1. Syria files chemical weapon details
Syria has filed details of its poison gas and nerve agent program and an initial plan to destroy it to The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The organization said in a statement that Syria completed its declaration Thursday, as part of a timeline that aims to destroy the lethal stockpile, believed to have been used on its own citizens in August, by mid-2014. Syria is believed to possess around 1,000 metric tons of chemical weapons, including mustard gas and sarin. [ABC News]
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2. Christie blames Congress for delay in Sandy aid
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he understands victims' frustrations a year after Superstorm Sandy, but maintains that his administration isn't to blame for delays in aid reaching victims. In an interview with The Associated Press as the anniversary of the Oct. 29 megastorm approaches, Christie blamed Congress, which took three months to approve a $50.7 billion relief package for the region, and a thicket of red tape put in place to prevent the type of fraud that occurred after Hurricane Katrina. [CBS News]
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3. U.S. to lose access to Afghan reconstruction sites
As 40,000 coalition forces withdraw from Afghanistan and dozens of bases close, about 20 percent of U.S.-funded reconstruction projects in the country will soon be impossible for American officials to safely visit and directly inspect next year, according to the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction. This is prompting worry that millions of dollars could be squandered in the costliest reconstruction of a single country in American history. [The Washington Post]
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4. Rogers: France should appreciate NSA surveillance
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said on CNN's State of the Union Sunday that if French citizens knew exactly why the U.S. intercepted phones in France, they would be "applauding and popping champagne corks" because it keeps them safe." Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, made the comments in light of a report published Monday which said the U.S. monitored up to 70 million French telephone records and recorded some private conversations. It was the latest in a series of revelations about the NSA's monitoring activities that have angered European allies. [Politico]
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5. NYSE holds successful Twitter IPO test
The New York Stock Exchange held a test run of Twitter's initial public offering on Saturday, calling it a success as the exchange tries to avoid the technical problems that marred Facebook's debut last year. This was the first time the exchange conducted a mock IPO. Twitter is expected to go public sometime before the end of November. [USA TODAY]
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6. Georgia votes for a new president
Georgians are voting Sunday for a president to succeed Mikhail Saakashvili, who during nearly a decade in power turned the former Soviet republic into a democracy and a staunch U.S. ally. The vote is expected to cement the control of Saakashvili's rival's party in parliament. Ivanishvili's chosen candidate, Giorgi Margvelashvili, a former university rector with little political experience, is expected to win the election. [Associated Press]
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7. JPMorgan to pay $5.1 billion settlement
JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $5.1 billion to settle Federal Housing Finance Agency claims related to home loans and mortgage-backed securities the company sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, resolving part of a $13 billion accord the firm is negotiating with the government. JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon is seeking to settle state and federal probes into whether the company misrepresented the quality of mortgage bonds packaged and sold at the height of the U.S. housing boom. [Bloomberg]
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8. Cardinals beat Red Sox in World Series game three
The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in game three of the World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis last night after a rare obstruction call. The little-known rule 7.06 was called on Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks, allowing Allen Craig to score the winning run. [Huffington Post]
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9. Actress Marcia Wallace dies
Marcia Wallace, the voice of The Simpsons' Edna Krabappel and the wise-cracking secretary on The Bob Newhart Show, died on Friday at 70. Wallace died due to complications from breast cancer. The Emmy-winning actress, who found fame as Newhart's foil Carol Kester in his 1970s sitcom, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1985. [People]
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10. Malaysia cancels Ke$ha concert
Malaysian authorities forced singer Ke$ha to cancel a Saturday concert in the capital of Kuala Lumpur due to her provocative song lyrics, dress, and perceived cultural insensitivity. [CNN]
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