Cost of Being Mayor?  $650 Million, if He's Rich  —  Michael R. Bloomberg loves tropical fish.  So when he was elected mayor, he installed two giant aquariums in City Hall.  —  The cost to him for having the tanks cleaned out every week for the past 12 years: around $62,400.  —  The mayor likes to nosh, too.

Yes, There IS Evidence Linking al Qaeda to Benghazi  —  Libyan militants tell the New York Times that al Qaeda is not behind the 2012 Benghazi attack.  Some members of Congress have intelligence that says otherwise.  —  On Sunday, The New York Times published an investigation …

Public's Views on Human Evolution  —  According to a new Pew Research Center analysis, six-in-ten Americans (60%) say that “humans and other living things have evolved over time,” while a third (33%) reject the idea of evolution, saying that “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”

Obama, Clinton Continue Reign as Most Admired  —  Sixth year in a row for Obama, 12th straight year for Clinton  —  PRINCETON, NJ — For the sixth consecutive year, Barack Obama ranks as the Most Admired Man among Americans, and Hillary Clinton is again the Most Admired Woman.  Both won by comfortable margins.

Melissa Harris-Perry Panel Mocks Black Romney Grandchild As Token  —  On MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry on Sunday, the panel was discussing several topics of the “of the year” variety.  In the below clip, panelists are shown photos 'of the year" and asked to offer humorous captions.

2nd deadly blast hits Russian city of Volgograd ahead of 2014 Sochi Olympics  —  (CNN) — Another deadly blast has struck the southern Russian city of Volgograd, killing at least 14 people and further highlighting Russia's security challenges as it readies to host the Winter Olympics in less than six weeks.

CNN Poll: Afghanistan war arguably most unpopular in U.S. history  —  Washington (CNN) - Support for the war in Afghanistan has dipped below 20%, according to a new national poll, making the country's longest military conflict arguably its most unpopular one as well.

Republicans to blame for the public's disgust with Congress  —  As the year ends, Gallup reports that public approval of Congress averaged 14 percent during 2013.  This, the polling firm points out, is “the lowest annual average in Gallup's history.”  —  The pollsters added …

The Great 2013 Sunday Show Race  —  The general impression is rooted in fact: the Sunday shows love Republicans.  “Meet the Press,” “Face the Nation,” “This Week,” “State of the Union,” and “Fox News Sunday,” hoping to reflect and help shape the conventional wisdom for the political world …

FAA Selects Six Sites for Unmanned Aircraft Research … After a rigorous 10-month selection process involving 25 proposals from 24 states, the Federal Aviation Administration has chosen six unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research and test site operators across the country.

Obama's TV Picks: Anything Edgy, With Hints of Reality  —  WASHINGTON — War, terrorism, economic struggle, mass shootings — such is life in the Oval Office for President Obama.  —  Yet in his few quiet moments, this president seeks not to escape to the delicious back-stabbing of the …

Democrats Turn to Minimum Wage as 2014 Strategy  —  WASHINGTON — Democratic Party leaders, bruised by months of attacks on the new health care program, have found an issue they believe can lift their fortunes both locally and nationally in 2014: an increase in the minimum wage.

Here's Why I Don't Sweat The Haters  —  I've gotten a number of messages in the last few days — from both supporters and opponents of gay rights — expressing sympathy over the rude and hateful messages I've been getting (and publishing) ever since I started writing about Phil Robertson.

Woman Busted For Attacking Live-In Boyfriend When He Refused To “Cuddle” In Bed  —  Buster  —  A Florida woman was arrested early Saturday for battering her live-in boyfriend after he refused to “cuddle” with her when they went to bed, police report.  —  Shavonna Rumph, 31, and Henry Price …

Utah Judge Unexpected as a Hero to Gay People  —  DENVER — For a judge who would go on to make same-sex marriage legal in Utah, a deep-red state where streets in the capital are numbered by their distance from the Mormon temple, Robert J. Shelby arrived on the bench with enthusiastic praise from Republican leaders.

McCain: Don't count Obama out  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says people shouldn't underestimate President Obama as he heads into his sixth year in the White House.  —  He discounted Obama's low approval ratings and said a sitting president always has influence.

‘Christmas Cop Killer’ suspected of bank heist spree across the country was a former veteran who was arrested for threatening to 'blow President Obama's brains out' in 2010  — Authorities today identified the suspect, who was killed Saturday in a shootout with police outside a Phoenix, Arizona bank, as Mario Edward Garnett, 40

Hey, it's an election year!  Here's what 2014 might bring.  —  Our long wait for a packed election year — okay, it was just a 365-day wait — will be over in less than 48 hours when we ring in 2014 and, with it, 36 gubernatorial races, 35 Senate races and dozens of potentially competitive House contests.

Fiscal Fever Breaks  —  In 2012 President Obama, ever hopeful that reason would prevail, predicted that his re-election would finally break the G.O.P.'s “fever.”  It didn't.  —  But the intransigence of the right wasn't the only disease troubling America's body politic in 2012.

Workers at auto dealership come face to face with Obamacare trade-offs  —  Before the new health care law, a Michigan car dealership offered employees a company health insurance plan.  Things are different now.  Lisa Myers reports.  —  By Lisa Myers, Senior Investigative Correspondent, NBC News

Cuomo pushing to block de Blasio speaker pick Mark-Viverito  —  Gov. Cuomo, in his first major battle with Bill de Blasio, is engaged in a last-ditch effort to block leftist Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito from becoming council speaker, Democratic insiders have told The Post.

The Risky Business of Paternity Leave  —  When men take time off to care for family members, their long-term earnings suffer—just as women's do.  Here's why it's worth it.  —  As a family sociologist, I've spent several decades studying how and why men might assume responsibility for childcare and housework.