Battleground Poll: Hike taxes on rich  —  An American appetite for tax hikes gives President Barack Obama leverage in fiscal cliff negotiations.  —  A new POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground Poll finds that 60 percent of respondents support raising taxes on households that earn …

Intelligence community: U.S. out as sole superpower by 2030  —  A new report by the intelligence community projects that the United States will no longer be the world's only superpower by 2030.  —  “In terms of the indices of overall power - GDP, population size, military spending …

The moment Obama shook hands with the rapper who sang ‘kill those f****** Yankees’: Outrage as Gangnam sensation Psy performs for President at charity concert  —  President Barack Obama has been pictured shaking hands with a South Korean rapper who sang about wanting to kill American soldiers.

Police concerned with Apple iOS 6 mapping system  —  Mildura Police are urging motorists to be careful when relying on the mapping system on the Apple i-phones operating on the iOS 6 system after a number of motorists were directed off the beaten track in recent weeks.

Boehner's Biggest Threat  —  Should a debt deal go sour, the buzz is that Tom Price, a 58-year-old physician from Georgia, may challenge John Boehner for the speaker's gavel.  —  “Price is the person we're all watching,” says an aide close to House leadership.  “We know he's frustrated, but we don't know much else.”

Robots and Robber Barons  —  The American economy is still, by most measures, deeply depressed.  But corporate profits are at a record high.  How is that possible?  It's simple: profits have surged as a share of national income, while wages and other labor compensation are down.

Colbert tops SC voters' Senate wish list  —  Nikki Haley is one of the most unpopular Governors in the country.  Only 42% of voters approve of the job she's doing to 49% who disapprove.  Out of 43 sitting Governors PPP has polled on, that ranks her 35th in popularity.

Obama Expected To Weigh In On Michigan Right-To-Work Battle In Detroit Speech … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Barack Obama , Barack Obama , Video, Barack Obama Michigan, Governor Rick Snyder, Obama Michigan, Obama Right To Work, Rick Snyder, Rick Snyder Right To Work, Michigan, Michigan Right To Work …

Lindsey Graham: Debt Ceiling Will Force Obama To Man Up On Medicare Cuts  —  On Monday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) conceded that Congress will find new revenues to avert the tax increases that are part of the so-called fiscal cliff in January, but predicted that Republicans won't raise …

U.S. Navy SEAL killed in operation to rescue American doctor in Afghanistan  —  Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — An elite U.S. special forces team rescued an American doctor who had been abducted in Afghanistan, but lost one of their own members in the mission, officials said.

As a watchdog, she spoke out.  But in the Senate, the establishment critic is showing restraint.  —  Elizabeth Warren is resigning the tenured post at Harvard Law School that took her 30 years to achieve.  She has met privately with her former opponent, Scott Brown, who addressed her as professor instead of senator-elect.

The Nonsense About a Demographic Crisis  —  One of themes that recurs endlessly in news coverage is that the United States and other countries face a disastrous threat to their living standards as a result of a falling ratio of workers to retirees.  This is one that can be easily dismissed with some simple arithmetic.

READ THE BILLS:  —  The Michigan Nurses Association announced a 10:30 a.m. demonstration at which some of its members will appear on the Capitol steps with duct tape over their mouths.  —  “This politically motivated legislation will only give corporations and CEOs more power to silence workers …

Newark Mayor Booker: Gov. Christie is ‘vulnerable’  —  The high-profile Democrat aspires to statewide office.  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  9:40AM EST December 10.  2012 - Newark Mayor Cory Booker says he'll decide in two weeks whether he'll run for New Jersey governor or U.S. Senate.

Americans Want Federal Gov't Out of State Marijuana Laws  —  Overall support for legalizing marijuana use is split  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Sixty-four percent of Americans are against the federal government's taking steps to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states where marijuana is legal.

NY Gov. Cuomo mum on supporting Hillary Clinton presidential bid  —  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) refused to say Monday if he would support Secretary of State Hillary Clinton if she decided to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.  —  “There's a long way away,” …