 Retailers see sales drop in dreary November (AP)  AP - Retailers — with Wal-Mart the notable exception — limped through a miserable November that even a surge of shopping after Thanksgiving couldn't save, marking the weakest month since at least 1969 and deepening fears that the critical holiday period could be the most dismal in decades.NFL players union seeks to block suspensions (AP)  AP - The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit Thursday to block five of the six player suspensions for violating the league's anti-doping policy.Pakistan vows to hunt Mumbai attack plotters (Reuters)  Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday Pakistan had given assurances of its commitment to root out terrorism and round up anyone connected to last week's attack in the Indian city of Mumbai.AT&T cuts 12,000 jobs (Reuters)  Reuters - Top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc said it will eliminate 12,000 jobs, or about 4 percent of its workforce, in a fresh wave of cuts to cope with an economic downturn that has exacerbated a decline in traditional phone sales.Bombers hit Fallujah as Iraq-U.S. pact endorsed (AFP)  AFP - Car bombers killed at least 15 people in a former rebel bastion on Thursday as Iraq's security pact with Washington won final approval before its launch at the end of the month.AT&T to cut 12,000 jobs, 4 percent of staff (AP)  AP - AT&T Inc. joined the recession's parade of layoffs Thursday by announcing plans to cut 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force.Russia's Putin hints at 2012 return to Kremlin (Reuters)  Reuters - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin hinted on Thursday that he may return to his old job in the Kremlin, but not before his ally President Dmitry Medvedev's term expires in 2012.Arab-American hate crimes down since 9/11 (Reuters)  Reuters - Hate crimes against Arab Americans have decreased steadily since the September 11 attacks but are still more common than they were before the hijackings, a civil rights group said on Thursday.Boot Knut? Ex-cuddly polar bear cub faces uncertain future (AP)  AP - On the eve of superstar polar Bear Knut's second birthday, fans are worried that he will have to leave his home in the Berlin Zoo, despite pleas he stay, because he is getting too big for his enclosure as he reaches maturity.President, first lady buying home in Dallas (AP)  AP - President Bush and first lady Laura Bush have bought a home in an affluent neighborhood of north Dallas where they will live after the president leaves office in January.Web Site Traffic |