The GOP's Medicare confusion  —  The austerity crisis talks have hit a peculiar impasse.  The problem isn't, as most analysts expected, taxes, where Republicans seem increasingly resigned to new revenue.  It's Medicare.  And the particular Medicare problem isn't that Democrats are refusing the GOP's proposed Medicare cuts.

‘Disappointed’ Boehner calls on Obama to get serious on spending in deficit talks  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Thursday there had been “no substantive progress” in fiscal-cliff negotiations in the two weeks since congressional leaders met with President Obama.

At Lunch, Romney Congratulates Obama on Win  —  The White House issued this statement after President Barack Obama's lunch with former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney:  —  This afternoon, President Obama and Governor Romney visited for an hour over lunch in the Private Dining Room adjacent to the Oval Office.

In rare strike, NYC fast-food workers walk out  —  After a Black Friday action at Wal-Mart, NYC fast-food workers walk out, challenging a nearly union-free industry  —  At 6:30 this morning, New York City fast food workers walked off the job, launching a rare strike against a nearly union-free industry.