National and International News-Wednesday, Dec.6th

WHITE HOUSE (AP) - Members of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group have breakfast with President Bush this morning to brief him on their long-awaited report on the way forward in Iraq. Recommendations are said to include less combat for Americans and more training for Iraqis.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The mind-numbing violence in Iraq is continuing. In the worst incident today, at least eight people have been killed in a mortar attack on a Baghdad marketplace. A suicide bomber killed two people on a bus in the Shiite stronghold, Sadr City.

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - After breezing through his confirmation hearing yesterday, Robert Gates could win full Senate approval today to succeed Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. Gates served as C-I-A director for President Bush's father. He says the U-S isn't winning in Iraq, but isn't losing either.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (AP) - Tomorrow night's scheduled launch of space shuttle Discovery is still on, although engineers are busy trying to nail down two potential problems. They want to make sure a power surge yesterday didn't cause any damage. There's also some
concern about glue on a booster rocket.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Cheney's two daughters are reportedly pregnant. The Washington Post says Mary Cheney and her partner Heather Poe are expecting in late spring. The veep's other daughter, Elizabeth, is on leave from the State Department while she and her husband await their fifth child.