The GOP's dangerous debt-ceiling gamble  —  The fiscal cliff negotiations have picked up again.  Last week, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner were hardly talking, and neither were their staffs.  This week, Obama and Boehner are speaking often, and, perhaps more importantly, their staffs are speaking constantly.

Lie of the Year: the Romney campaign's ad on Jeeps made in China  —  It was a lie told in the critical state of Ohio in the final days of a close campaign — that Jeep was moving its U.S. production to China.  It originated with a conservative blogger, who twisted an accurate news story into a falsehood.

Union Thugs Demolish Clint Tarver's Iconic Lansing,Michigan Hot Dog Cart [Photo-Donation Link] Update: Thugs Yelled “N*gger Uncle Tom”  —  I support Clint: … Beyond the Cart: The Story of Clint Tarver: … DONATE HERE  —  Update: Racist, violent, destructive monsters.

Breitbart Folks Appear to Fake Violence in Lansing  —  When I saw this video-claiming that a “violent mob” destroyed the tent the Koch brothers had paid for in front of the Michigan Capitol-I knew right away it was likely a false flag.  After all, Stranahan, James O'Keefe's buddy, first posted it.

You have the right to not pay union dues  —  Labor groups should have to convince members that their goods and services are worth the price demanded — and not just take the money and run … The battle between unions and state governments continued this week — just as it has for the last two years …

NORAD acknowledges missile launch  —  PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - North American Aerospace Defense Command officials acknowledged today that U.S. missile warning systems detected and tracked the launch of a North Korean missile at 7:49 p.m. EST. The missile was tracked on a southerly azimuth.

Scientists May Have Finally Unlocked Puzzle of Why People Are Gay  —  Lesbians get it from fathers, gay men from mothers?  —  Scientists may have finally solved the puzzle of what makes a person gay, and how it is passed from parents to their children.  —  A group of scientists suggested Tuesday …

Ravi Shankar obituary  —  Indian virtuoso who took the sitar to the world  —  Ravi Shankar, who has died aged 92 in San Diego, was the Indian maestro who put the sitar on the musical map.  George Harrison called him “the godfather of world music” and it was Shankar's vision that brought …

Obama Wins Almost 50% Republicans on Tax Mandate in Poll  —  President Barack Obama won the public argument over taxes so decisively that almost half of Republicans now say he has an election mandate to raise rates on the rich.  —  Majorities of about 2-to-1 also read the election results …

A third option changes the negotiation  —  The conventional wisdom on the fiscal cliff is that there are two options: (1) an Obama-Boehner deal; or (2) no deal, in which case there is no legislation before the end of the year and we “go off the fiscal cliff.”

Obama Suggests Raising Medicare Eligibility Age Is On The Table In Fiscal Cliff Talks  —  President Obama didn't rule out raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 as part of a comprehensive package to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff,” during an interview with ABC News on Tuesday.

New Army Manual Orders Soldiers Not To Criticize Taliban … Here is a strong indicator that the Obama Administration's crusade to appease Islam has gone too far; a new U.S. military handbook for troops deployed to the Middle East orders soldiers not to make derogatory comments about the Taliban …

Top Executives End Opposition to Higher Taxes  —  A broad swath of the nation's leading chief executives dropped its opposition to tax increases on the wealthiest Americans on Tuesday, while the White House quietly pressed Wall Street titans for their support as well.  —  Multimedia

Eric Holder: Time To Consider National Voting Standards  —  Attorney General Eric Holder said during a speech on Tuesday night at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library that it's time to consider setting national standards for how elections should be handled.

Time and Punishment: Mandatory Sentences Face Growing Skepticism  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Stephanie George and Judge Roger Vinson had quite different opinions about the lockbox seized by the police from her home in Pensacola.  She insisted she had no idea that a former boyfriend had hidden it in her attic.

New marijuana laws cause confusion  —  Laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in Colorado and Washington state have exposed a wide disconnect between Congress, the administration and voters on an increasingly controversial issue.  —  The newly enacted laws put President Obama in a tricky spot …

The fall and rise of Rockaway  —  We are still recovering from superstorm Sandy  —  An American flag stands on a sand hill in the middle of the street on Beach 127th St. as Rockaway residents rebuild and clean their homes from the devastation caused by superstorm Sandy.