memeorandum: Should People Be Forced to Buy Liability Insurance for their Guns? (Megan McArdle/Asymmetrical Information)

2:10 PM ET, December 29, 2012

Top Items:

Fiscal Cliff Deal Not Reached, Leaders Agree To Continue Talks … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Harry Reid , John Boehner, Barack Obama , Barack Obama , Video, 2012 Fiscal Cliff, Harry Reid Fiscal Cliff, US Fiscal Cliff, Boehner Fiscal Cliff, Fiscal Cliff, Fiscal Cliff 2012, Fiscal Cliff Deal …

Discussion: Addicting Info, The New Republic and The Daily Caller

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Leading proponent of filibuster reform claims he has 51 votes — Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), a leading proponent of filibuster reform, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) has the 51 votes he needs to change Senate rules with the “nuclear option.” — The maneuver would be controversial …

Discussion: The Hill, Wonkblog, Talking Points Memo, Booman Tribune and Post Politics

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Obama Gives Republicans A Tough Ultimatum On Taxes

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes' and Washington Monthly

Talking Points Memo:
Obama To Congress: Come To A Deal - Or Else

Discussion: his vorpal sword, PERRspectives, Balloon Juice, CANNONFIRE and Wonkblog

Brett Taylor / Twitchy:
Dude, where's Nancy Pelosi's car? Minority leader appears lost in parking lot

Discussion: Associated Press and Right Wing News

Bloomberg:

French Court Says 75% Tax Rate on Rich Is Unconstitutional — President Francois Hollande's 75 percent millionaire-tax is unconstitutional because it fails to guarantee taxpayer equality, France's top court ruled today. — The tax, one of Hollande's campaign promises …

Reuters:

French court rejects 75 percent millionaires' tax — (Reuters) - France's Constitutional Council on Saturday rejected a 75 percent upper income tax rate to be introduced in 2013 in a setback to Socialist President Francois Hollande's push to make the rich contribute more to cutting the public deficit.

Discussion: Sister Toldjah and Althouse

BBC:

French 75% income tax struck down by constitutional council — Francois Hollande has favoured tax rises over spending cuts to tackle France's deficit — France's constitutional council has overturned a top income tax rate of 75% introduced by Socialist President Francois Hollande.

Discussion: National Review and Outside the Beltway

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Nation running out of ammo — Reaction to threats by Senator Dianne Feinstein and others to ban certain weapons and serverely restrict ownership of guns generally has caused a run on gun stores, as is widely reported. — Less reported is the run on ammunition, leaving ammunition inventories down 93% since election day.

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', protein wisdom, Traction Control and Booman Tribune

Joe Weisenthal / Business Insider:

There's Only One Way To Fix The Deficit — And Actually It's Totally Painless — People who insist that the US has a gigantic “spending problem” are ignorant of what really drives the deficit and the national debt, as Henry Blodget easily demonstrated in a series of charts.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Paul Krugman

Noreen O'Donnell / Reuters:

New York newspaper to list more gun permit holders after uproar — Reuters/Reuters - A small portion of guns that were turned in by their owners are stacked inside a truck at a gun buyback held by the Los Angeles Police Department in Los Angeles, California, December 26, 2012 ...more

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', Weasel Zippers, Jammie Wearing Fools, The Gateway Pundit and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, more at Mediagazer »

Jerusalem Post:

Egypt to pursue relationship with Hezbollah — In shift from Mubarak-era policy, Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon says Brotherhood-dominated Egypt will engage terror group. — In a dramatic policy shift, Egypt will seek to forge “tight” relations with Hezbollah, Egyptian Ambassador …

Discussion: Israel Matzav

Megan McArdle / Asymmetrical Information:

Should People Be Forced to Buy Liability Insurance for their Guns? — The latest gun-control idea is forcing owners to buy liability insurance. That may help a few victims, but it won't stop crime, writes Megan McArdle. — Novel gun control ideas continue to percolate through the commentariat.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Hot Air, The Reality-Based Community, Wonkblog, National Review, neo-neocon and Instapundit

PR Newswire:

ASPCA Pays $9.3 Million in Landmark Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Settlement — Feld Entertainment RICO Lawsuit Will Continue against the Humane Society of the United States, the lawyers, and other remaining defendants — Feld Entertainment, Inc., the producer of Ringling Bros …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, American Spectator and Overlawyered

Michael Medved / The Daily Beast:

The Liberal God Delusion — Our government has been hijacked by a party obsessed with a higher power. But I'm not talking about the GOP. I'm talking about the left and their worship of government. — As Washington staggers into a new year, one side of the political spectrum polarizes …

Discussion: Washington Monthly