Mursi's power grab took aides by surprise
CAIRO - The decree that expanded President Mohamed Mursi's powers and plunged Egypt into crisis came as a shock to some of his team; a step with huge legal ramifications, it appeared to have caught even his justice minister off guard. Full Article | Live Coverage
Wall Street cuts losses on Boehner "fiscal cliff" comment
NEW YORK - Stocks sharply pared losses on Wednesday after U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said he was optimistic that a deal on the "fiscal cliff" to avert large tax hikes and spending cuts could be reached. | Video
Calpers battles with San Bernardino over debt
LOS ANGELES - Calpers, America's biggest public pension fund, plans to sue the bankrupt city of San Bernardino over its decision to halt payments to the fund, laying bare a battle over how state pension funds are treated when cities run out of money. Full Article
New Jersey's Christie riding high after Sandy
NEW YORK - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, once a darling in the Republican Party, is now everybody's darling in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Full Article
A way out of the mortgage mess, finally?
The man behind the plan to use eminent domain to take over underwater mortgages says pressure is building for the federal government to solve the housing crisis. He says the White House should release decisive policy within the next six months. Video | Full Coverage
Pilots vote on deals, other airline staff agitate
Pilots at United Airlines and American Airlines are due to vote soon on new contracts that, for some, offer the first significant raises in nearly a decade. But, for other groups of airline workers, labor relations could remain rocky. Full Article | Slideshow
New Chavez medical trip rattles Venezeula
CARACAS/HAVANA - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez flew into Cuba for cancer-linked medical treatment that revived questions about the viability of his socialist rule and left Venezuelans again guessing about his exact condition. Full Article
China considers easing family planning rules
BEIJING - China is mulling changes to its one-child policy, a former family planning official said, with government advisory bodies drafting proposals in the face of a rapidly aging society in the world's most populous nation. Full Article
Major advance claimed in space plane effort
LONDON - A small British company with a dream of building a reusable space plane dubbed the Skylon has completed key tests of its engine technology and won an endorsement from the European Space Agency. Full Article
Saudi King Abdullah appears for first time since surgery
Nov. 28 - Saudi King Abdullah appears on state TV for the first time since his 11-hour back operation helping assuage fears over his health. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
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When talk was of investing in public good
Americans will support higher taxes as part of a broader public vision for investments in education and services. Popular support for higher revenues to fund key public services has been common throughout U.S. history. Commentary
Fake press releases are a public service
You don’t even have to be a talented liar to fool the press into publishing one of your lies. You just have to have gumption. Commentary
A church divided against itself cannot stand
The Church of England's vote not to ordain female bishops last week has forced the church to reconcile its theological past with cultural modernity. If it can't, it risks becoming even more marginalized. Commentary
The Republicans' urban problem
Democrats have dominated dense urban cores. But increasingly they also dominate dense inner suburbs - versus sprawling outer suburbs, where Republicans still hold their own - and the share of the population concentrated in dense suburban counties is rising. Commentary
America's geopolitical gusher
Just when it seemed America’s global influence might be ebbing, the world’s leading military and economic power was adding unconventional energy weapons to its arsenal. And the Obama administration is only now beginning to understand how to leverage this energy windfall. Commentary
Mursi's folly
After helping end the fighting in Gaza, impressing President Barack Obama and negotiating a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi has fallen victim to what Bill Clinton calls “brass.” Commentary
Hatch: $23 billion rift on "fiscal cliff"
Senator Orrin Hatch called for better leadership from President Obama to close a $23 billion gap between Democrat and Republican fiscal plans. Video