Justice Scalia defends comparing laws against homosexuality, murder  —  U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia equated homosexuality and murder on Monday as he argued at a Princeton seminar that elected bodies should be allowed to regulate actions they see as immoral.

Angry with Obama, GOP threatens political war next year  —  Washington (CNN) — They are losing the battle over higher taxes on the wealthy, so now Republicans are threatening a political war next year when it comes time to raise the nation's debt ceiling.  —  With cracks appearing …

Two Cheers for Zero Dark Thirty's Torture Scenes  —  One scene features a bloodied, disoriented and humiliated man is strapped to a wall with his pants around his ankles.  A second scene depicts the same man having liquid forcibly poured down his throat; later, he's shoved into a box that could barely hold your stereo.

Fox News Says Workers Who Don't Like Michigan's Anti-Union Bill ‘Can Get A Job Elsewhere’  —  On Tuesday, Fox News threw its weight behind Michigan's effort to allow union members to opt out of paying union dues, while benefiting from union contracts though so-called “right-to-work” legislation.

First on CNN: Haley finalizes short list for DeMint seat  —  Washington (CNN) - South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has whittled down the list of people she is considering for Jim DeMint's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat to five people, a Republican close to the governor told CNN on Tuesday.

NO SHOTS FIRED: STATE DEPT BENGHAZI SECURITY FORCE UNARMED  —  A source with personal knowledge of the security situation in Benghazi told Breitbart News that Senators who listened to closed door testimony about the Benghazi attack were shocked to learn State Department security personnel agents were not immediately armed.

‘Dr. No’ of Senate says ‘yes’ to taxes  —  The Oklahoma senator and obstetrician known as “Dr. No” has taken on the most unlikely of roles: getting Republicans to say “yes” to tax hikes.  —  Tom Coburn, who has blocked dozens of bills, infuriated Democratic leaders and been on the lopsided end …

Only 7% of Detroit Public-School 8th Graders Proficient in Reading  —  (CNSNews.com) - In the public schools in Detroit, Mich., according to the U.S. Department of Education, only 7 percent of the eighth graders are grade-level proficient or better in reading.

INFOGRAPHIC: We Could End Homelessness With The Money Americans Spend On Christmas Decorations  —  The latest annual report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that the national homeless population held steady from 2011 to 2012, hardly good news but perhaps better …

Panel Recommends that Maine Prosecutor be Suspended … Assistant Hancock County District Attorney Mary Kellett is being recommended for suspension by a panel of the Maine Board of Bar Overseers.  Created by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, the board governs the conduct of lawyers.

In Talks, House Majority Weighs Loyalty to Voters  —  WASHINGTON — As their leaders inch toward agreeing to higher tax rates, dozens of House Republicans find themselves caught between the will of a larger American public that favors higher taxes on the rich and the wishes of constituents …

Crafting a boom economy  —  Behind the Curtain: About this weekly feature  —  Behind the Curtain is a reported column, Web show and online conversation about the behind-the-scenes intrigue that shapes politics and policy.  It will unfold every Tuesday (and beyond, when news dictates).

A Resistance Movement Rises Against ObamaCare  —  This article appears in the December 24, 2012 issue of Forbes.  —  (Photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com)  —  ObamaCare may be the law, but a major resistance movement has already sprouted across the U.S. Though approval …

Treasury Earns $7.6 Billion From Sale of Last Shares in A.I.G.  —  The Treasury Department said on Tuesday that it has sold off its remaining stake in the American International Group, reaping about $7.6 billion from the sale.  —  The government sold the 234.2 million shares at $32.50 each …

N.J. Sen. Barbara Buono is first Democrat to challenge Christie for governor  —  TRENTON — State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) has officially announced she is running for governor, making her the first Democrat to challenge Gov. Chris Christie.  —  “It's time for a leader in Trenton …

University of Texas professor claims black students are failing because they are raised by poor single women  — Law professor Lino Graglia has previously accused black culture of ‘setting children up for failure’  —  A professor at the University of Texas has sparked outrage by claiming black …

THE VOICES MISSING FROM THE SAFETY NET DEBATE  —  Something there is about the Supplemental Security Income Program of the Social Security Administration that seems to drive putative liberals to embrace their inner DeMint.  Years ago, when Bill Clinton was in the White House and Newt Gingrich …

Pentagon Says Afghan Forces Still Need Assistance  —  WASHINGTON — As President Obama considers how quickly to withdraw the remaining 68,000 American troops in Afghanistan and turn over the war to Afghan security forces, a bleak new Pentagon report has found that only one of the Afghan …

George Zimmerman case: Hearing today on GPS, evidence motions  —  Zimmerman, charged with murder in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, wants to be let off GPS monitoring.  —  George Zimmerman, left, arrives at the Seminole County courthouse for a hearing, Tuesday, December 11, 2012.