Morning Buzz: Nov. 2, 2007

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Turkey today and assured Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan that the Kurdish rebels threatening the shared border between Turkey and Iraq are a "common threat." She said the United States, Turkey, and Iraq will counter any strikes the Kurdish rebels make in Turkey.

A congressional investigation revealed that Americans, who have faced daunting delays and ruined vacations over new passport regulations, may have been overcharged for those passports as well. Since 2005, a new passport has cost $97 for adults and $82 for children under 16. This is more than it costs to create the passports and cover the clerks' pay for examining passport applications, the investigation showed.

For the first time in 20 years, TV and movie writers may strike, which could first cripple late-night TV shows and then other productions if the strike endures. Members of the Writers Guild of America have left the door open for negotiations.