Republican “Doomsday Plan” Allows Tax Increase, Uses Debt Limit For Future Leverage  —  Under “Doomsay Scenario,” Republicans vote “present” en masse so they don't take ownership of tax increase  —  Jonathan Karl has early notice of a potential “doomsday” plan devised by Republicans:

Criticized as Weak in Past Talks, Obama Takes Harder Line  —  WASHINGTON — Amid demands from Republicans that President Obama propose detailed new spending cuts to avert the year-end fiscal crisis, his answer boils down to this: you first.  —  Mr. Obama, scarred by failed negotiations …

Sheldon Adelson Spent Far More On Campaign Than Previously Known … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Elections 2012, John Boehner, Mitt Romney, Campaign Finance, Elections 2012, Newt Gingrich, Video, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Las Vegas Sands, Sheldon Adelson, Fcpa, Mitt Romney 2012, Sands Casino …

The Big Budget Mumble  —  In the ongoing battle of the budget, President Obama has done something very cruel.  Declaring that this time he won't negotiate with himself, he has refused to lay out a proposal reflecting what he thinks Republicans want.  Instead, he has demanded that Republicans themselves say, explicitly, what they want.

Prince William and Kate expecting a baby  —  Catherine and William were married at Westminster Abbey in April 2011  —  The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby, St James's Palace has announced.  —  Members of the royal family and the duchess's family, the Middletons, are said to be delighted.

Congress Retains Low Honesty Rating  —  Nurses have highest honesty rating; car salespeople, lowest  —  PRINCETON, NJ — As Congress remains involved in protracted negotiations over the pending “fiscal cliff” that could disrupt the nation's economy if not addressed by Jan. 1 …

New York Times Seeks Buyouts From 30 in Newsroom  —  Aiming to cut costs in an increasingly troubled advertising environment, The New York Times announced on Monday morning that it would offer buyout packages to newsroom employees.  While the primary goal of the buyout program is to trim managers …

Homeless Man Is Grateful for Officer's Gift of Boots.  But He Again Is Barefoot.  —  After Officer Lawrence DePrimo knelt beside a barefoot man on a bitterly cold November night in Times Square, giving him a pair of boots, a photo of his random act of good will quickly took on a life of its own …

In KC, it's no time for a game  —  KANSAS CITY, MO.  —  Football is embarrassingly tone deaf.  —  Jovan Belcher, a starting linebacker for the Chiefs, murdered the mother of his child shortly before 8 a.m. Saturday.  He hopped in his car, drove to the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility …

OBAMA TO REAPPOINT REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ AS DNC CHAIR — Congress may return after Christmas — Sen. Marco Rubio, Bob Woodward headline Playbook Breakfast on Wed.  —  EXCLUSIVE - A senior Democratic official: “Because of the outstanding job she has done, the President will ask the members …

Again, no gay marriage orders (UPDATED)  —  The Supreme Court on Monday released additional orders from its Friday Conference, but the list did not show any action on the ten cases dealing with the same-sex marriage issue.  UPDATED: The Court later Monday morning posted on its electronic docket …

Hillary is Running: A Dispatch from the Saban Forum  —  Hillary Clinton is running for President.  And the Israeli political class is a full-blown train wreck.  These are two conclusions, for whatever they are worth, based on a three-day conference I attended this weekend at the annual Saban Forum, in Washington, D.C.

Vatican discloses Pope's Twitter handle: @pontifex … VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - It's official.  Pope Benedict's handle on Twitter will be @pontifex.  —  He already has 1.2 billion “followers” in the standard sense of the word but next week he will have another type when he enters …

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson to resign from House for trade group job  —  Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) will retire from the House in February of next year, cutting her tenure short to become president and CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.  —  Emerson said in a statement released …

News Corp. Shutters The Daily iPad App  —  The Daily, News Corp.'s attempt to create a newspaper for the iPad era, is shutting down after less than two years.  —  The media giant, which also owns this Web site, said it will “cease standalone publication” of the app on Dec. 15.