Pro-gun Sen. Joe Manchin: Time to act  —  West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin — who has an “A” rating from the NRA and is a lifetime member of the pro-gun rights group — said Monday that it was time to “move beyond rhetoric” on gun control.  —  “I just came with my family from deer hunting,” Manchin said on MSNBC's “Morning Joe.”

A ‘fiscal cliff’ deal is near: Here are the details  —  All at once, a “fiscal cliff” deal seems to be coming together.  Speaker John Boehner's latest offer doesn't go quite far enough for the White House to agree, but it goes far enough that many think they can see the agreement taking shape.

Statement on the Passing of Senator Daniel K. Inouye  —  United States Senator Daniel K. Inouye, World War II veteran, Medal of Honor recipient and Hawaii's senior Senator, passed away from respiratory complications at 5:01 p.m. Eastern Standard Time today at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Tim Scott to Be Named for South Carolina Senate Seat, Republicans Say  —  Updated Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina has chosen Representative Tim Scott to replace Jim DeMint in the United States Senate, according to three Republican officials.  The move will make Mr. Scott the first black senator …

Tea Party Group Blames Connecticut Shooting On Teachers, Unions, And Sex  —  In a lengthy screed that's essentially a round-up of every major cultural and policy grievance the American right holds with the rest of the country, author Timothy Birdnow cited concerns about the mental health …

Joe Scarborough: Newtown Shooting Made ‘Ideologies Of My Past’ On Guns Irrelevant (VIDEO)  —  Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Morning Joe, Morning Joe, Video, Joe Scarborough Gun Control, Joe Scarborough Gun Rights …

Dukakis seen as possible Senate replacement if Kerry tapped for State  —  Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, may be headed back to the political spotlight as he's considered a likely interim replacement for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).

North Alabama player tweets racist Obama comment after speech pre-empted NFL game, now gone from team  —  A North Alabama football player posted a racist tweet about President Barack Obama tonight in response to NBC pre-empting the 49ers-Patriots game on Sunday Night Football to show Obama's speech …

McArdle Wins Worst Newtown Reaction Award  —  In what can only be seen as a malicious plot by Newsweek's editors [Update: this is a long blog post, not a magazine piece] to ensure Megan McArdle's reputation does not outlive Newsweek, the Daily Beast has published a 4,000 word essay by its new hire …

Richard Engel is Missing in Syria; NBC News Enforces News Blackout  —  NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel has gone missing in Syria, according to Turkish news reports.  The reports also say that Aziz Akyava, a Turkish journalist working with Engel, is unaccounted for.

In Town at Ease With Its Firearms, Tightening Gun Rules Was Resisted  —  People in the rural, hilly areas around Newtown, Conn., are used to gunfire.  In one woodsy stretch, southeast of downtown, the Pequot Fish and Game Club and the Fairfield County Fish and Game Protective Association …

The GOP's Electoral College Scheme  —  Swanson Middle School, a polling place in Arlington, VA.  —  Republicans alarmed at the apparent challenges they face in winning the White House are preparing an all-out assault on the Electoral College system in critical states, an initiative …

We're Living the Collapse of Our Culture  —  RUSH: Oh, no, no, no, no. It's very frustrating because we're now immersed in many circumstances and situations where the last thing that anybody wants to hear are facts.  The last thing anybody wants to contemplate is the real truth about something.

Public Divided over What Newtown Signifies  —  Parents Shield Young Children from News Coverage  —  OVERVIEW  —  The shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. on Friday have drawn widespread public interest.  A weekend survey finds that 57% of Americans say they followed news about the tragedy there very closely.

McDonald's to Franchisees: Merry Christmas.  Now Open Your Stores  —  After Thanksgiving Goosed November Numbers, Fast Feeder Urges Franchisees to Fire Up Griddle on Christmas Day  —  When McDonald's stunned analysts last Monday by posting U.S. sales growth of 2.5% in November after a drop …