Romney at Bain: Big Gains, Some Busts  —  Mitt Romney's political foes are stepping up attacks based on his time running investment firm Bain Capital, tagging him with making a fortune from the rougher side of American capitalism—even as Mr. Romney says his Bain tenure shows he knows how to build businesses.

‘I like being able to fire people’  —  Mitt Romney's detractors in both parties are eager to point out one of the more glaring problems with the former governor's background: he's put thousands of Americans out of work.  —  And with that push in mind, Romney's critics could hardly believe …

William Daley to step down as Obama's chief of staff  —  White House Chief of Staff William Daley, left, confers with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney as President Barack Obama addresses the media in the briefing room of the White Hous.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images / December 8, 2011)

Todd Palin Endorses Newt Gingrich  —  ABC News' Santina Leuci and Z. Byron Wolf report:  —  Sarah Palin's husband is endorsing Newt Gingrich for president, Todd Palin told ABC News today.  —  But Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and John McCain's 2008 Republican running mate …

Gayest Cities in America, 2012  —  It's no secret that megalopolises New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles have robust LGBT life — and we've even heard tell of little queer hoods like the Castro and P-Town.  This isn't that list.  —  There's the official census with information …

Record-High 40% of Americans Identify as Independents in '11  —  More Americans identify as Democrats than as Republicans, 31% to 27%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The percentage of Americans identifying as political independents increased in 2011, as is common in a non-election year …

Supreme Court grapples with messy Texas redistricting case  —  The Supreme Court justices grappled to find a way to resolve a messy Texas redistricting case during oral arguments Monday morning, presenting then knocking down a variety of small-bore solutions to reach an interim map for Texas's congressional and state-level elections.

Media mob chases Ron Paul from campaign stop in New Hampshire  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — A campaign stop at a New Hampshire eatery unraveled into a bit of a circus when the media scrum chasing Ron Paul apparently became too much for the 76-year-old Texas congressman to handle.

Suspected Islamic Extremist Arrested in Alleged Florida Bomb Plot  —  URGENT: A 25-year-old man described as an Islamic extremist was arrested in an alleged plot to attack crowded areas in the Tampa, Fla., area with a car bomb, assault rifle and other explosives, authorities said Monday.

Snoop Dogg Wants to Get High With President Obama and Convince Him to Legalize Weed  —  As always, Snoop Dogg has an innovative approach to getting things done.  He told Hot 99.5's Toby Knapp that he would convince President Obama to change the drug laws by first getting him nice and relaxed...

STATE OF THE UNION  — BOOKS - MOVIES - ART - MUSIC - THE BOOK BENCH - PHOTO BOOTH - PETER SCHJELDAHL ON ART - TABLES FOR TWO - TABLE OF CONTENTS

Carbon emissions ‘will defer Ice Age’  —  The climate, if not species, of an Ice Age “ought” to return within 1,500 years  —  Human emissions of carbon dioxide will defer the next Ice Age, say scientists.  —  The last Ice Age ended about 11,500 years ago, and when the next one should begin has not been entirely clear.

Merkel, Sarkozy press for quick Greek solution  —  (Reuters) - Germany and France warned Greece on Monday it will get no more bailout funds until it agrees with creditor banks on a bond swap and pressed for an early deal to avert a potential default in the euro zone's most debt-stricken nation.

Mitt Romney Campaign Disavows Pro-Gay Rights Flyer From 2002 … GOP Debate , Mitt Romney , Republican Debate , Video , New Hampshire Primary , Romney Gay Rights , Romney New Hampshire , Mitt Romney 2012 , New Hampshire Primary 2012 , New Hampshire Romney , Social Issues , Politics News