Let's Not Make a Deal  —  Back in 2001, former President George W. Bush pulled a fast one.  He wanted to enact an irresponsible tax cut, largely for the benefit of the wealthiest Americans.  But there were Senate rules in place designed to prevent that kind of irresponsibility.

List of facilities ‘vital to US security’ leaked  —  Ningbo port in south-eastern China, one of the facilities on the US list  —  A long list of key facilities around the world that the US describes as vital to its national security has been released by Wikileaks.

After censure, Rangel faces new ethics probe  —  Censured Rep. Charles Rangel is not in the clear yet when it comes to his ethics problems: he faces a Federal Election Commission (FEC) probe into alleged misuse of campaign funds for his legal defense.  —  The FEC, according to the New York Post …

BERNANKE: Growing Inequality Is Destroying America  —  Ben Bernanke addressed the country's growing wealth-and-income inequality in his 60 Minutes interview.  —  He's not a fan.  —  Here's Sewell Chan in the NYT:  —  When asked about rising inequality in the United States …

Mike Huckabee wants some respect  —  Dial down the deafening Sarah Palin buzz for just a moment: The most consequential decision in the 2012 Republican presidential sweepstakes could be whether Mike Huckabee decides to run again - and associates say the former Arkansas governor may well take the plunge.

Dems aim for 100+ bills in 1 swoop  —  Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Environment and Public Worls Committee has threatened to block swift approval of a land and water omnibus bill if it includes, for example, the version of the Chesapeake Bay protection bill that passed …

Saudi women's veil versus modernity  —  Husband has not seen wife's face despite 10 years of marriage  —  After nearly 10 years of marriage that produced five children, Mufleh Mohammed of Saudi Arabia still has not seen his wife's face.  —  Mohammed Hilal, another Saudi husband …

Rulings set on Wal-Mart, warming (UPDATED to 11:29 a.m.)  —  The Supreme Court stepped into two major controversies on Monday, agreeing to sort out when a class-action lawsuit may be filed when employees are seeking back pay for alleged workplace discrimination, and to clarify whether companies claimed …

What I've Learned  —  We can't keep politics out of school reform.  Why I'm launching a national movement to transform education.  —  Former Washington, D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee says she's not done fighting.  —  After my boss, Washington, D.C., mayor Adrian Fenty, lost his primary in September, I was stunned.

Short goodnight expected for the DREAM Act during lame duck  —  The DREAM Act — a priority of Democrats in both Congress and the White House — faces a difficult future in the lame duck.  —  Even as Democrats in both chambers prepare to consider the measure this week …

The Fed Has a $110 Billion Problem with New Benjamins  —  A significant production problem with new high-tech $100 bills has caused government printers to shut down production of the new notes and to quarantine more than one billion of the bills in huge vaults in Fort Worth, Texas and Washington, DC, CNBC has learned.

Unusual methods helped ICE break deportation record, e-mails and interviews show  —  For much of this year, the Obama administration touted its tougher-than-ever approach to immigration enforcement, culminating in a record number of deportations.  —  But in reaching 392,862 deportations …

David Frum, Speech Policeman  —  Last week, the distinguished liberal thinker and activist William Galston, along with an equally distinguished conservative counterpart, David Frum, announced in the Washington Post the forthcoming founding of a new organization called “No Labels.”