Morning Buzz: Dec. 12, 2007

Former track star Marion Jones has now become just the fourth American in history to be stripped of Olympic hardware by the International Olympic Committee. Today, the IOC formally revoked Jones's claims to the five medals—three gold and two bronze—that she won during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Earlier this year, Jones admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during her peak athletic years.

Palestinian and Israeli officials met in Jerusalem today to resume formal peace talks that have been stalled for nearly seven years. Early reports indicate that the opening session presaged significant disagreement on important issues, including an Israeli construction project in east Jerusalem. One official characterized the atmosphere as "tense."

A fatal attack on one of Lebanon's top military generals has thrown the country's fragile political situation into peril. Brig. Gen. Francois Hajj, who gained the enmity of Islamic militants this summer after leading a military campaign against them, was killed by a car bomb in Beirut.