1. OBAMA RIPS ROMNEY'S 'CHEST POUNDING' FOREIGN POLICY
Team Obama skewered Mitt Romney's foreign policy address on Monday, arguing that the Republican is fond of "chest pounding" and "saber rattling." "He's surrounded himself with a number of people who were advisers to past President Bush," said campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki. During his speech, Romney vowed to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, to go after terrorists who attacked the U.S. consulate in Libya, and to work to ensure Syrian rebels obtain arms to defeat Bashar al-Assad's regime. [Yahoo News]
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2. PENN STATE'S SANDUSKY TO BE SENTENCED
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted on 45 counts of child molestation in June, will be sentenced Tuesday. The disgraced 68-year-old maintained his innocence and criticized prosecutors, the media, and Penn State in a taped jailhouse statement he released Monday. He asked people with "the courage to listen" to "evaluate the accusers and their families." Experts say the sentence will likely put Sandusky behind bars for the rest of his life. [Associated Press]
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3. MEXICAN NAVY: KEY DRUGLORD LIKELY KILLED
The Mexican navy says it likely killed top Zetas drug cartel leader Herberto Lazcano during a shootout over the weekend. Officials said they have "strong indications" that the body of one of two men killed was Lazcano, but more forensic tests were needed. If confirmed, Lazcano's death "would give President Felipe Calderón probably his biggest victory against drug and organized crime groups, two months before he ends his six-year term." [New York Times]
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4. STUDENTS PROTEST CHAVEZ WIN IN VENEZEULA
Hundreds of Venezuelan students took to the streets in Caracas to protest the re-election of longtime President Hugo Chavez. They demanded a recount of the ballots, despite opposition candidate Henrique Capriles accepting the loss. After the win, Chavez, who has been in office since 1998, promised to deepen his socialist revolution for his next six years in office. [Reuters]
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5. CALIFORNIA GAS PRICES HIT ANOTHER RECORD
Gas prices in California hit a record $4.67 per gallon on Monday, even as Gov. Jerry Brown took emergency action on Sunday to try to bring prices down. The record statewide average per gallon is up more than 3 cents from Sunday and up 50 cents a gallon from just one month ago. Brown directed the California Air Resources Board to boost the fuel supply by allowing the immediate sale and import of cheaper and more available winter-blend gasoline, which typically isn't sold in California until November. [USA Today]
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6. 13,000 MAY BE AT RISK FOR MENINGITIS
A jaw-dropping 13,000 patients in 23 states have been injected with a steroid treatment that has been linked to an outbreak of meningitis in the United States, health officials said Monday. The fungal contamination has already killed eight people and sickened 97. The contaminated drug has been traced to a single pharmacy in Massachusetts, the New England Compounding Center. The pharmacy has closed voluntarily and recalled its products. [Boston Globe]
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7. POLL: ROMNEY LEADS OBAMA
It looks like Mitt Romney's strong debate performance is paying off. According to a new poll from Pew — the first since last week's presidential debate — Romney now leads Obama 49 percent to 45 percent among likely voters. In September, Obama had an eight-point lead. The debate also pumped up Romney's favorability, which hit 50 percent in the survey for the first time. [Pew Research Center]
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8. IMF: WORLD ECONOMY CONTINUES TO WEAKEN
The International Monetary Fund offered a bleak assessment on the world economy, saying it has weakened further and will grow more slowly over the next year. The IMF predicts the world economy will expand 3.3 percent this year, down from the expected 3.5 percent growth. Besides the monetary crisis plaguing countries like Greece and Spain, conditions could worsen if the U.S. doesn't find a solution for its budget crisis, saying "downside risks have increased and are considerable." [Associated Press]
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9. KOBE BRYANT: I MIGHT RETIRE IN TWO YEARS
Hoops star Kobe Bryant acknowledged that he might retire from the NBA in two years when his contract his up. The 16-year veteran pondered his departure during an interview with CBS. "It's just that three more years seems like a really long time to continue to stay at a high, high level of training and preparation and health," the 34-year-old Lakers star said. "That's a lot of years. For a guard? That's a lot of years." [CBS Sports]
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10. DANNY DEVITO, RHEA PERLMAN SPLIT
Actors Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman are pulling the plug on their 30-year marriage. The duo worked together on the popular '70s television show Taxi, and have three children together. They tied the knot in 1982 after living together for 11 years. DeVito's spokesperson said the pair had split but offered no details. [Reuters]
