Spies' Dragnet Reaches a Playing Field of Elves and Trolls  —  Not limiting their activities to the earthly realm, American and British spies have infiltrated the fantasy worlds of World of Warcraft and Second Life, conducting surveillance and scooping up data in the online games played …

On Health Exchanges, Premiums May Be Low, but Other Costs Can Be High  —  WASHINGTON — For months, the Obama administration has heralded the low premiums of medical insurance policies on sale in the insurance exchanges created by the new health law.  But as consumers dig into the details …

How Adam Lanza Wrecked Obama's Second Term  —  Don't blame the catastrophic health care rollout for the president's woes.  The Sandy Hook shooting is the real reason things went amok.  —  There are plenty of reasons this is the lowest point of Barack Obama's presidency.

The Top Ten Finalists for Person of the Year in 2013  —  Here are the final ten contenders for TIME's Person of the Year (listed alphabetically): Bashar Assad, President of Syria Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder Ted Cruz, Texas Senator Miley Cyrus, Singer Pope Francis, Leader of the Catholic Church Barack Obama …

Limited Support for Iran Nuclear Agreement  —  Iran's Leaders Seen as ‘Not Serious’ in Addressing Nuclear Concerns  —  The public is reacting skeptically to last month's multilateral agreement aimed at freezing parts of Iran's nuclear program.  Overall, more disapprove than approve of the deal …

Whose sarin?  —  Barack Obama did not tell the whole story this autumn when he tried to make the case that Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the chemical weapons attack near Damascus on 21 August.  In some instances, he omitted important intelligence, and in others he presented assumptions as facts.

RIA Novosti to Be Liquidated in State-Owned Media Overhaul  —  The Kremlin announced Monday the dissolution of RIA Novosti, the country's major state-run news agency, amid a significant reorganization of state-owned media assets.  —  News agency RIA Novosti and the state-owned Voice …

Kentucky Man Sets Gun On Toilet Paper Dispenser While Using Restroom, Gun Goes Off  —  A Kentucky man just needed a place to set his gun while he relieved himself in a restaurant restroom on Sunday, but the toilet paper dispenser may not have been the best choice.

Israeli Top Leaders Not Attending Mandela Funeral  —  JERUSALEM — Neither Israel's prime minister nor president will attend South Africa's commemorations of the late Nelson Mandela this week, officials said, a notable absence at events expected to draw more than 70 world leaders.

Can Democrats Make 2014 About the Minimum Wage?  —  Shifting away from Obamacare is smart politics, but it won't be easy to lure GOP voters with a low-wages argument.  —  A prominent liberal think tank dubbed it a “political goldmine.”  The New Republic called it “the issue that could take down Mitch McConnell.”

There's Now A Coloring Book To Teach Your Children To Love Ted Cruz  —  Are you a new parent terrified that the liberal media will turn your child into an Obama supporter?  Or do you just need something to entertain your kids during those long drives to Tea Party rallies?

Sarah Palin Joins Sportsman Channel as Host of Original Series “Amazing America with Sarah Palin”  —  Cultural, Political and Media Force, Palin Returns to Unscripted Television as Sportsman Channel's “First Lady of the Outdoors”  —  New Berlin, WI (December 9 2013) Former U.S. vice presidential candidate …

Graham denies employer contribution  —  Add one more lawmaker to the list of those giving up employer contributions to their Obamacare coverage.  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement Monday that he would decline the contribution and join the South Carolina health care exchange set up under the Affordable Care Act.

Americans Discover They're Trapped In GOP's Medicaid Expansion Gap  —  With HealthCare.gov working better and the first deadline to sign up for health coverage that starts in January approaching, Obamacare's so-called navigators — the people and organizations receiving federal funds to help people enroll …

The Punishment Cure  —  Six years have passed since the United States economy entered the Great Recession, four and a half since it officially began to recover, but long-term unemployment remains disastrously high.  And Republicans have a theory about why this is happening.

Obama Faces Backlash Over New Corporate Powers In Secret Trade Deal  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration appears to have almost no international support for controversial new trade standards that would grant radical new political powers to corporations, increase the cost of prescription medications …

Finally, Some Films That Don't Make the 1960s Look So Groovy  —  While it's likely entirely coincidental, it's nevertheless fitting that the Coen brothers' latest movie, Inside Llewyn Davis, has its initial release on December 6.  That was the day of the Altamont music festival in 1969 …

Budget deal expected this week amounts to a cease-fire as sides move to avert a standoff  —  House and Senate negotiators were putting the finishing touches Sunday on what would be the first successful budget accord since 2011, when the battle over a soaring national debt first paralyzed Washington.