Morning Buzz: Jan. 10, 2008

After disappointing showings in both Iowa and New Hampshire, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has decided to end his presidential bid. Two anonymous sources told the Associated Press that Richardson will most likely announce his decision today.

On the Barack Obama front, John Kerry is endorsing his fellow senator. Another Obama endorsement will come today from the 60,000-member-strong Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas, injecting a jolt of energy into the senator's campaign after his second-place finish in New Hampshire. Nevada will hold its Democratic presidential caucus on January 19. The union, which is heavily Hispanic, is a key political entity in the state.

Signaling a shift in U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, military officials have announced that the Pentagon will send at least 3,000 additional marines to southern Afghanistan in April for a "one-time, seven-month deployment." Officials say the increase in American presence there reflects both the hesitance of NATO allies to provide troops to the region and the aggressive resistance of the country's re-energized Taliban insurgency.