Obama, Cuban President Raul Castro Shake Hands at Nelson Mandela Memorial  —  President Obama shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro today at a memorial service for the late Nelson Mandela in South Africa.  —  Obama stopped to shake Castro's hand as he was walking to the podium to pay tribute to Mandela.

APNewsBreak: US Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida loses $18M in fraud scheme  —  McLEAN, Va. — U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida lost $18 million in a scheme that cheated him and about 120 other investors out of more than $35 million, according to court papers.  —  The Virginia man who ran the scheme …

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 …

Ex-Clinton Aide Expected to Join Obama  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama, after a rocky year that leaves him at the lowest ebb of his presidency, is bringing into his White House circle the longtime Democratic strategist John D. Podesta, a former chief of staff for President Bill Clinton.

Ron Paul: Rand will ‘probably’ run in 2016  —  Former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Monday his son will probably run for president in 2016 — judging by the hints he has been leaving.  —  “I think he probably will.  I mean, he's been on TV hinting that he very well might,” Paul told CNN about his son, Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.).

Fox News Paid Fired Executive $8 Million to Keep Quiet  —  Roger Ailes' secrets command a heavy price.  Last week, the New York Times reported that Fox News had reached an out-of-court settlement with Brian Lewis, the former Roger Ailes aide who was abruptly fired in late July.

GOP bills would prohibit in-flight calls  —  Political momentum to keep a ban on cellphone calls during flights gained momentum Monday as lawmakers said it would be crazy to allow them.  —  Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) became the second lawmaker after Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to offer legislation to keep the ban in place.

Poll: Mark Pryor trails Tom Cotton in Arkansas  —  Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor trails his Republican challenger, Rep. Tom Cotton, by seven points among likely voters in Arkansas, 48 percent to 41 percent, according to a new poll from a conservative group that says his support of the health care reform law is costing him.

Dems: GOPer must quit over ‘death’ quip  —  Three Democratic state lawmakers called Monday for the state chairman of Virginia's Republican Party to resign over comments he made attacking President Barack Obama and Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe, arguing the statements would damage already frayed relations between the parties going forward.

Poll: Obama, Iran face selling job on nuclear pact  —  The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since 1979.  —  WASHINGTON — The White House and Iran face an uphill selling job to convince Americans to embrace the interim nuclear pact negotiated with Tehran last month, a USA TODAY/Pew Research Center Poll finds.

‘A public safety disaster’: Obamacare could force THOUSANDS of volunteer fire departments to close  — The Affordable Care Act forces companies with more than 50 workers to buy them all health insurance or pay hefty fines  — The IRS says volunteer firefighters are 'employees …

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.

How to Keep Workers Unemployed  —  Another 99 weeks of jobless insurance won't create more jobs.  —  House-Senate negotiators are close to a modest budget accord to avoid another government shutdown, but suddenly the White House is introducing a last-minute demand.

Rep. Steve Stockman to challenge Sen. John Cornyn in Texas GOP primary  —  (CNN) - Republican Rep. Steve Stockman is launching a primary challenge against fellow Texan Sen. John Cornyn.  —  The Senate's second-ranking Republican, Cornyn is up for re-election next year.

Union organizer shouts down protesters as they block private Google shuttle  —  Protesters blocked a private Google shuttle on Valencia street today, decrying private shuttle's use of public bus stops without paying fees or fines.  —  The group of 20 or so neon-yellow vested protesters called themselves the …

Netflix to Premiere Mitt Romney Doc ‘Mitt’  —  Directed by Greg Whiteley and exec produced by Seth Gordon, the film follows Romney's Oval Office aspirations beginning in 2006 through his concession speech in 2012.  —  Netflix is casting its vote for Mitt Romney.

Who's in Washington Purgatory?  —  Meet the luckless Obama appointees caught in career limbo.  —  For the past 900 days—nearly three years—Ken Kopocis has been languishing in the bureaucratic equivalent of Guantánamo Bay: The longtime congressional staffer is waiting to be confirmed …

Colorado Miscellany  —The recalls of two Democratic State Senators in September weren't an anomaly when it comes to how Colorado voters are feeling about the state legislature.  Republicans lead the statewide generic legislative ballot by a 47/42 margin, including a 41/30 advantage with independents.