4 reasons the government won't mint a trillion-dollar coin to prevent a debt-ceiling crisis

The bizarre gimmick is being discussed — seriously, by some — as a way for the government to keep paying its bills without a fight over raising the borrowing limitWith an epic fight looming over raising the debt ceiling, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and others are reviving a quirky old idea to keep the government from defaulting on its debt: Mint a trillion-dollar coin (or two), deposit it in the...

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Congress finally passes scaled-back Hurricane Sandy aid bill

John Boehner got a lot of grief from his own party for stalling the legislationThe House on Friday voted, 354-67, to pass legislation that would provide the National Flood Insurance Program with $9.7 billion to pay out flood claims stemming from Hurricane Sandy. The Senate passed the bill hours later, ending, for now at least, a drama that saw House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) publicly put through...

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The daily gossip: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez break up again, and more

5 top pieces of celebrity gossip — from George Lucas' upcoming nuptials to Tom Selleck's proposed continuation of the Three Men and a Baby franchise1. Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez break up againCongratulations, Beliebers: Justin Bieber is reportedly back on the market, after his seventh or eighth breakup with Selena Gomez over the past two months. (We've officially lost track.) The star-crossed...

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HISTORY MEETS FIREARMS

HISTORY MEETS FIREARMS Barack Obama's determination to enact a gun control measure in the wake of the Connecticut shootings could transform his place in history. Success, which is anything but assured, given the lobbies arrayed against him and the many failures of such measures, could upend more than two centuries of American tradition. It also could boost the president into the pantheon of liberal...

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REPUBLICANS' FISCAL RESTRAINT IS MOSTLY IN THEIR HEADS

Thanks to an ultraconservative congressional faction, many Americans now view the Republican Party as extremist, petty and irresponsible. You need look no further than the ridiculous, drawn-out drama over the so-called fiscal cliff to see the GOP's inability to negotiate reality.But while its brand is badly damaged, the Republican Party has managed to keep alive its mystique as the party of fiscal...

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Official: 28 people killed as farmers attack cattle herders in southeastern Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya - A police official says 28 people have been killed in clashes between farmers and herders in south-eastern Kenya.Anthony Kamitu, who is leading police operations to prevent the attacks, said Friday that the Pokomo tribe of farmers raided a village of the Orma herding community, called Kipao, at dawn in the Tana River Delta.The latest deaths in a tit-for-tat cycle of killings may be...

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Cliff poses tiny dollar gap, wide political ravine

WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to resolving their "fiscal cliff" impasse, the dollar gap between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner is tiny in federal terms. That masks a monumental political ravine the two men must try to bridge, with most of the burden on the now beleaguered Boehner.Short of support from his own Republican Party, a chagrined speaker abruptly canceled a House...

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Obama vows to press ahead on fiscal cliff solution

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says he'll press ahead with Congress to prevent across-the-board tax increases set to strike taxpayers Jan. 1 after House GOP leaders unexpectedly put off a vote on legislation calling for higher rates on million-dollar earners was abruptly scrapped Thursday evening.The measure "did not have sufficient support from our members to pass," House Speaker John Boehner,...

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Oil drops as US 'fiscal cliff' approaches

BANGKOK (AP) -- Oil prices fell below $90 per barrel Friday as doubts intensified that political leaders in Washington would be able to reach a deal on the budget before a costly and potentially detrimental package of tax hikes and spending cuts automatically kicks in at year's end.Benchmark crude for February delivery fell 94 cents at late afternoon Bangkok time to $89.19 per barrel in electronic...

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FBI: 1 of 2 escaped Chicago inmates arrested

CHICAGO (AP) — One of the two bank robbers who made a daring escape from a high-rise federal jail in Chicago was arrested after a dayslong manhunt, the FBI said early Friday.FBI spokeswoman Joan Hyde said Joseph "Jose" Banks was captured without incident in Chicago. Agents and officers from the Chicago FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force, along with officers from the Chicago Police Department, arrested...

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