CNN/ORC Poll: Obama ends year on an upswing  —  ‘Pals’: The Obama-Biden partnership  —  Honolulu (CNN) — Improving views of the economy have helped hike President Barack Obama's approval rating to a 20-month high, a new CNN/ORC poll showed Tuesday, as markets climbed to record levels at news of an economy in overdrive.

In About-Face, Sony Will Screen ‘The Interview’ in a Small Run  —  LOS ANGELES — “The Interview,” the raucous comedy that became the center of a dispute over cybersecurity between the United States and North Korea, will be released in a small number of theaters on Christmas Day after all, Sony Pictures said on Tuesday.

GOP leaders refuse to weigh in on Grimm  —  House Republican leadership is refusing to weigh in so far on whether New York GOP Rep. Michael Grimm should remain in Congress after pleading guilty to felony federal tax fraud on Tuesday.  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has declined to comment on the case …

Inquiry Into I.R.S. Lapses Shows No Links to White House  —  WASHINGTON — An 18-month congressional investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's mistreatment of conservative political groups seeking tax exemptions failed to show coordination between agency officials and political operatives …

FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg's statement on FDA's blood donor deferral policy for men who have sex with men  —  For Immediate Release  —  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is a science-based regulatory agency that works to protect and promote the public health.

Florida Passes New York to Become the Nation's Third Most Populous State, Census Bureau Reports  —  By adding an average of 803 new residents each day between July 1, 2013 and July 1, 2014, Florida passed New York to become the nation's third most populous state, according to U.S. Census Bureau state population estimates released today.

Oops!  U.S. Offers $5 Mil Reward for Al Qaeda Terrorist it Released From Gitmo  —  Years after liberating an Al Qaeda operative from the military prison at Guantanamo, the United States government has put him on a global terrorist list and offered a $5 million reward for information on his whereabouts.

Off duty, black cops in New York feel threat from fellow police  —  (Reuters) - From the dingy donut shops of Manhattan to the cloistered police watering holes in Brooklyn, a number of black NYPD officers say they have experienced the same racial profiling that cost Eric Garner his life.

The Monsters Who Screamed for Dead Cops  —  Evidence from photos, video, social-media posts and interviews suggests it was a single group, desperate to ‘turn up the anger’ at otherwise-peaceful protests.  —  A little over a week ago, a group of people marched down the streets of Manhattan and called for police to be killed.

EXCLUSIVE: 911 operators made ‘anti-police’ remarks, causing quarrel with FDNY dispatchers as 2 NYPD cops were dying, sources say  —  The war of words occurred when news broke that NYPD cops Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were shot Saturday.  One dispatcher allegedly said the cops ‘deserved it,’ said a law enforcement source.

Satanic Temple display damaged, woman in custody  —  A woman is in custody in connection with damaging the Satanic Temple holiday display at the Florida Capitol earlier today.  —  The diorama of an angel falling into a pit of fire is in the building's lobby along with five other holiday displays.

Pat Robertson's Charity Tries To Make A Deal For Bob McDonnell's Freedom  —  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell should perform community service rather than serve prison time for his federal corruption convictions, an international relief organization said Tuesday.

Exclusive: Bin Laden ‘Shooter’ Under Investigation for Leaking Secrets  —  The man who claims he killed the world's most wanted terrorist is now being probed for saying too much about the mission.  —  The former Navy SEAL who ignited a controversy when he publicly claimed credit …