Gov't Regs Estimated To Pound Pprivate Sector With $1.8T In Costs
For America's businesses, the Obama administration has an unpleasant holiday surprise.  A new report on the government's regulatory actions was released just before Thanksgiving, and it contains more than 3,300 rules -- which the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) estimates will, together with other regulations, cost more than $1.8 trillion to implement on an annual basis. At a time when the economy is still struggling to zoom out of its post-recession rut, businesses worry that the crush of regulation is another sandbag weighing down the recovery.  Fox News

Rand Paul Proposes Plan For Detroit To Bail Itself Out
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), during a keynote address before the Detroit Economic Club on Friday, unveiled his plan to revitalize the city – which is $18 billion in debt – by setting up economic freedom zones. Paul plans to introduce a bill next week which would lower personal and corporate income taxes in the city to five percent and the payroll tax to two percent for employers and employees. “To thrive, Detroit needs less government and more freedom, less red tape, less punitive taxes, more money left in Detroit. The answer to poverty and unemployment is not another government stimulus. It’s simply leaving more money in the hands of those who earned it,” Paul said. CNS News

Federal Deficit Shrinks 20 Percent In Fiscal 2014
President Barack Obama turns to the podium as he arrives to speak about the new health care law during a White House Youth Summit, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington. Federal spending continues to drop and, combined with this year’s tax increases, are making a dent in the federal deficit, according to the latest numbers released Friday by the Congressional Budget Office. Defense spending dropped by $10 billion in October and November, and other basic government activities outside of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid dropped by $13 billion, helping fuel the better fiscal picture. Washington Times

Syria Denies Claims Of New Chemical Weapons Attack
The Syrian government denied claims Friday by opposition activists that the government used poison gas in an attack the previous day on the rebel-held town of Nabek, north of the capital. Amer al-Qalamouni, an activist, said shells used in the bombardment produced a white, yellowish smoke and a strange odor. He said seven people were exhibiting symptoms consistent with gas attacks, such as foaming at the mouth. The Syrian Revolution Coordinators Union also accused Assad's forces of using poison gas in Thursday’s shelling of Nabek. CBS News

Fed Policy Enriches Private Equity, If Not Workers
Sanders Walker had been working for 13 years at a BWAY Corp factory in Macon, Georgia, when the word came down one September 2011 morning: The company, a maker of plastic and metal containers, was closing the plant. Walker, a quality manager, and about 70 other employees were out of work. After an eight-month search, Walker got a job at another area factory, at sharply reduced pay. "Nobody wants to hire somebody that is 62 years old," he says. Walker and his wife, Shari, struggled financially. Facing foreclosure, they walked away from their home in July 2012. They now live in a mobile home at the KOA Campground in Forsyth, Georgia. Tending to the potted chrysanthemums and other plants around the place gives Shari something to do "besides worry," she says. Reuters

Federal Health Care Website Fails 10 Percent Of The Time
The U.S. federal health insurance website HealthCare.gov, which has had technology problems since its Oct. 1 launch, is now experiencing errors in transmitting applications about 10 percent of the time, a government spokeswoman said on Friday.  The online insurance marketplace relays information about new customers in transaction forms to the private insurance companies that provide the health plans. HealthCare.gov serves people in 36 states, while 14 states are running their own websites.  "We believe nine of 10 transactions are being successfully transmitted," the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Servicesspokeswoman Julie Bataille said at a news briefing.  NBC News

Solid Jobs Report Fuels Rally, Ends 5-Day Skid
U.S. equity markets rallied nearly 200 points higher Friday, reversing five days of losses as traders bought stocks of all stripes following a strong November jobs report. In a strategic shift, investors were cheered by positive economic data rather than nervous that the good news might prompt the beginning of the end of easy money stimulus programs. At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 198.69 points, or 1.26%, to 16020.20, the S&P 500 advanced 20.06 points, or 1.12%, to 1805.09, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 29.36 points, or 0.73%, to 4062.52. Fox News

U.S. Successfully Launches Drone From Submerged Submarine
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory on Thursday announced it successfully launched a drone from a submerged submarine. The technology is being pursued to give sailors additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance abilities. Some of the funding for the project came from SwampWorks, a program of the Office of Naval Research that focuses on innovative and cutting-edge technologies. "Developing disruptive technologies and quickly getting them into the hands of our sailors is what our SwampWorks program is all about," said Craig A. Hughes, acting director of innovation at Office of Naval Research. "This demonstration really underpins ONR's dedication and ability to address emerging fleet priorities." CNN News

Judge Approves $500M Bank Of America Settlement
A judge has given final approval to a $500 million Bank of America settlement with investors who alleged its Countrywide unit misled them in the offering documents for mortgage bonds. U.S. District Court Judge Mariana Pfaelzer, in California, granted approval of the settlement Thursday, despite earlier objections from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and others. The settlement resolves claims made by investors, including pension funds and the Maine State Retirement System. It also resolves the first mortgage-backed securities lawsuit brought in the wake of the financial crisis, according to court records. Charlotte Observer

Deadly Clashes In Northern Kenya
A Kenyan official says several people have been killed and injured in fighting between rival ethnic groups in the country's north. Marsabit county governor Ukur Yatani said there were "many casualties" but could not immediately provide an exact toll of Saturday's violence. Calls to a local Red Cross official seeking confirmation were not immediately returned. Yatani says the ongoing clashes in and around Moyale town between the heavily armed groups have claimed at least an estimated 100 lives over the past four months. San Diego News

Memorial Service For Nelson Mandela Set For Indianapolis
The Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis plans to hold a public memorial service for Nelson Mandela Sunday at the Indiana State House. The group says central Indiana civic and religious leaders will gather for the service 5 p.m. Sunday to honor the former South African president and the anti-apartheid icon who died Thursday at the age of 95. The service will include music, song and reflections on how Mandela inspired people to rise above political and ethnic divisions to bring about change. IndyStar

Fierce National Debate Over Teacher Ratings
When Eva Kellogg's bosses evaluated her performance as a teacher, they observed her classes. They reviewed her lesson plans. They polled her students, their parents and other teachers. And then they took a look at her students' standardized test scores. When the lengthy process was over, the eighth-grade English teacher at Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy in Oakland had received the highest rank possible. She was a master teacher. And based on her job performance, she got a $3,000 bonus as well as a metaphorical front-row seat at one of the biggest battles in public education: how to evaluate teachers and whether to give good ones a bigger paycheck. SF Gate

Judge Approves $500M Bank Of America Settlement
A judge has given final approval to a $500 million Bank of America settlement with investors who alleged its Countrywide unit misled them in the offering documents for mortgage bonds. U.S. District Court Judge Mariana Pfaelzer, in California, granted approval of the settlement Thursday, despite earlier objections from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and others. The settlement resolves claims made by investors, including pension funds and the Maine State Retirement System. It also resolves the first mortgage-backed securities lawsuit brought in the wake of the financial crisis, according to court records. Charlotte Observer

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Consumer Credit In U.S. Rose In October By Most In Five Months
Consumer borrowing rose in October by the most in five months as credit-card use picked up and Americans took out more loans for car purchases and education. The $18.2 billion increase in credit followed a revised $16.3 billion gain in September that was more than initially reported, the Federal Reserve said today in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a $14.5 billion advance.Credit-card borrowing rose by the most since May as job gains, income growth and rising household wealth gave Americans the confidence to borrow. Bloomberg

Pelosi Nixes Budget Deal Without Jobless Benefits
The leader of House Democrats says her rank and file won't support any year-end budget deal unless it includes plans to extend expiring unemployment benefits for long-term victims of the recession. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California made the comment today as senior lawmakers struggled elsewhere in the Capitol to find a compromise that would ease across-the-board cuts in the budget that both parties would like to eliminate. Majority Republicans in the House have not ruled out extending the benefits that are due to begin expiring on Dec. 28, but say they have no plans to pursue legislation on their own. Las Vegas Sun

China Bars Banks From Handling Bitcoins
Bitcoins suffered a new setback after China’s central bank said Thursday its banks and payment systems are barred from handling the virtual currency.The central bank said bitcoins did not qualify as a currency but private individuals still are allowed to trade them at their own risk. Bitcoins are created, distributed, and authenticated independently of any bank or government. Their relative anonymity holds out the promise of being a ble to spend money across the Internet without scrutiny. “Bitcoins are virtual goods that have no legal status or monetary equivalent and should not be used as currency,” said a Chinese central bank statement. Detroit News

N. Korea Says It Deported U.S. Tourist And War Vet
North Korea said Saturday it has deported an elderly U.S. tourist and war veteran detained for more than a month for alleged hostile acts against the country. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said it made the decision because 85-year-old Merrill Newman had apologized for his alleged crimes during the Korean War and on a recent trip to the country and because of his age and medical condition. Newman has yet to speak publicly and it was unclear Saturday where he'd been deported to. It wasn't clear if his alleged confession shown on state TV last month was coerced. Philadelphia News

Chinese Firm Paid US Intelligence Adviser
A longtime adviser to the U.S. Director of National Intelligence has resigned after the government learned he has worked since 2010 as a paid consultant for Huawei Technologies Ltd., the Chinese technology company the U.S. has condemned as an espionage threat, The Associated Press has learned. Theodore H. Moran, a respected expert on China’s international investment and professor at Georgetown University, had served since 2007 as adviser to the intelligence director’s advisory panel on foreign investment in the United States. Moran also was an adviser to the National Intelligence Council, a group of 18 senior analysts and policy experts who provide U.S. spy agencies with judgments on important international issues. New York Post

Friday's Report Confirms Jobs Recovery Is Solid, Steady
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from your friends at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The November jobs numbers were very good, across the board. The unemployment rate fell to 7 percent, its lowest level in exactly five years, from 7.3 percent. The nation added 203,000 jobs last month, nearly identical to October’s numbers and affirming that hiring is starting to happen at a steady clip. Revisions to previous months’ data was slightly positive. Americans are working more hours, for slightly higher wages. Seattle Times

Obama: Income Inequality A Defining Challenge
President Barack Obama prodded Congress to raise wages and secure the social safety net as he issued an overarching appeal Wednesday to correct economic inequalities that he said make it harder for a child to escape poverty. “That should offend all of us,” he declared. “We are a better country than this.” Focusing on the pocketbook issues that Americans consistently rank as a top concern, Obama argued that the dream of upward economic mobility is breaking down and that the growing income gap is a “defining challenge of our time.”  Tampa Tribune

WTO Overcomes Last Minute Hitch To Reach Its First Global Trade Deal
The World Trade Organization reached its first ever trade reform deal on Saturday to the roar of approval from nearly 160 ministers who had gathered on the Indonesian island of Bali to decide on the make-or-break agreement that could add $1 trillion to the global economy. The approval came after Cuba dropped a last-gasp threat to veto the package of measures. "For the first time in our history, the WTO has truly delivered," WTO chief Roberto Azevedo told exhausted ministers after the talks which had dragged into an extra day on the tropical resort island. Sun Sentinel

Newlyweds Killed Pa. Man For Thrills
A couple married just three weeks lured a Pennsylvania man to his death with a Craigslist ad because they wanted to kill someone together, police said. Elytte Barbour told officers before his arrest Friday night that he and his wife, Miranda, had planned to kill before but their plans never worked out until last month when Troy LaFerrara responded to an online posting that promised companionship in return for money. Elytte Barbour, 22, and Miranda Barbour, 18, both face criminal homicide charges in LaFerrara's death. His body was found Nov. 12 in an alley in Sunbury, a small city northwest of Philadelphia. The couple recently moved to nearby Selinsgrove from North Carolina. The 42-year-old man was stabbed 20 times, police said. USA Today

Feds' Site Gives States Incomplete Medicaid Data
People shopping for insurance on the federal marketplace may be informed they're eligible for Medicaid and that their information is being sent to state officials to sign them up. However, states say they aren't able to enroll them because they're receiving incomplete data from the Obama administration. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services wrote a memo to the 36 states using... Newsday

Spike In measles Cases Shows The Disease Is Still A Threat In The U.S.
The U.S. has seen 175 confirmed cases of measles and 20 hospitalizations so far this year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 98 percent of measles patients were unvaccinated, despite the U.S. maintaining a high vaccination rate. Nearly all 175 cases were linked to people who brought the  infection home from abroad. The U.S. usually gets around 60 such "imported" cases per year.According to the CDC, the country's safety net has become porous as more people decline vaccination. "This is isn't the failure of a vaccine; it's the failure to vaccinate," CDC Director Thomas Frieden said. UPI

Federally Funded Catholic Relief Services Paid Future Obama Ambassador $384K
Ken Hackett, the new U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, previously headed the non-profit charity Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which receives hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. government grants each year, and which paid him $384,013 in total compensation in 2011. He received similar compensation in earlier years. President Barack Obama nominated Ken Hackett to be the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See in June 2013 and Hackett was confirmed by the Senate on Aug. 1. He presented his credentials personally to Pope Francis at the Vatican on Oct. 21. CNS News

Al Qaeda Claims Responsibility For Suicide Attack On Yemen Defense Ministry
Militants stormed the Defense Ministry in the heart of Yemen's capital Thursday, killing 52 people, including at least seven foreigners, in a suicide car bombing and assault by gunmen. The brazen attack claimed by al Qaeda’s local branch in Yemen follows a rise in U.S. drone strikes in this key American ally in the Middle East. The two-stage operation came as the defense minister was in Washington for talks. The U.S. military increased its regional alert status after the attack and is "fully prepared to support our Yemeni partners," a senior U.S. defense official said. CBS News

U.S./Afghan Mmilitary In Theater Agree: U.S. Needs To Stay
U.S. Army soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment (4-25 FA), serving out of Forward Operating Base Clark in eastern Afghanistan met Thursday with a delegation of Afghan defense officials at a remote, hill-top outpost to discuss progress in the ongoing campaign against the Taliban insurgency. While the meeting highlighted the increasing independence and combat effectiveness of the budding Afghan national security forces, both sides agreed that long-term U.S. support is needed to sustain the ongoing battle against the Taliban insurgency. UPI

FBI’s Search For ‘Mo,’ Suspect In Bomb Threats, Highlights Use Of Malware For Surveillance
The man who called himself “Mo” had dark hair, a foreign accent and — if the pictures he e-mailed to federal investigators could be believed — an Iranian military uniform. When he made a series of threats to detonate bombs at universities and airports across a wide swath of the United States last year, police had to scramble every time. Mo remained elusive for months, communicating via ­e-mail, video chat and an ­Internet-based phone service without revealing his true identity or location. So with no house to search or telephone to tap, investigators turned to a new kind of surveillance tool delivered over the Internet. Washington Post

New Consumer Tips For Obama's Fxer-Upper Website
It doesn’t rival Amazon and Travelocity, but President Barack Obama’s much-maligned health insurance website finally seems to be working reasonably well most of the time. Still, consumers are well-advised to verify, not just trust. More than 3.7 million people visited HealthCare.gov this week — and it didn’t crash, administration spokeswoman Julie Bataille deadpanned Friday on a call with reporters. Officials say 29,000 people enrolled the first two days of the week, exceeding total signups for the 36 states served by the federal site during October, the month of its problem-plagued launch. Boston Globe

Hagel Given Assurances On Afghan Security Deal
Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel said Saturday that Afghanistan's defense minister reassured him that a security agreement with the U.S. will be signed in a timely manner. Hagel also said he doesn't think more U.S. pressure would be helpful in trying to persuade Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign the agreement. The U.S. defense secretary had no plans to meet with Karzai during his stopover and it was not immediately clear what impact the visit could have on the standoff. Hagel spoke to reporters after meeting with Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi. Karzai tentatively has endorsed the agreement and a council of tribal elders, the Loya Jirga, has said it should be signed by the end of the year, as the U.S. has demanded. Houston Chronicle

Obama Calls On Congress To Extend Jobless Benefits
President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to extend benefits for the long-term unemployed before they expire at the end of the year. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says more than one million Americans will lose benefits if lawmakers don't act. He says unemployment insurance is one of the most effective ways to boost the economy and that providing benefits does not stop people from trying to find work. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has said he is willing to consider extending the jobless benefits. Atlanta Journal

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Supreme Court To Decide On patent Protections For Software
The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to rule on the divisive issue of what kinds of software are eligible for patent protection in a case being closely watched by the technology industry. The court's decision may prove key to deciding under what circumstances companies can be sued for using certain software in their products. The court said in a one-line order that it would hear a case brought by Alice Corporation Pty Ltd, which holds a patent for a computer system that facilitates financial transactions. The patent is challenged by CLS Bank International. Reuters

Gas Tax Increase May Be Packaged As 'User Fee'
By driving more fuel-efficient cars and by driving fewer miles than they did back before the 2008-09 recession, Americans are starving federal funding for highways and commuter rail and bus systems across the nation. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., has a solution: increase the federal tax on gasoline and diesel by 15 cents per gallon, and then turn toward a new approach to taxing miles driven rather than gasoline used. Blumenauer’s tax increase would raise around $170 billion over 10 years, he estimates. Funding for mass transit has come under renewed scrutiny as investigators pore over the wreckage of a commuter train accident on Sunday in New York that left four people dead. NBC News

U.S. Troop Deaths Tied To Stricter Rules Of Engagement
The number of U.S. battlefield fatalities exceeded the rate at which troop strength surged in 2009 and 2010, prompting national security analysts to assert that coinciding stricter rules of engagement led to more deaths. A connection between the sharp increase in American deaths and restrictive rules of engagement is difficult to confirm. More deaths surely stemmed from ramped-up counterterrorism raids and the Taliban’s response with more homemade bombs, the No. 1 killer of NATO forces in Afghanistan. But it is clear that the rules of engagement, which restrain troops from firing in order to spare civilian casualties, cut back on airstrikes and artillery strikes — the types of support that protect troops during raids and ambushes. Washington Times

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Consistent Hiring Points To Stronger Economy Ahead
The job market is showing signs of the consistent gains the nation has awaited in the 4½ years since the Great Recession. Employers added 203,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate fell to 7 percent, a five-year low, the Labor Department reported Friday. Four straight months of robust hiring have raised hopes that 2014 will be the year the economy returns to normal. The steady job growth could also hasten a move by the Federal Reserve to reduce its stimulus efforts. Stock investors were heartened by the report. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 198 points. ABC News
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Judge Refuses To Block American-US Airways Merger
A judge refused to block a merger between American Airlines and US Airways on Friday, saying a bankruptcy judge correctly rejected arguments made by a lawyer for some consumers. San Francisco attorney Joseph Alioto argued that the deal would harm fliers because it would result in less competition and higher prices. But U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska repeatedly noted that his arguments relied on outdated facts, had no evidence to support them and sometimes made no sense. "There is nothing in the record from which I can make a finding that your clients are likely to be irreparably injured — personally," she said. ABC News

Islamists Demand Fall Of Libyan Govt, End To Oil Blockades
Around 300 Islamists took to the streets of the Libyan port of Benghazi on Friday demanding the fall of the government and an end to strikes and sit-ins stopping crude exports - the first sign of public opposition to the blockades in the oil-rich east. A regional autonomy movement has seized the country's two biggest ports in Es-Sider and Ras Lanuf, both of them in eastern Libya, the source of 60 percent of the OPEC producer's oil wealth. Other groups demanding a greater share of oil wealth and other rights have halted exports at Hariga port in Tobruk in the far east. Jerusalem Post

 Jordan To Take Saudi Arabia's Place At UN Security Council
The 193-member UN General Assembly elected Jordan to the UN Security Council on Friday to replace Saudi Arabia, which rejected its two-year term in protest at the council's failure to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues. Saudi Arabia was elected in October to join the 15-member council from Jan. 1, but in an unprecedented move Riyadh declined the role a day after the vote. While unopposed as the replacement, Jordan still needed two-thirds approval by the General Assembly. It was elected with 178 votes on Friday. Jerusalem Post

Germany Raises Growth Forecasts
Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has raised its forecasts for economic growth in the country. It announced it had raised its forecast for growth this year from 0.3% to 0.5% and for 2014 from 1.5% to 1.7%. "The German economy is in good shape: the unemployment rate is low, employment is rising, and wage growth is returning to normal," said Bundesbank president Jens Weidmann. The Bundesbank makes forecasts twice a year - the last set was in June. Mr Weidmann added that low interest rates had been encouraging house building and private consumption in Germany, although trade had been weakening. BBC News

China Pulls Out Of UN Process Over Territorial Dispute With Philippines
China is taking the highly unusual step of refusing to participate in a United Nations arbitration process over a territorial conflict with the Philippines, one of five countries challenging Beijing’s claims of ownership over the oil-rich South China Sea. The legal dispute underscores the tough geopolitical approach China is adopting in the Pacific region. It has adopted an aggressive approach toward neighbours over a 2,000-mile stretch that also includes the East China Sea, over which it recently declared the air defence identification zone that has inflamed tensions with Japan and South Korea. The Guardian

President Barack Obama Defends US Deal With Iran To Israelis
President Barack Obama on Thursday defended his nuclear diplomacy with Iran before an audience of Israeli diplomats and senior members of the US Jewish community and officials. At a White House Hanukkah reception, Obama said that it was important for the United States to test Iran's intentions, and pledged to keep working for a comprehensive deal to deprive Tehran of a nuclear weapon. "For the first time in a decade we have halted progress of Iran's nuclear program," Obama said. "Key parts of the program will be rolled back even though the toughest of our sanctions remain in place. The Telegraph

New York Times And Bloomberg Facing Expulsion From China
The New York Times and Bloomberg are facing the closure of their Chinese offices after publishing a string of investigative reports that embarrassed the Communist party. Twenty four foreign journalists working for the New York Times and Bloomberg could be forced to leave China in the coming weeks after officials stalled over renewing their visas. While China has denied or delayed visas to individual journalists in the past, it is the first time that the staff of two entire organisations have been threatened. The situation is grave enough that Joe Biden, the US vice-president, met with the journalists concerned in Beijing on Thursday. The Telegraph

Someone’s Been Siphoning Data Through A Huge Security Hole In The Internet
Hijacked traffic went all the way to Iceland, where it may have been copied before being released to its intended destination. The green arrows show the path the traffic should have traveled; the red arrows show the path it took.  In 2008, two security researchers at the DefCon hacker conference demonstrated a massive security vulnerability in the worldwide internet traffic-routing system — a vulnerability so severe that it could allow intelligence agencies, corporate spies or criminals to intercept massive amounts of data, or even tamper with it on the fly. Wired News

UN Honours Nelson Mandela As Champion Of Peace, Reconciliation
The United Nations family today mourned the loss – and celebrated the enduring legacy – of Nelson Mandela, the former South African leader and peace advocate who passed away yesterday at the age of 95. As the UN flag was lowered to half-staff over the world body’s Headquarters in New York, the 193-member General Assembly held a moment of silence to honour the memory of the man affectionately known as “Madiba,” who emerged from 27 years of imprisonment to become South Africa’s first black President and is known worldwide for his compassionate yet determined efforts to dismantle the country’s legacy of apartheid. UN News

UN Alarmed At Worsening Violence, Humanitarian Situation In Central African Republic
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and several United Nations agencies today voiced alarm at the escalating inter-communal violence and worsening humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), where over 100 people were reportedly killed yesterday alone and hundreds have fled their homes. “The latest reports from the ground are grim, indicating deepening conflict between Muslim and Christian communities and armed groups, with tragic consequences,” said a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson. UN News

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