Biden ‘dead meat’ in Iowa, governor says  —  Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden, widely assumed to be plotting a third presidential bid in 2016, shouldn't bother booking any flights to Des Moines, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said.  —  “Biden is dead meat out here,” …

'Duck Dynasty's' Phil Robertson on Indefinite Hiatus Following Anti-Gay Remarks  —  UPDATED: The news comes after the reality star compared being gay to bestiality, drawing ire from LGBT groups including GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign.  —  Phil Robertson

Pajama Boy, An Insufferable Man-Child  —  He is the face of a web ad that is the latest effort by the Obama team to leverage the holidays for conversation about Obamacare.  “Wear pajamas,” the ad reads.  “Drink hot chocolate.  Talk about getting health insurance.  #GetTalking.”

The GOP Repeal Trap  —  The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, Indiana, reports on a fascinating exchange between GOP Rep. Marlin Stutzman and a local meat market owner, Lee Albright, who likes the Affordable Care Act and quizzed the Congressman about the real world implications of the GOP repeal stance:

Barack Obama's NSA fine-print problem  —  An independent panel's call for major changes to the nation's surveillance programs ups the pressure on President Barack Obama to back serious reforms.  —  But the big changes the committee is calling for may be less vexing for Obama than one painful …

Record High in U.S. Say Big Government Greatest Threat  —  Now 72% say it is greater threat than big business or big labor  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Seventy-two percent of Americans say big government is a greater threat to the U.S. in the future than is big business or big labor …

W.H. to nominate Sen. Max Baucus as next ambassador to China  —  Sen. Max Baucus, the veteran Montana Democrat who has served in the Senate since 1978, is expected to be nominated by the White House to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to China, according to several sources familiar with the matter.

Patty Murray backs off military pension cut  —  Sen. Patty Murray is distancing herself from a cut in military pensions in the budget deal she brokered with Rep. Paul Ryan.  —  Her unease about a key element of her own deal, which passed the Senate on Wednesday and is now headed to President Barack Obama …

Al Goldstein, Pioneering Pornographer, Dies at 77  —  Al Goldstein, the scabrous publisher whose Screw magazine pushed hard-core pornography into the cultural mainstream, died early Thursday in Brooklyn.  He was 77.  —  The cause was believed to be renal failure, said his lawyer, Charles C. DeStefano.

In probe of Va. Gov. McDonnell, prosecutors agreed to delay decision on charges  —  View Photo Gallery — McDonnell's time in office comes to a close: Gov. Robert F. McDonnell was supposed to be in the thick of the race to succeed him.  Instead, the Republican found himself relegated …

Sources: Target Investigating Data Breach  —  Nationwide retail giant Target is investigating a data breach potentially involving millions of customer credit and debit card records, multiple reliable sources tell KrebsOnSecurity.  The sources said the breach appears to have begun …

Uninsured Skeptical of Health Care Law in Poll  —  WASHINGTON — Americans who lack medical coverage disapprove of President Obama's health care law at roughly the same rate as the insured, even though most say they struggle to pay for basic care, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Rob Ford's apology to Daniel Dale  —  Full text of Mayor Rob Ford's apology to Daniel Dale. … / Scanned image  —  Rob Ford issued a second apology to Daniel Dale on Dec. 18. … Photos View photos  — zoom  —  Featured Video Close  — Video: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Caught Dancing at Work