Gay marriage bans in four states upheld on appeal  —  The same-sex marriage movement lost its first major case in a federal appeals court Thursday after a lengthy string of victories, creating a split among the nation's circuit courts that virtually guarantees Supreme Court review.

Senate Democrats plan a legislative rush before power shifts to the GOP  —  Before ceding full control of Congress to the GOP in January, Senate Democrats are planning to rush a host of critical measures to President Obama's desk, including bills to revive dozens of expired tax breaks and avoid a government shutdown for another year.

Ben Carson video to air in 22 states  —  Ben Carson is introducing himself as a potential 2016 presidential candidate in a 40-minute video that will be aired on TV stations in 22 states and Washington, D.C.  —  Armstrong Williams, a conservative commentator who is Carson's business manager …

The $9 Billion Witness: Meet JPMorgan Chase's Worst Nightmare  —  Chase whistle-blower Alayne Fleischmann risked it all.

Democrats scrap ad buys for Mary Landrieu  —  The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is canceling at least some of its advertising reservations for Sen. Mary Landrieu ahead of the December runoff in Louisiana.  —  The committee canceled buys planned from Monday through December 6 in the Lafayette …

Has the Tea Party been tamed?  —  Establishment Republicans are crowing that their resounding wins Tuesday night repudiated the Tea Party's insistence that ideological purity is key to electoral success.  —  But don't tell that to conservatives, who aren't admitting defeat.

He says he wants to live a normal life.  But he can still taste the White House.  —  Certainly, Ryan has given his suitors some cause for optimism: the visits to early primary states, the discussions with GOP donors, the high-profile blitz to promote his book, The Way Forward, which reads in parts like a presidential manifesto.

Decision Time on Immigration  —  President Obama said on Wednesday that he would act on his own by the end of the year to “improve” the immigration system, presumably by giving many — perhaps millions — of the country's unauthorized immigrants temporary protection from deportation and permission to work.

Triumph of the Wrong  —  The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet midterms to men of understanding.  Or as I put it on the eve of another Republican Party sweep, politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth.

32 tanks enter Ukraine from Russia: Kiev  —  Kiev (AFP) - A column of 32 tanks and other heavy weapons has entered Ukraine from Russia, the Ukrainian military said Friday, after the latest fighting left five dead and at least 31 injured.  —  Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said a convoy …

This billionaire thinks the Fed is missing the hyperinflation in the Hamptons  —  Hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer is pretty clueless about economics (Remy Steinegger/WEF)  —  Never underestimate the ingenuity of inflation truthers.  Every time it seems like they've hit rock bottom intellectually …

Meager Returns for the Democrats' Biggest Donor  —  WASHINGTON — In the last days before the midterm elections, Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmentalist who spent at least $57 million of his own money to influence Tuesday's outcome — more than any other single donor …

The Big Sleep  —  Maybe it's best to close your eyes and fall into a Rip Van Winkle slumber for the next two years.  The party that has refused to govern for half a decade and ran a substance-free campaign will now play at governing and not take up anything of substance.

A plea for sanity in a GOP Congress  —  Editor's note: Sally Kohn is an activist, columnist and television commentator.  Follow her on Twitter: @sallykohn.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.  —  (CNN) — You got to give the people, now  —  Give the people what they want