Here's what's in Paul Ryan and Patty Murray's mini-budget deal  —  1. The total deal is $85 billion.  About $45 billion of that replaces sequestration cuts in 2014.  About $20 billion replaces sequestration cuts in 2015.  About $20 billion is deficit reduction atop sequestration.

Pope Francis, The Choice  —  With a focus on compassion, the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of conscience.  Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs explains why Francis is TIME's choice for Person of the Year 2013  —  Once there was a boy so meek and modest, he was awarded a Most Humble badge.

Tea party threat again hangs over Republicans' efforts to take Senate  —  More than half of Senate Republicans facing reelection next year face potentially viable tea party challenges — a historically large threat to the GOP establishment that could, once again, kill the party's chances of taking back control of the chamber.

NBC/WSJ poll: Obama ends year on low note  —  President Barak Obama attends Nelson Mandela's public memorial in Johannesburg, South Africa.  —  By Mark Murray, Senior Political Editor, NBC News  —  A year that began with President Barack Obama riding high after his re-election victory …

Cruz Says He Walked Out of Mandela Service When Raul Castro Spoke  —  Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, walked out of former South African President Nelson Mandela's memorial service Tuesday when Cuban President Raul Castro gave a speech, a spokeswoman for Cruz said.  —  “Sen. Cruz very much hopes …

Cantor's Pediatric Research Bill Has Democrats Fuming  —  While the House ties up some legislative loose ends this week before adjourning for the year, there is one suspension bill the public — and House Republicans — might be surprised to find many Democrats opposing …

Oh, Bam!  President's approval rating plummets to 38 per cent overall, just 34 per cent on health care and 40 per cent on Iran  — Obama's support among young voters has disappeared, with 49 per cent now saying they disapprove of his job performance  — Hispanics' historic preference …

The Most Important Economic Stories of 2013—in 41 Graphs  —  A record year for stocks.  A meh year for wages.  A weird year for Wall Street.  —  Maybe it's just me, but the last few years are getting tough to tell apart.  Imagine a quiz question:  —  Name that year where we threw obstacles …

Sebelius Asks for Investigation of Flawed Website  —  Playing catch-up with a long way to go, President Barack Obama's new health insurance markets last month picked up the dismal pace of signups, the administration reported Wednesday.  —  Enrollment statistics from the Health …

NSA uses Google cookies to pinpoint targets for hacking  —  The National Security Agency is secretly piggybacking on the tools that enable Internet advertisers to track consumers, using “cookies” and location data to pinpoint targets for government hacking and to bolster surveillance.

Paper Application Missing From Healthcare.gov  —  The Obama administration began emphasizing the option of applying for insurance through the Obamacare Marketplace with a paper application ever since it became apparent that the online process at Healthcare.gov was riddled with problems.

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Announces Arrest of Revenge Porn Website Operator  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the arrest of the alleged owner and operator of a revenge porn website who facilitated the posting of more than 10,000 sexually explicit photos …

Obamacare Report Card: Progress, But Long Climb Ahead  —  The White House has released its second monthly report card on Obamacare enrollment in state and federal exchanges, documenting a mix of progress and problems in the system since it launched in October.

Six year old suspended for ‘sexual harassment’  —  CANON CITY, Colo. -  —  A six year old boy is suspended from school in Canon City for kissing a classmate on the cheek  —  His mother says it's a crush and the two children like each other.  But the school is calling it something else; sexual harassment.