3 reasons the next round of budget talks might be easier

Tough issues remain but there have already been some key concessions from both sidesAlthough Matthew Yglesias says we’ve entered "an era of semi-permanent fiscal policy crisis," there’s still hope to think the next round of budget negotiations — in two months when the U.S. Treasury is unable to borrow money and automatic spending cuts kick in — just might be a little bit easier.1. The big reason for...

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The Accidental Congressman: Can a good man survive in Washington?

A new documentary tracks the rise and fall of Ahn "Joseph" Cao, the first Vietnamese-American to serve in CongressWhen Ahn "Joseph" Cao won election to the House in 2008, he ticked off a couple of firsts. He was the first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress. He was also the first Republican in more than 100 years to win election in Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District, which covers nearly all...

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The single dumbest gun-control measure ever proposed

With extraordinary shortsightedness, Connecticut lawmakers want to publicize the addresses of handgun ownersThe Connecticut state legislature is about to consider changing the law to make the information and addresses of 170,000 Connecticut handgun owners public. Aside from potentially being unconstitutional on the grounds that such a law would violate (somewhat ironically) the right to privacy first...

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Today in business: 5 things you need to know

Regulators clear Google in antitrust probe, Tory Burch becomes a billionaire, and more in our roundup of the business stories that are making news and driving opinion1. REGULATORS CLEAR GOOGLE IN ANTITRUST CASEThe Federal Trade Commission, after a two-year investigation, has determined that Google didn't violate antitrust laws by delivering search results that highlight its own services. The decision,...

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Google's big antitrust victory: What the FTC's decision means for you

An investigation into whether the search giant was unfairly burying competitive sites in its search results ends with Google emerging unscathedAfter a lengthy two-year investigation, the Federal Trade Commission elected Thursday not to pursue charges against Google for showcasing its own products in its search results over those of competitive websites. The five-member FTC commission unanimously voted...

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Washington saying goodbye to Inouye at memorial

WASHINGTON (AP) — Admirers will bid farewell to Democratic Sen. Daniel Inouye at a memorial service before a final trip home to his native Hawaii.President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were to be among those offering tributes during the ceremony Friday at Washington National Cathedral, along with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.Biden...

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NRA returns to public debate, to meet with media

WASHINGTON (AP) — One week after the mass shootings that killed 26 people at a Connecticut elementary school — 20 of them children — the nation's largest gun-rights lobby is returning to the spotlight as Congress prepares to consider tighter restrictions on firearms in the new year.The 4.3 million-member National Rifle Association largely disappeared from public debate after the shootings in Newtown,...

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Few memorials to forgotten victim: Gunman's mother

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — When people here speak of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, they use the number 26: the ones killed after Adam Lanza blasted his way into the school.When the bells of Newtown toll mournfully Friday morning to honor the victims of last week's shooting rampage, they'll do so 26 times, for each child and staff member killed.Rarely do residents mention the first person...

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France's Hollande reaffirms 2013 deficit target

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande reiterated on Friday that his government was targeting a reduction of the public deficit in 2013 to three percent of GDP despite new official data showing economic growth way below forecast.Hollande told Europe 1 radio he also expected that French unemployment would only begin to fall by late 2013 despite what he said would be a "difficult year"...

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S&P downgrades Cyprus on default fears

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) -- Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has downgraded Cyprus further into junk status amid concerns that the country could default on its debts.It says Friday that the two-notch downgrade to CCC+ is due to a "considerable and rising" risk that the country, one of the 17 EU countries that uses the euro, may default.It also maintains its negative outlook on the country, meaning...

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Thursday's Scoreboard

Thursday's GamesNBAMinnesota 99 Oklahoma City 93Miami 110 Dallas 95Portland 101 Denver 93--AHLLake Erie 4 Houston 3Peoria 5 Charlotte 4 (SO)--U.S. College FootballPoinsettia Bowl at San DiegoBrigham Young 23 San Diego State...

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