TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Congress edges toward spending deal
It appears exceedingly unlikely that lawmakers will let the government close down at the end of this week
(By Rosalind S. Helderman)
Rick Perry is confident, but is he ready?
Rick Perry’s charisma belied an uncertainty he had about his own presidential bid. Back in Texas, the governor had vacillated about a White House candidacy for months.
(By Michael Leahy)
Amid need, cities try to set right troubled housing deals
Distressed communities are scrambling to figure out how to weather steep cuts in housing-construction funding and revive delayed and ailing projects.
(By Debbie Cenziper)
A calm before Iowa’s caucus storm
Four years ago, Iowa was awash with candidates and campaign activity. This year it’s been much quieter in the Hawkeye State. Is this the new normal?
(By Dan Balz)
Chris Cillizza: When passion trumps process
Conventional wisdom says that a large, well-funded political organization is a must in Iowa. But is it, really?
(By Chris Cillizza)
NATION
Looking to the East for action on climate change
Broad in scope but short on details, the Durban Platform aims to break down the firewall that has divided the historic big emitters of greenhouse gases from the major developing countries.
( by Juliet Eilperin , The Washington Post)
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METRO
Donald ‘thrilled’ to lead family services
Her introduction as director of the agency she worked at from 2001 to 2005 seemed more like a reunion.
( by Mike DeBonis , The Washington Post)
When ‘improvements’ aren’t, really
Our columnist suffers his own banking crisis.
(, The Washington Post)
In rural Va., majoring in top secrecy
A community college hopes to prepare students for an emerging job market near Charlottesville.
( by Susan Svrluga , The Washington Post)
A star recruit’s job: Erode school’s racist legacy
The private Fuqua School in Farmville, Va., which opened in the 1960s amid white defiance of desegregation orders, wanted a student ambassador to the African American community. So it recruited Charles Williams.
( by Kevin Sieff , The Washington Post)
Black women struggle with job losses
Women— especially black women — were among the hardest hit in the nation’s economic crisis. And the so-called recovery has been even worse for them.
(, The Washington Post)
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POLITICS
Donald ‘thrilled’ to lead family services
Her introduction as director of the agency she worked at from 2001 to 2005 seemed more like a reunion.
( by Mike DeBonis , The Washington Post)
A calm before Iowa’s caucus storm
Four years ago, Iowa was awash with candidates and campaign activity. This year it’s been much quieter in the Hawkeye State. Is this the new normal?
( by Dan Balz , The Washington Post)
Obama chides GOP for intransigence
In an interview on “60 Minutes,” President Obama lashed out at GOP resistance to his economic policies and said changing Washington’s political culture would be a “long-term project.”
( by David Nakamura , The Washington Post)
Republicans scramble to curb Gingrich’s lead
Former House speaker’s lead in the polls strengthens as Iowa caucuses grow near; lower-ranked candidates take shots at front-runners
( by Philip Rucker and Dan Balz , The Washington Post)
Schumer calls for passenger advocates at airports
Sen. Charles E. Schumer and New York state Sen. Michael Gianaris are calling for a passenger advocate program after claims of TSA mistreatment.
( by Michael Gormley , The Washington Post)
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STYLE
Imperfect Dancers Company at Lansburgh Theatre
Italy’s Imperfect Dancers made their U.S. debut Saturday with a forceful performance alternatively fueled by deep feeling and absurdism.
(, The Washington Post)
Stars turn out for ‘Christmas in Washington’
The annual concert, set to air Friday, was taped Sunday at the National Building Museum and included performances by Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, the Band Perry and others.
( by Chris Richards , The Washington Post)
On Facebook, Irish town is off the map
When Ann Marie Kennedy, who is from Effin, Ireland, tried to update her Facebook profile in June, she had a hard time adding her home town. Months later, it’s still not an option .
( by Karla Adam , The Washington Post)
2 artists, 3 films, lots to discuss
Actor Viggo Mortensen and director David Cronenberg have worked together three times, most recently on “A Dangerous Method.”
( by Ann Hornaday , The Washington Post)
‘Distracted’ and shutting out her child
A parent who just lost her mother has a “habit of numbing myself” with Internet, crosswords, reading, knitting — while ignoring her child.
(, The Washington Post)
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SPORTS
Giants stun the Cowboys
Eli Manning and the Giants erase a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to rally past Dallas and move into a first-place tie in the NFC East.
( by Mark Maske , The Washington Post)
RESULTS
(, The Washington Post)
TV and radio listings: December 12
(, The Washington Post)
Impressive turnaround for Jenkins
Gonzaga junior Kris Jenkins scores 20 points to lead his team to a 56-52 victory over Neumann-Goretti of Philadelphia in the championship game of the Gonzaga DC Classic.
( by James Wagner , The Washington Post)
Opinion | Failure finds the Redskins again
They did many things right Sunday in battling the New England Patriots for the entire game. But mistakes and poor judgement still plagued them.
(, The Washington Post)
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WORLD
Afghan folk tales take new role in the classroom
Oral stories turned into printed words help students break the bonds of illiteracy
( by Joshua Partlow in Kabul , The Washington Post)
Maliki heads to U.S. for ‘post-war’ consultations
It is the Iraqi prime minister who will ultimately determine which if any of the goals of the nine-year U.S. military engagement will be achieved.
( by Liz Sly , The Washington Post)
Angry Russians aren’t buying Medvedev investigation
After President Dmitry Medvedev posted on Facebook that election fraud reports would be investigated, thousands of commenters reacted with disdain.
( by Kathy Lally , The Washington Post)
23 reported killed in Syria clashes
The fresh violence came as anti-government protesters in Amman, the capital of neighboring Jordan, stormed the Syrian embassy there.
( by Alice Fordham , The Washington Post)
Cameron’s E.U. veto splinters his coalition
The British prime minister’s move against a European pact brought an extraordinarily scathing reaction from his deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg.
( by Anthony Faiola , The Washington Post)
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LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Fix Face-Off: The finale (video)
Political blogger Chris Cillizza's fast-paced video Q&A about the 2012 presidential election and other political issues.
(, vForum)
Five myths about Ron Paul
Nick Gillespie separates Ron Paul fact from fiction.
(, vForum)
Redskins-Patriots postgame chat with Cindy Boren
Live discussion about the Redskins vs. Patriots game.
(, vForum)
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EDITORIAL
A new mirage in the Iraqi desert
U.S.-Iraqi relations rest on a set of inaccurate assumptions.
( by Kimberly Kagan and Frederick W. Kagan , The Washington Post)
Cameron’s eyes are on the City
The British prime minister has his own art of the deal.
(, The Washington Post)
Fed bashing gone wild
Federal Reserve paying a price in current round of revisionism.
(, The Washington Post)
Obama is lagging on Egypt
Obama isn’t much engaged by the fight for freedom in the Middle East.
(, The Washington Post)
Obama abroad: Democratic realism
The president and his foreign policy team present a new focus on democracy abroad.
(, The Washington Post)
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BUSINESS
Investment firms playing role in legal field
Burford Group is one such third party with corporate clients of area law firms.
( By Catherine Ho , The Washington Post)
First-time suppliers to U.S. drop most since ‘05
Contributing to the decline are federal budget cuts and the expanding use of multiple-award contracts that direct orders to a pre-selected pool of companies, a trend that has hurt smaller vendors in particular.
( by Nishad Majmudar , The Washington Post)
New at the top: Debra Cabral
In her new role at Story Partners, she aims to lead a public affairs firm that is recognized for its work in digital and social media.
(, The Washington Post)
Washington area business events
Seminars and workshops for the week of Dec. 12.
(, The Washington Post)
Site hopes to get students out of dorm
The startup NeverBoredU.com offers students a comprehensive list to local happenings and events.
(, The Washington Post)
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