeping cars and people out to sea, leaving at least 99 dead and dozens missing.

• The U.S. is speeding up its military withdrawal from Iraq, sending 4,000 more troops home next month. The reduced number of troops in Iraq marks the latest U.S. step in winding down the six-year war.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific for a live edition of Right Wing World.

• Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard has test-fired one of the longest-range missiles in Tehran’s arsenal, state TV reported today. The missile is capable of striking Israel and U.S. Mideast bases and parts of Europe. It was the third round of tests meant to demonstrate the country’s preparedness for an attack.

• President Obama on Saturday resumed his push to overhaul the health care system, telling a Congressional Black Caucus conference that there comes a time when “the cup of endurance runs over.” He underscored that we’ve “been waiting for health reform since the days of Teddy Roosevelt… we cannot wait any longer.”

• The White House acknowledged for the first time Friday that it might not be able to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay by January as President Obama promised. They said resolving thorny legal issues and logistical questionsmeans the deadline may slip.

• Oscar-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski has been arrested in Switzerland on a decades-old arrest warrant stemming from a 1977 sex charge in California.

• Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific for a live edition of Right Wing World.

• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”

• Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus yesterday unveiled changes to his compromise health care proposal intended to alleviate the concerns of fellow Dems as the panel began debating more than 560 proposed amendments to the measure. Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) both introduced amendments to include a public option in the Baucus plan.

• World leaders, including President Obama, converged yesterday in New York to focus on climate change, with the clock ticking down toward a summit this year in Denmark, where a global climate change pact is to be signed. Negotiations for the global pact have stalled and yesterday’s gathering was aimed at jump-starting those talks.

• Prodding Israel and the Palestinian Authority to restart talks aimed at a permanent resolution of their conflict, President Obama dropped a demand for an Israeli settlement freeze.

• Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners calls in at 7:05am Pacific to discuss the need for more spirituality in the debate on health care reform.

• Eric Boehlert of Media Matters for America calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about accusations of racism against President Obama, and Fox News smearing ACORN.

• Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) unveiled the Senate’s version of health care reform yesterday. The plan would require all Americans to have health insurance, but lacks a public plan option or even a trigger for a public option.

• The White House says President Obama doesn’t believe he’s being criticized because of his race. They were asked about the topic following comments on Tuesday by former President Jimmy Carter. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says some people have disagreements with some of Obama’s decisions but that those concerns were not because of his race.

• ACORN, an advocacy group under fire after some employees were caught on camera appearing to advise a couple posing as a prostitute and pimp to lie about the woman’s profession to get housing help, said Wednesday it is ordering an independent investigation and is refusing new admissions into its service programs.

• Mary Travers of 1960’s folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary, has died, according to her publicist. She was 72.

• Comedian Will Durst calls in at 6:30am Pacific to do a little bipartisan bashing and to promote his upcoming gigs in Washington, DC.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to give us even more info about the Birthers.

• Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Judge Sonia Sotomayor is expected to easily win Senate confirmation today as two more Republicans, Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri and Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, announced their support for the country’s first Hispanic high court pick.

• President Obama announced yesterday that the federal government will provide $2.4 billion in grants for the development of more fuel-efficient, battery-powered automobiles. Obama’s announcement was the latest in a series of administration initiatives designed to accelerate a nationwide transition to a “green economy.”

• Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana was convicted yesterday on 11 of the 16 corruption charges against him in a case that included the discovery of $90,000 in his freezer. A federal court jury convicted Jefferson on four bribery counts, three counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of racketeering.

• Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis calls in at 7:05am to give us the White House perspective on health care reform.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 8:05am Pacific to talk about the “Birther” phenomenon.

• After more than six hours of negotiations among White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, talks between House Democratic leaders and key Blue Dog Democrats broke up last night without a deal on health care reform. The talks are expected to continue today.

• The Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday approved the nomination of federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor to become the nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court justice, setting up a final confirmation vote by the Senate. At least 5 GOP senators have announced their intention to support Sotomayor, making a confirmation by the Dem-controlled Senate a virtual certainty.

• The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is expected to ask the Obama administration for additional troops and equipment, according to a senior U.S. military official familiar with Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s thinking.

• Hawaiian officials this week said they have once again checked and confirmed that President Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born citizen.

• Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk to us about the president’s health care reform press conference last night.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about “Birthers,” people who are still demanding to see President Obama’s birth certificate.

• President Obama sought last night to rally support for sweeping health care legislation he’s struggling to push through Congress, expressing support for a surtax on families making more than $1 million a year to help pay for it. He also vowed to reject any measure “primarily funded through taxing middle-class families.”

• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced yesterday he plans to vote for Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor, bucking the views of most of his conservative GOP colleagues. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss) announced yesterday that they plan to oppose the judge.

• The Senate yesterday narrowly rejected a controversial measure to allow people to carry concealed weapons from state to state. The measure would have required each of the 48 states that currently allow concealed firearms to honor permits issued in other states.

• Outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is rejecting allegations she broke state ethics laws by letting supporters set up a legal defense fund for her.

• Warren Eckstein, pet expert and national radio host, calls in at 7:06am Pacific to talk about house training Steph’s puppy Oliver.

• Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

• Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about the growing tide of hate that the Right Wing Media is spreading against Obama.

• Thousands of Iranians planned to protest for a fifth day today against an election they claimed had been manipulated – even as the government stepped up its crackdown, hauling dozens to jail, banning international journalists from filming rallies and blocking access to social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook.

• President Obama will sign a memorandum today granting health care and other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees.

• Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) admitted yesterday to an extramarital affair last year with a woman who had worked for him. Ensign has made it clear he does not plan to resign. Ensign had previously suggested that Former Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) resign after Craig was arrested in an airport bathroom sex sting.

• Eric Boehlert of Media Matters for America calls in at 7:05am Pacific to talk about Bill O’Reilly and the rise of fanatical, supremacist hate groups and crimes.

• Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) calls in at 7:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform and the stimulus package.

• Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-CA) calls in at 8:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform and the accelerated stimulus package.

• A rifle-wielding white supremacist entered Washington, DC’s Holocaust museum yesterday afternoon, fatally shooting a security guard before being wounded himself by the return fire from other guards. Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as James Von Brunn, an 88-year-old neo-Nazi from Maryland.

• President Obama urged lawmakers yesterday to work through partisan differences that are threatening health care legislation just as it starts moving through Congress. He insisted they pass a bill this year that reins in costs and helps provide coverage to nearly 50 million uninsured people.

• The Obama administration issued new regulations yesterday that set pay limits on companies that receive TARP assistance, with the toughest restrictions aimed at seven recipients of “exceptional assistance.”

• Eric Boehlert of Media Matters for America calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about how the Right Wing Media is already attacking Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

• President Obama marked another 100-day anniversary yesterday – this time the anniversary of the enactment of his $787 billion economic stimulus package. Obama told a crowd in Nevada that “we are already seeing results” from the federal government’s economic boost.

• Opponents of California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages launched a new court challenge yesterday, led by lawyers who were on opposite sides of the case that settled the 2000 presidential race. Attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies have asked a federal judge to block California from enforcing the ban, known as Prop. 8.

• Newt Gingrich has called Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a racist, and he’s demanding that Obama’s pick withdraw her nomination. On Twitter, Gingrich said that “new racism is no better than old racism.”

• Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) announced last night that he intends to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter in a Pennsylvania Democratic primary pending a discussion with his wife and young daughter.

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about his new book, “Bloggers on the Bus: How the Internet Changed Politics and the Press.”

• Top Republicans are demanding an apology from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or proof to back her claim that the CIA misled Congress about the use of torture. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the top GOPer on the House Intelligence Committee, said yesterday that if Pelosi’s accusations aren’t true, she may need to step down. House Minority Leader John Boehner demanded Pelosi provide evidence to support her accusations.

• President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday held their first face-to-face meeting since each took power. The two met at the White House to discuss, among other things, the endorsement of a two-state Palestinian solution and relations with Iran.

• President Obama is expected to adopt higher mileage standards for automobiles today. New cars and trucks will have to get 30% better mileage starting in 2016 under Obama’s move to curb emissions tied to smog and global warming.

• Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), 91 and the longest-serving senator in history, was hospitalized last Friday with a temperature spike caused by a minor infection. He is being treated and is expected to be released from the hospital in a few days.

For those of you in Portland, OR who are wondering where The Stephanie Miller Show went, we have good news! You can now hear us LIVE every weekday from 6am to 9am Pacific on 970AM, The Talker!

• Eric Burns, President of Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about Fox News’ ongoing paranoia about President Obama, and Fox’ “Tea Parties” next week.

• Angela V. Shelton and Frances Callier (Frangela) join us in studio at 8:30am Pacific for another edition of Fridays with Frangela!

• The Obama administration will ask Congress for another $83.4 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the end of September. The supplemental spending bill (outside the budget) is likely to be the last such request submitted to Congress to pay for the wars. Obama began including war spending in his 2010 budget.

• President Obama yesterday urged families to take advantage of near-record low mortgage rates by refinancing their home loans. He said that there are 7 to 9 million people across the country who could take advantage of lower rates and that it would be “money in their pocket.”

• Somali pirates holding an American hostage on a drifting lifeboat vowed today to fight any attack by U.S. naval forces stalking them at high sea. “We’re not afraid of the Americans.. we will defend ourselves if attacked,” one of the pirates told Reuters.

• Ten priests from the order that founded the University of Notre Dame say the school risks its “true soul” and could distance itself from the Catholic Church by inviting President Obama to campus next month.

For those of you in Portland, OR who are wondering where The Stephanie Miller Show went, we have good news! You can now hear us LIVE every weekday from 6am to 9am Pacific on 970AM, The Talker!

• Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about his recent article, “Glenn Beck and the Rise of Fox News’ Militia Media.”

• Lawrence Korb, Senior Fellow at The Center for American Progress and former Assistant Secretary of Defense, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to discuss Obama’s foreign policy and how it relates to Iran.

• Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) calls in at 8:05am Pacific to talk about her recent trip to Cuba to meet with Fidel and Raul Castro.

• A U.S. warship arrived before dawn today near a 28-foot lifeboat holding four pirates and the kidnapped captain of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship. Also nearby was the Maersk Alabama – which had been seized early yesterday off the Horn of Africa. All 20 of its remaining crew members are in good physical shape.

• Fresh off a trip to Cuba that included a visit with both Fidel and Raul Castro, members of the Congressional Black Caucus are lobbying President Obama to lift the nation’s longstanding Cuba embargo, and open up lines of communication with the Castros.

• Vice President Joe Biden marked the return of the 18th Airborne Corps from Iraq at Fort Bragg, NC yesterday and told they troops that they left behind a country where “violence is being replaced by progress.”

• President Obama returned to Washington, D.C. in the early hours of yesterday morning, bringing his lengthy debut on the world stage – including his first stop in a war zone as commander in chief – to a close. Aides say he brought home achievements both large and small, evidence of the benefits of the extended travel.