International: AFGHAN-POST -- WEST POINT, N.Y. -- President Barack Obama announces he will send 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan by next summer and begin withdrawing forces in July 2011 after nearly a decade of battle. 1,360 words, by Scott Wilson (Post). With AFGHAN-TIMES, AFGHAN-OBAMA-TV. AFGHAN-ALLIES and AFGHAN-TALIBAN. AFGHAN-MILITARY-ANALYSIS -- WASHINGTON -- Six months after saying he doubted that 'piling on more and more troops' was the road to success in Afghanistan, and then warning his commanders not to ask for more, President Barack Obama has given Gen. Stanley McChrystal nearly all the troops that he wanted; but in granting much of McChrystal's request, Obama has set narrower and more explicit objectives than the broad, Afghanistan-wide counterinsurgency his top military commander in the country had outlined, and given him a short timeline for achieving them. 920 words, by Karen DeYoung (Post). AFGHAN-ASSESS-TIMES -- In his speech at West Point, President Barack Obama turns at least one piece of conventional military thinking on its head: the belief that announcing a timetable for withdrawing from a war simply emboldens the enemy to wait things out. 740 words, by Doyle McManus (Times). With AFGHAN-ASSESS-POST. AFGHAN-COSTS -- WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's decision to send more than 30,000 troops to Afghanistan ensures what was already inevitable: The cost of the wars in that country and Iraq are about to exceed $1 trillion; less certain for Congress is how to pay for it. 770 words, by Paul Kane (Post). IRAN -- CHICAGO -- Iranian officials confirm the arrest of five British nationals, who allegedly strayed into Iranian territorial waters last week, and announce that they will appear before the nation's judiciary. 500 words, by Borzou Daragahi (Times). National: OFFICER-SHOOTING (1stld) -- TACOMA, Wash. -- Hours after the man suspected of killing four Seattle-area police officers is shot to death, prosecutors say they have evidence of an extensive network of friends and relatives who helped him evade a massive manhunt. 1,090 words, by Kim Murphy (Times). SALAHI -- WASHINGTON -- The portrait of Tareq and Michaele Salahi's twin entities of the Journey for the Cure Foundation and America's Polo Cup is marked by financial disarray, potentially false or misleading claims, broken friendships and bitter court filings; the two entities -- the centerpiece of the Salahis' public profile and their stated reason for going to the White House state dinner last week -- have left many customers angry at poor service and many business partners furious. 1,250 words, by Neely Tucker and Mary Jordan (Post). With SALAHI-EMAILS. PILOT-FATIGUE -- WASHINGTON -- New rules on pilot fatigue to be announced by the Federal Aviation Administration in January probably will not include restrictions on long-distance commutes, an issue that some lawmakers says is essential to solving the problem. 520 words, by Joe Markman (Times). SCOTUS-PROPERTY -- WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court will take up a property-rights claim from Florida's Gulf Coast to decide whether private land owners or the public gain the benefits of restoring beaches eroded by hurricanes or high waters. 900 words, by David G. Savage (Times). With SCOTUS. TRAIN (1stld) -- LOS ANGELES -- More than a year after a deadly train crash that investigators attributed to an engineer's failure to heed a stop signal, a Southern California commuter rail agency continues to struggle to prevent engineers from running red lights; the latest incident occurred last week. 400 words, by Rich Connell (Times). Health and Science: HEALTH-TIMES -- WASHINGTON -- Votes on the first set of amendments to the Senate's health care bill are delayed in the face of stiff Republican opposition, underscoring the fiercely partisan floor debate and threatening the tight timeline for passage. 640 words, by Noam N. Levey (Times). With HEALTH-POST and HEALTH-SENATE-SCENE. Financial: AUTOS-TIMES -- Auto sales show signs of stability in November, but the sluggish U.S. economy continues to weigh on car shoppers; overall vehicle sales were flat last month, compared with November last year. 550 words, by Martin Zimmerman (Times). GM-TIMES (1stld) -- The abrupt resignation of General Motors Co. Chief Executive Fritz Henderson, who stepped down after just eight months in the top job, signals a push by the automaker's board to speed the pace of change at the struggling company. 1,170 words, by Ken Bensinger (Times). With GM-POST. NORTHROP -- Northrop Grumman Corp. has stepped up its threat to pull out of the $35 billion tanker competition, which it says favors rival Boeing Co. 350 words, by W.J. Hennigan (Times). INSURE-IRAN -- SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California insurance companies that own stock in many multinational companies that operate in Iran soon may have to sell their holdings or face penalties, according to state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. 440 words, by Marc Lifsher (Times). Commentaries and news features are listed on the NEWSFEATURES-LAT-WP budget that moves daily at noon EST. 