[U.S.] Boehner abandons plan to avoid 'fiscal cliff'

Boehner abandons plan to avoid 'fiscal cliff'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/cliff-standoff-boehner-works-to-wrangle-votes-for-plan-b-obama-threatens-veto/2012/12/20/d37cd8c6-4aa5-11e2-9a42-d1ce6d0ed278_story.html
House Speaker John A. Boehner abruptly abandoned a partisan plan to avert the year-end “fiscal cliff” late Thursday after failing to persuade conservative Republicans to extend tax cuts for the vast majority of Americans and let tax rates rise for millionaires.

Snow in Midwest leaves some travelers scrambling
http://nation.time.com/2012/12/20/midwest-hit-by-its-first-major-snowstorm-of-season/
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The first widespread snowstorm of the season plodded across the Midwest on Thursday, as whiteout conditions sent drivers sliding over slick roads and some travelers were forced to scramble for alternate ways to get to their ...

Sandy Hook slayings: Newtown shooter's mother memorialized
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/stylists-lanza-spoke-made-eye-contact-18009067
As the funeral processions unfolded this week across Newtown, Conn., laying to rest the 26 victims of last week's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the massacre's often-uncounted 27th victim was quietly memorialized Thursday: Nancy Lanza, the ...

Madoff's Brother Sentenced to 10 Years
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324461604578191902488197148.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Peter Madoff arrives at federal court for a sentencing hearing on Thursday. He worked as chief compliance officer for his brother, Bernard.

Ethics panel: Berkley violated rules
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/house-panel-meeks-pass-article-1.1224776
Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) violated House rules by improperly using her office to benefit her husband and herself, the House Ethics Committee announced Thursday.

GOP Criticism of Hagel Grows
http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/hagel-sideshow-could-mean-new-universe-for-nominees-85380.html?hp=t1
The possible nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense drew more opposition from Senate Republicans on Thursday, prompting complaints from President Barack Obama's own party about his handling of cabinet candidates for his ...

CNN, Planning New Programming, Hires Jake Tapper From ABC
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/jake-tapper-leaves-abc-news-for-cnn/
Jake Tapper in November on the set of ABC's Fred Lee/ABC Jake Tapper in November on the set of ABC's “Good Morning America.

Video: Cory Booker eyes US Senate, not Chris Christie
http://swampland.time.com/2012/12/20/newark-mayor-cory-booker-eyes-2014-u-s-senate-run-instead-of-n-j-governorship/
Superstar Newark Mayor Cory Booker took to Twitter, naturally, to announce that he's eyeing a run for U.S. Senate. There has been much discussion of late of his intention to square off against Chris Christie for the New Jersey governor's office, a job he seems ...

Bloomberg Vows Stiffer Fight to Overhaul US Gun Laws
http://forward.com/articles/168099/
It is a moment when Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's heart races and his breath gets caught in his throat: the ringing of a bedside telephone in the middle of the night.

Mich. schools close amid threats tied to Maya calendar
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/dozens-mich-schools-close-amid-threats-rumors-18028954
School officials nationwide planned to beef up security on Friday - and in a few cases hastily canceled classes for the rest of the week - amid rumored threats of violence, some related to doomsday scenarios based on the Maya calendar.

Travel jammed as first snowstorm of season arrives
http://fox59.com/2012/12/20/new-equipment-to-help-airport-clear-snow-faster/
As the first snowstorm of the season hit the Chicago area, hundreds of flights were canceled at O'Hare and Midway airports and people were being warned to stay off highways because high winds could whip up near blizzard conditions.

Texas leads nation in welcoming new residents
http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/20/4500228/texas-leads-nation-in-welcoming.html
Texas led the nation by saying howdy to more than 400,000 new residents in a year, continuing a boom that has seen the Lone Star State add more than 5 million people in little more than a decade, according to population estimates released Thursday by the ...

Rumors about Mayan doomsday prediction swirl at Richland High School
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/12/central_dauphin_high_school_st_3.html
Police officers will be on the Richland High School campus tomorrow -- after rumors that there could be guns and violence at the school.

Santa lands in central Utah to give students an early Christmas
http://www.travelweekly.com/blog.aspx?id=245076&blogid=422054
Monroe • Out of the fog, Santa Claus taxied down the runway in a single-engine plane with Mrs. Claus and two of his elves on Thursday as hundreds of cheering elementary school children waited.