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Auto bailout unlikely in 110th Congress

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A proposed bailout for the foundering U.S. auto industry is drawing heat from the lame-duck Congress meeting in Washington to finish the year's work.

Democrats are advocating a plan to provide $25 billion to Detroit auto manufacturers over the objections of many Republicans and U.S. President George Bush, who say they prefer relaxing some restrictions on already approved low-interest loans to help the industry retool its plants for fuel-efficient vehicles.

"With the very first vote after the election, Democratic leaders in Congress want to pass a $25 billion handout to Detroit with no promises of reform, accountability or transparency by the automakers and their union base," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told The New York Times.

Democrats counter that Congress must act now to protect millions of jobs throughout the economy that are reliant on a stable auto industry, pledging to impose tough conditions on the money and to create an oversight board.

"I would certainly hope that Republicans join Democrats in recognizing the severe challenges facing the auto industry and not let any of these companies fail," said Brendan Daly, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

In an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday, President-elect Barack Obama said that a collapse of the auto industry "would be a disaster in this kind of environment not just for individual families but the repercussions across the economy would be dire."

Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., Monday introduced a measure that would provide a tax deduction for interest payments on new car loans taken out between Nov. 12 of this year and the end of 2009.

"My amendment is not about bailouts," Mikulski said. "We've already done a bailout. We've helped the sharks and we've helped the whales. Now it's time to help the minnows, the little guy, and the American consumer. My amendment is about jobs, jobs, jobs."

Mikulski said 6 million jobs are at stake in the U.S. auto industry.

Firefighters corralling SoCal blazes

DIAMOND BAR, Calif., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Cooler temperatures and a lull in the winds Monday allowed Southern California firefighters to make more progress against a trio of devastating wildfires.

However, officials remained on guard for any turn in the weather. Officials cautioned residents air quality would be poor and some area schools canceled classes Monday.

The fires have consumed more than 40,000 acres and burned down hundreds of homes.

Residents of Oakridge Mobile Home Park returned Monday to the spot where the Sayre Fire virtually destroyed the entire community early Saturday. Officials in Orange County said the Freeway Complex fire had destroyed 113 homes, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Crews aided by the end of Santa Ana winds had fires in Los Angeles and Orange counties 40 percent contained and a blaze to the north in Santa Barbara County was 90 percent contained.

"It's been going really well," Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg McKeown told The Orange County Register. "Crews have been hitting hot spots and flare-ups but no real major fire activity overnight, no losses."

The National Weather Service ended the red-flag warnings that had been posted during the weekend but firefighters said they were wary of the winds kicking up again.

"We don't want to drop our guard. It's all dictated by the wind," Battalion Chief Ronnie Villanueva of the Los Angeles County Fire Dept. told the Los Angeles Times.

California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced Monday that he was declaring an "insurance emergency" in the fire-ravaged areas to speed up the claims process by allowing companies to send in adjusters from outside California to assist their state-licensed staffs.

Iraqi anti-corruption officials fired

BAGHDAD, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government has fired anti-corruption officials who were installed by order of U.S. officials, The New York Times said.

The oversight teams were expected to bring Western standards of accountability to fight corruption in government ministries in the war-torn country, the newspaper reported Monday.

Each of Iraq's 30 cabinet-level ministries has an inspector general, who is supported by varying budgets and staffing, the report said.

An Iraqi former chief investigator recently told U.S. lawmakers that $13 billion in reconstruction funds from the United States has been lost to fraud, embezzlement, theft and waste by Iraqi officials.

Stuart Bowen, who leads the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction in Washington, said the inspectors general in Iraq were vulnerable because once they were created, the U.S.-led reconstruction effort provided little support and training.

Syria denies building nuclear reactor

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The United Nation's chief atomic inspector says "man-made" traces of uranium have been found at a site in Syria bombed by Israeli aircraft.

Mohamed el Baradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency said he's not accusing Syria of building a reactor but wants Syrian officials to be more "transparent" with the agency, CNN reported Monday.

Syrian officials, in response, said any uranium found by IAEA inspectors at al-Kibar in eastern Syria must have been dropped by Israeli jets in the September 2007 unilateral bombing, CNN reported.

Baradei Monday confirmed the findings of the inspectors after U.N. sources leaked results of the soil samples taken last June from the bombed site, the U.S. news network reported.

In a briefing Monday at the U.S. State Department in Washington, spokesman Sean McCormack said the IAEA was conducting a thorough investigation.

"And, you know, we'll let them investigate it," McCormack said. "Quite clearly, this is a serious effort on their part, which we, as well as others, support."