WHILE AMERICA WAS SLEEPING, I fixed a 'news breakfast' for you -- ready each weekday morning at 6am to satisfy your media craving. These must-reads will help you kick start the day:

2010

Paladino Ups the Ante Over Gay Pride Parade: "They Wear Little Speedos And Grind On Each Other" (CBS)

Biden Steps Up Attack Over Foreign Money: "Vice President Joe Biden on Monday criticized outside Republican groups for pouring vast sums of unaccounted-for cash into GOP campaign coffers, hinting that some of the money might come from 'foreign sources.' 'It bothers me, all these unattributed contributions,' he told Democratic campaign workers outside Scranton. 'Where is all this money from?'" (AP)

Factcheck -- Is Foreign Money Behind U.S. Chamber of Commerce Ads? "While Obama is trying to tie Republicans and some of their backers to the specter of foreign interference in U.S. elections, an examination of the evidence provides little support for the claims." (ABC)

Miller to Stay Mum About Past: "Alaska Senate hopeful Joe Miller says he will no longer answer reporters' questions about his background and personal life, citing the "viciousness" of the campaign." (AP)

For Dems, Even Safe Seats Are Shaky: "Republicans are expanding the battle for the House into districts that Democrats had once considered relatively safe, while Democrats began a strategy of triage on Monday to fortify candidates who they believe stand the best chance of survival." (NYT)

The Race that Says It All: "The story of the 2010 election — the Tea Party drama, the anti-Obama tension, the prominence of right-wing media figures and a wounded Democratic incumbent – all can be distilled in one state, Wisconsin, and through one candidate, Johnson." (Politico)

Feds to Sue New York Board Over Military Voting Violations: "The legal action would mark the most aggressive federal intervention yet amid an ongoing debate over how to enforce compliance with the 2009 Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act , known as the MOVE Act. The Department of Justice is expected to intervene in several New York counties that missed deadlines intended to ensure that overseas ballots are sent, received and counted on time." (Fox News)

Iott Defends Wearing Nazi Garb: "The whole purpose of historical re-enacting is to educate people one-on-one" ...  "And that is done by going out and participating in re-enactments." (CNN)

Gloria Allred, Call Your Office: "Woman Says She Worked for Sandoval Illegally" (KTVN, Reno)

U.S.

Redistricting Battles Spur Wave of Cash: "Republicans and Democrats, hoping to pick up seats in Congress through redistricting, are pouring money and political muscle into statehouse races in about 16 states. State legislatures will next year redraw congressional districts based on the 2010 census. Cutting out a wealthy suburb or looping in an ethnic neighborhood can turn a district from Republican to Democratic, or vice-versa. If done across the board, redistricting can tip a congressional delegation red or blue for a generation." (WSJ)

Greasy Spoon on Wheels Coming of Age: "Los Angeles County is moving to submit its flock of 9,500 food trucks and carts to the same health department rules as restaurants. (NY Times)

'La Tierra de los Libres, el Hogar de los Valientes': "Eulalia Garcia Maturey has outlived two husbands, her two children and decades of bygone immigration laws. At 101, Maturey will become a U.S. citizen on the 101st anniversary of her crossing into the United States from Mexico." (CNN)

Money

Stock Futures Point to Lower Open on Wall Street: "Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.78 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.73 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.79 percent at 0848 GMT (4:48 a.m. EDT)." (Reuters)

States to Probe U.S. Mortgage Foreclosures: "As many as 40 state attorneys general in the United States are expected to announce an investigation into the mortgage servicing industry on Wednesday." (Reuters)

Currency Debate Moves On to G-20: "South Korea leaders, who will host the next big global economic meeting, on Monday began pushing for new ideas to resolve the currency battles unfolding around the world. After little progress was made on currency issues at the International Monetary Fund's annual meeting over the weekend, the turmoil threatens to overwhelm the agenda of the Group of 20 leaders' summit in Seoul on Nov. 12. South Korean officials worry that unless there is progress at the summit, other countries will decide the G-20 isn't the right forum for dealing with critical global economic issues." (WSJ)

Recession Gives Such a Nice, Warm Feeling: "Few bosses need worry that their employees want their jobs as most workers are just happy to be employed and one fifth would even have a fling with their boss if it helped their career, according to a U.S. survey." (Reuters)

World

Hungary's Toxic Spill Could Get Worse: "As cracks grow in the wall of a failing waste reservoir outside a Hungarian aluminum refinery, where one of the worst toxic spills in central-European history took place last week, 1,200 workers are racing against the clock to construct a protective dike to contain the sludgelike effluent if the reservoir collapses." (Time)

Iran Feeling the Sting: "Iran's economy is under increasing strain four months after the latest international sanctions against Tehran, say Iranian businessmen, traders and consumers, who describe spreading pain from inflation, joblessness and mounting shortages." (WSJ)

Final Countdown to Freedom: "Chile's 33 trapped miners are preparing to be pulled to freedom after a two-month ordeal that has gripped the world's imagination. The intricate rescue operation is due to start at midnight local time [midnight EDT] and is expected to take 48 hours to hoist the men up from the caved-in mine half a mile underground." (Sky News)

The New Basra: "The violence in the city is on the wane, and is being replaced by shops, cars and fun parks." (Guardian)

Wife Says Liu Xiaobo Now Better Treated: "She said her husband's brother told her that the prison started providing Liu Xiaobo with better food on Monday, serving him individually prepared food accompanied by rice rather than a portion of food cooked in a large pot for many prisoners, which is usually of poor quality. There was no immediate indication that any other prison conditions faced by Liu had improved, however. " (AP)

Libérté and Fraternité Yes, But, Where's the Égalité? "France ranks 46th in the World Economic Forum’s 2010 gender equality report, trailing the United States, most of Europe, but also Kazakhstan and Jamaica. Eighty-two percent of French women aged 25-49 work, many of them full-time, but 82 percent of parliamentary seats are occupied by men. French women earn 26 percent less than men but spend twice as much time on domestic tasks. They have the most babies in Europe, but are also the biggest consumers of anti-depressants." (NY Times)

Linda Norgrove Botched Rescue to Be Investigated: "Despite David Cameron's promise of a 'full joint UK-US inquiry', British officials were not consulted. This risks fuelling concerns about the US handling of last week's ill-fated operation to free Linda Norgrove. (Daily Telegraph)

Family Feud: "The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il says he opposes a dynastic succession that would see his younger half-brother take power." (BBC)

Tech, Science

Embryonic Stem Cell Breakthrough: "Doctors have injected millions of human embryonic stem cells into a patient partially paralyzed by a spinal cord injury, marking the beginning of the first carefully designed attempt to test the promising but controversial therapy." (WaPo)

Google to Fund Offshore Power Project: "The company said the so-called Atlantic Wind Connection backbone will stretch 350 miles off the coast from New Jersey to Virginia and will be able to connect 6,000 megawatts of offshore wind turbines. That amount is equivalent to 60% of the wind energy installed in the entire U.S. last year, and enough to serve approximately 1.9 million households, the technology giant said." (WSJ)

iPad Coming to Walmart Stores on Oct. 15: The iPad, which analysts claim has had the fastest adoption rate of any consumer electronics device, can be ordered online from Walmart, but must be picked up in store. Retail stores will feature the device as part of a "separate showcase of Apple hardware" (Apple Insider)

Philadelphia School District Settles Webcam Suit: "The Lower Merion School District will pay more than $600,000 to settle two lawsuits over its tracking of student laptops. . . . Beginning in 2008, the district rolled out a plan to give the nearly 2,300 students at its two high schools their own laptop computers to use in class and take home each day. But administrators never told students that missing computers could be remotely tracked using software that let technicians turn on laptop webcams and see what was on a user's screen." (Philly.com)

Media, Entertainment

British Media vs. Murdoch: "The companies behind the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail – both supporters of the Conservatives – united with the owners of the Guardian and the Labour-backing Daily Mirror to petition Vince Cable, the business secretary, to consider blocking News Corporation's proposed £8bn full takeover of the satellite broadcaster BSkyB, which trades under the name Sky ." (Guardian)

Morgan Freeman to Receive AFI's Top Honor: "'Morgan Freeman is an American treasure,' Stringer said in a statement. 'Across decades, whether playing a prisoner, a president or God, he embodies a calm authority that demands respect for the character and for the art form. His gifts to the cultural record are also underscored by his unmistakable voice that echoes through the hearts and minds of movie lovers around the world. AFI is proud to present him with its 39th Life Achievement Award.'" (UPI)