Hello, and welcome to the Daily Read for Friday. Feel free to comment and let us know if we missed anything.

Senate Drops Plan to Bailout Automakers » The Senate deadlocked on a proposed $14 billion auto bailout bill last night, stymied by debates over cuts in pay and benefits by the United Automobile Workers union in 2009. The White House is already looking for other sources for funding. — Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal

Jackson Supporters Sought Cash for Blago » A businessman and an aide to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich told attendees at a Halloween Day meeting that they needed to raise money for the governor to ensure the appointment of Sen. Jesse Jackson Jr. to the Senate. — Chicago Tribune

Obama Pledges Transparency in Blago Probe » President-elect Barack Obama yesterday pledged to disclose any interaction between his transition team and the office of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was charged with in a federal bribery and conspiracy case this week. Obama had worked to distance himself from Blagojevich before he was arrested. — New York Times, Washington Post

New Rules for Federal Contracts » Starting today, all federal contractors on deals lasting four months or more and worth $5 million or more (including those outside the U.S. and those providing commercial items) must blow the whistle on criminal violations or overcharging. — Washington Post

Senators Blame Rumsfeld For Detainee Abuse » A bipartisan panel of senators has found that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other top Bush administration officials are responsible for the harsh treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and that their decisions led to more serious abuses in Iraq and elsewhere. — Washington Post

New Rule Expands Criminal DNA Collection » Immigration and civil liberties groups are condemning a new federal government policy to collect DNA samples from all noncitizens detained by authorities and all people arrested for federal crimes. — Washington Post

Defense Dept. May Have 'Merged' PR and Propaganda » The Pentagon's inspector general said yesterday that the Defense Department's public affairs office may have "inappropriately" merged public affairs and propaganda operations in 2007 and 2008 when it contracted out $1 million in work for a strategic communications plan for use by the military in collaboration with the State Department. — Washington Post

Former President of Taiwan Indicted » Taiwanese prosecutors indicted former President Chen Shui-bian on graft charges Friday, a stunning blow for a man who rode to power 8 1/2 years ago on promises to reform the island's corrupt political culture. — Associated Press

Where Are All the Acorns? » Up and down the East Coast, residents and naturalists alike have been scratching their heads this autumn over a simple question: Where are all the acorns? — CNN

After the jump...

Best of the Rest

» Rangel: Ethics probe can meet deadline (The Hill)
» Number of Children Immunized Has Been Inflated for Years (WaPo)
» Evangelical Leader Quits Over Gay Union Remark (WaPo)
» Prominent Trader Accused of Defrauding Clients (NYT)
» Lawyer Charged With Huge Fraud Is Denied Bail (NYT)
» Tracking U.S. Weapons in Afghanistan (Center for Public Integrity)
» Offices of Pakistani Charity Shuttered (WaPo)
» Pakistani Town Roiled By Tie to Mumbai Case (WaPo)
» Ukraine and Poland Face Questions on 2012 Soccer Tournament (NYT)