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.

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 …

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.

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 …

Barbarians at the Gates of Sandy Hook  —  Popular culture has made murder, rape, mayhem, hatred, and violence “cool”  —  The recent massacre at an elementary school in Connecticut (the ironically named Sandy Hook - it's been a bad year for anything named Sandy) has, predictably …

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.).

Assault weapons in the cross hairs  —  Congress should re-enact the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and repeal a law protecting gun manufacturers from civil liability.  —  The National Law JournalSeptember 17, 2012  —  Imagine a product that serves no purpose but to kill people and each year causes many deaths.

Austin Gun Store Owner Offers Teachers A Discount  —  AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) - An Austin-area gun store owner is joining the gun rights debate with a controversial offer for teachers in light of the tragic shooting in Connecticut.  —  Crocket Keller of Kellers Riverside Gun Store says if educators …

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 …

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 …

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.

County Police Chief Recommends Arming School Personnel  —  St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch  —  ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOX) - St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says it is time to talk about arming civilian school personnel following Friday's massacre in Newtown, Connecticut …

I'm Gay: The 50 Most Powerful Coming Outs of 2012  —  “The fact is, I'm gay.”  Anderson Cooper's long-awaited announcement sums what it meant to come out in 2012.  Again and again we heard the same sentiment — from pop singer Mika's equally anticipated confirmation, “If you ask me am I gay …

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.