Responding to Jon Chait on the Suddenly Possible Idea of Raising the Medicare Eligibility Age  —  So my old college pal Jon Chait (I promise before the end of my time here to pull out the parody my college humor magazine did of his column in the Michigan Daily) has responded to my criticism …

How the Mainstream Press Bungled the Single Biggest Story of the 2012 Campaign … Elections 2012 , Thomas Mann , Elite Political Press , Fact Checking , Lies , Msm , Norman Ornstein , Political Coverage , Media News  —  Post-mortems of contemporary election coverage typically include regrets …

Sanders: GOP Senate obstructionism ‘undemocratic’ and ‘unAmerican’  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) slammed Republican obstructionism in the Senate as “undemocratic” and “unAmerican” and urged filibuster reform after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked his own bill earlier this week.

Obama Team Outlines Donor Packages for Inauguration  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama's finance team is offering corporations and other institutions that contribute $1 million exclusive access to an array of inaugural festivities, including tickets to a “benefactors reception,” a children's concert …

Mayan apocalypse: panic spreads as December 21 nears  —  Fears that the end of the world is nigh have spread across the world with only days until the end of the Mayan calendar, with doomsday-mongers predicting a cataclysmic end to the history of Earth.  —  Cubans participate in a Mayan ritual at Bacuranao beach in eastern Havana.

Gay Activists Weigh Possibilities of Marriage Ruling  —  LOS ANGELES — Within moments of the announcement on Friday that the Supreme Court would hear two cases relating to same-sex marriage, gay activists rejoiced, heralding the decision as a major advancement for their movement.

California state revenues 10.8% below budget projections in November  —  The following information was released by the California Controller.  —  State Controller John Chiang today released his monthly report covering California's cash balance, receipts and disbursements in November 2012 …

Mobster uses mass-mailed letters from Obama, other politicians in bid for leniency  —  This mobster is the scam artist-in-chief.  —  A longtime Gambino crime-family associate tried to convince a judge he's politically connected to avoid a harsh sentence — claiming a mass-mailing …

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Congress Must Extend the Middle Class Tax Cuts  —  WASHINGTON, DC— In this week's address, President Obama urged Congress to extend the middle class income tax cuts for 98% of Americans and 97% of small businesses without delay, and made clear that a balanced approach …

How close did Israel just come to its own Cuban missile crisis?  —  Nov. 17, 2012: Explosion and smoke rise following an Israeli strike in Gaza, seen from the Israel Gaza Border, southern Israel.AP  —  HAIFA, ISRAEL - Hundreds of Iranian-made, long-range missiles already smuggled …

National Rifle Association: More Guns Could Have Saved Javon Belcher's Girlfriend … NBC sports anchor Bob Costas believes that Kasandra Perkins' life could have been saved had her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker Javon Belcher, not had access to a firearm.

Morsi Extends Compromise to Egyptian Opposition  —  CAIRO — Struggling to quell protests and violence that have threatened to derail a vote on an Islamist-backed draft constitution, President Mohamed Morsi moved Saturday to appease his opponents with a package of concessions just hours …