Just A PR Problem? ObamaCare Architect Claims 'Big PR Campaign' Needed
The federal health care overhaul was central to President Obama's two campaigns for the White House, and has been the defining achievement -- for better or worse -- of his presidency. But one of the architects of ObamaCare, in a heated interview on "Fox News Sunday," argued that the reason young people are not signing up in droves for coverage under the law is the administration hasn't promoted it. Ezekiel Emanuel, a former health adviser to the president (and the brother of former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel), argued the administration has been too caught up with fixing HealthCare.gov to give the law the proper promotional push. Fox News
VOA VIEW: Bad is bad, regpardless how much PR.

The Real Tragedy Of America's Gun Violence
It’s almost a year since the tragedy at Newtown, yet remarkably little has changed. Despite the loss of 26 lives in the Sandy Hook School shooting that day, including 20 children, Washington has failed to coalesce around any really substantive changes to America’s gun laws. Sadly, that means it is only a matter of time before the next mass shooting. As part of a GPS special airing tonight, we went all over the world in search of solutions and lessons that we might apply here to bring down the epidemic of gun violence that afflicts us. We saw many interesting ideas that worked, all of them centering around some simple, common sense ideas that would put some checks on the unfettered sale and possession of firearms. What we did not find was a large-scale, nationwide example where expanded attention to mental health issues could be tied to a reduction in homicides or suicides using guns. CNN

Supreme Court Justice Denies Stay In Airline Merger
A U.S. Supreme Court justice on Saturday night denied a last-ditch effort by a group of consumers and travel agents to stop the merger of American Airlines and US Airways. The application was denied by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the court's public information office said. The combination of American's parent, AMR Corp, and US Airways Group would create the world's largest carrier and follow last month's resolution of antitrust objections by the U.S. Department of Justice. In their appeal to the Supreme Court, plaintiffs led by California resident Carolyn Fjord warned that "irreparable injury" could be caused to the domestic airline industry if the deal goes ahead as planned. They fear the merger will drive air travel prices up and service down and make planes more crowded. Reuters

Day Of Prayer Begins Week Of Services Honoring Mandela
People of differing races and religions across South Africa gathered to pray and sing on Sunday in the first official day of mourning for former president Nelson Mandela, the country's beloved champion of acceptance and equality. “The public is urged to gather in halls, churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and in their homes for prayer services and meditation, reflecting on the life of Madiba and his contribution to our country and the world,” urged South African President Jacob Zuma. Although Sunday opened the state-wide observances that will culminate in a funeral service next Sunday, South Africans have expressed their gratitude for Mandela in somber but celebratory gatherings since he died Thursday at the age of 95. MSNBC

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Sen. Richard Durbin: No Line In The Sand On Unemployment Benefits
Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, said Sunday that members of his party have not drawn a line in the sand on an extension of unemployment benefits getting included in a possible budget deal. “I don’t think we’ve reached that point where we’ve said this is it; take it or leave it,” Mr. Durbin said on ABC’s “This Week.” “What I hear from [Sen.] Patty Murray — I spoke to her the other night — negotiations are making progress, moving in the right direction. They haven’t closed the deal, but I certainly hope, as part of it, that the negotiators will take to heart what the president had to say.” Washington Times

Hagel: U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan "A Very Real Possibility"
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned that a U.S. retreat from Afghanistan at the end of 2014 is entirely possible if Afghan President Hamid Karzai continues to refuse to sign a security agreement that will keep a handful of American and NATO troops in the country after 2014 to advise the Afghan security forces. “I hope he'll come to the right decision on this. Because we need that bilateral security agreement signed for our own planning, for our own purposes, as well as our international partners,” Hagel told CBS News State Department correspondent Margaret Brennan in an interview from Afghanistan, where he is traveling. Hagel warned that there is “a very real possibility” that the U.S. will have to make a full retreat from the country at the end of 2014 if Karzai doesn’t sign the agreement. CBS

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Gross Unheeded By Japan Seeing U.S. Disinflation Buoying Bonds
Honed by 15 years of falling consumer prices that burnished the appeal of fixed-income assets in Japan, the Asian nation’s bond buyers are amassing long-term Treasuries as disinflation emerges in the U.S. Led by Mizuho Asset Management Co., at least five money managers that oversee a combined $236 billion are snapping up Treasuries due in about a decade as inflation-adjusted yields approach the highest level since 1998 relative to Japanese government bonds. Japan’s holdings of U.S. debt rose by $98.2 billion last quarter, the second-largest increase since the Treasury Department began releasing the data in 2000. While Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Bill Gross is recommending short-term U.S. debt, Japanese bond investors are finding value in longer-dated Treasuries as U.S. consumer prices rise the least since 2009. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s stimulus policies are also weakening the yen by the most in three decades this year, bolstering the allure of dollar-based assets. Bloomberg

Pope Offers An Unexpected Gift
Pope Francis was probably not looking at the Jewish calendar when he released his new apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium,” (The Joy of the Gospel). It was a serendipitous Hanukkah gift that brought joy to the Jewish world. The document is full of warmth to Jews and Judaism. It speaks of the growing friendship with the Jewish people and regret for the history of Christian persecution of Jews. Of Judaism he wrote: “We cannot consider Judaism as a foreign religion; nor do we include the Jews among those called to turn from idols and to serve the true God.” It confirms the continued contribution of Divine truth that comes through the “treasures of wisdom which flow from their encounter with his word.” Las Vegas Sun

Politics: Congress' To-Do List Could Require Time It Doesn't Have
The good news for the U.S. Congress is that members have the month of December to complete their laundry list of items -- including a farm bill, food stamps, a budget for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, a slew of presidential nominations, possibly revisiting unemployment benefits, maybe take up imposing more sanctions on Iran -- before 2014. The bad news is Congress has less than a week to do it. The House returned Dec. 2 and expects to adjourn for the year by Friday. The Senate is scheduled to return from the Thanksgiving break Monday and has Dec. 20 as its tentative end date. That's a one-week overlap to git'er done -- although House leaders indicated they could be in session past their get-back-to-the-district date. UPI

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Key Senators ‘Hopeful’ On Budget Deal By End Of Week
As Congress heads into its final week before it adjourns for the holidays, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said he is “hopeful” a short-term budget deal will be reached to avoid the threat of a potential government shutdown in January. “I’m hopeful that even by the end of this week we’ll be able to come together and achieve that,” Portman told George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” Sunday. “The key is that we not have another government shutdown, that we do keep the spending caps in place, that we don’t raise taxes at a time when the economy is still weak,” added Portman, who is a member of the joint committee negotiating the deal. “And I think we can accomplish that over the next couple of days.” ABC

Asia To S&P 500 Futures Rise As Yen Slips; Aussie Climbs
U.S. and Asian index futures rose as better-than-estimated American jobs growth bolstered prospects for the world’s largest economy. Australia’s dollar strengthened versus the greenback after China reported the biggest trade surplus in four years, while the yen extended declines. Nikkei 225 Stock Average futures were bid at 15,580 in the Osaka pre-market, from 15,555 in Chicago Dec. 6. The gauge lost 2.3 percent last week to 15,299.86. Australian stocks gained after index futures from South Korea to Hong Kong rose. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (SPX) futures added 0.2 percent after the measure snapped a five-day slump Dec. 6. Australia’s currency climbed 0.2 percent while the yen retreated a second day against the dollar and the euro. Gold and silver advanced. Bloomberg

Peek-A-Boo, The Drone Sees You
Last week's eye-popping demonstration by Amazon.com of its proposed method of delivery -- packages dropped on doorsteps by little helicopter drones -- has become an Internet sensation. The company uploaded a video demonstration of drone delivery on YouTube, and raked in more than 11 million hits in less than a week. Amazon's drones are warm and friendly, like the heroes of a Disney movie. Others coming your way, not so much. Analyses in 2012 and earlier this year by United Press International and others predicted tens of thousands of drones will populate U.S. air space in the near future. UPI

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System Of Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain Due To Hit Mid-Atlantic Sunday
A powerful storm system that spread hazardous snow, sleet and freezing rain widely across the nation's midsection rumbled toward the densely populated Eastern seaboard on Sunday, promising more of the same. Forecasters said the potent system already blamed for numerous power outages and thousands of weekend flight cancellations elsewhere, has Virginia and other Mid-Atlantic states in its icy sights before the Northeast is up next. Icy conditions were expected to last through the rest of the weekend from Texas to Ohio to Tennessee. And officials warned a major ice storm was possible in Virginia's Appalachian region along the busy Interstate 81 corridor. Fox News

FHA To Pull Back On Big Mortgages
The Federal Housing Administration has announced plans to reduce its stake in the market, an indication it sees some signs of strength in real estate. The agency, which insures low down-payment mortgages, is reducing the upper limits of what it will backstop in areas where home prices are high. Starting in the new year, the biggest cap in these areas will drop to $625,500 from $729,750. Limits will be set lower in about 650 counties as a result, the agency said. The FHA will maintain current limits in areas where home prices are lower and said the move will allow it to refocus on less wealthy homebuyers. CNN

U.S. War Veteran Released By North Korea Returns Home
An 85-year-old Korean War veteran held for more than a month by North Korea as a war criminal arrived in San Francisco on Saturday to be reunited with his family. North Korea detained Merrill E. Newman for crimes it accused him of committing during the conflict six decades ago as a member of the U.S. special forces. He was released for humanitarian reasons after he apologized, the country's state news agency said. Newman flew to China, where he boarded an 11-and-a-half-hour flight home. His United Airlines airlines flight landed at about 9 a.m. Reuters

RI Gun-Permit Tiff Puts Officials' Jobs In Danger
This sleepy town of 6,000 doesn't have a police department, and the only firearm violence tends to be directed at deer. Its biggest controversies usually stem from the local animal shelter or noise from the town pub. It's an unusual place for a debate over gun control. Yet this rural community 30 minutes south of Providence has become the latest place where officials are facing consequences for proposals to change gun laws. Four of the five council members are now the subject of a recall election to be held Dec. 14 after they angered local gun owners with an idea to tweak the way the town issues concealed weapon permits. "It's frustrating. I'm a gun owner myself. My sons are hunters. I have no problem with the Second Amendment," said Councilman Bob Johnson, who, like the others facing recall, is a Democrat. ABC

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Paul Says His Economic Plan Is The Only Hope For Depressed Areas Such As Detroit
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a possible contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, said Sunday that his plan to spur job creation in high unemployment areas is the only politically viable plan to help depressed cities, with Detroit as the prime example. “My economic stimulus plan for Detroit would leave over a billion dollars in Detroit's economy and would stimulate Detroit,” he said. “There is no other plan on the table and there's not going to be some grand bailout that's going to go through Congress, other than my plan, if my plan would pass.  I think it's the only one that politically could pass.” Paul unveiled his program in a speech at the Detroit Economic Club on Friday. His plan would set ultra-low tax rates and lift some government regulations in any Zip code in which the unemployment rate is more than one-and-a-half times the national average. The national average is now 7 percent. MSNBC

Ezekiel Emanuel: If You Want To Pay More For Your Doctor, You Can Under Obamacare
Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, a bioethicist and architect of President Obama’s health care law, offered a somewhat novel explanation for Mr. Obama’s now-debunked promise that if people liked their doctors and health insurance plans, they could keep them under the law. “The president never said you were going to have unlimited choice of any doctor in the country you want to go to,” Dr. Emanuel said on “Fox News Sunday.” “[I]f you want to pay more for an insurance company that covers your doctor, you can do that. This is a matter of choice. We know in all sorts of places you pay more for certain — for a wider range of choices or a wider range of benefits.” Washington Times

Rand Paul: No Problem With Amazon Delivery Drones
You might expect Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to be among the loudest critics of an idea floated by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to deliver packages using unmanned aerial drones. After all, this is the same senator who vaulted to prominence in March with a 13-hour filibuster of CIA Director John Brennan’s nomination in protest of the U.S. government’s policies on drones. But when Fox News’ Chris Wallace asked him Sunday whether he would move to ground Bezos’ high-flying ambition on the launch pad, Paul said his objection is focused on privacy, not technology. CBS

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Syrian Opposition Head Fears US-Iran Thaw Could Benefit Assad
The head of the Syrian National Coalition opposition group said on Sunday a thaw in relations between Washington and Tehran could strengthen President Bashar Assad's hand in Syria's civil war. Ahmed Jarba said a disbursement of Iranian funds frozen in overseas bank accounts as part of a deal under which Iran is to curb its nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief could leave it more cash to spare to support Assad. "I am worried about this closeness (in relations) from the financial side," Jarba said in an interview with Reuters, referring to relations between the United States and Iran. "There are frozen Iranian funds in foreign banks. If these funds were released to Iran, part of it could go to the Syrian regime and this complicates matters even more," he said during a visit to Kuwait, which hosts a Gulf Arab summit on Tuesday. Jerusalem Post

Netanyahu: Ready For Historic Compromise With Palestinians, But Peace Is A Two-Way Street
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he is ready for "a historic compromise" to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "once and for all," but stressed that peace is a "two-way street." Speaking to the Saban Forum of the Brookings Institution via a satellite link from Jerusalem, the prime minister asserted that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not the source of the Middle East's problems. Offering a laundry list of problems facing the region, Netanyahu suggested putting the conflict in perspective - but said that peace was vital nevertheless, primarily for Israelis and Palestinians themselves, referring to a final-status agreement as a "strategic goal" of his office. Jerusalem Post

Iran Nuclear Crisis: UN Inspectors Visit Arak Plant
Inspectors from the UN's nuclear agency have visited Iran's Arak heavy water production plant for the first time in more than two years. The visit comes two weeks after a six-month interim agreement was reached between Iran and world powers over the country's nuclear programme. Iran has agreed to curb some nuclear activities for six months in return for sanctions relief. It has promised not to commission or fuel the Arak reactor during that time. The Arak heavy water production plant is designed to supply a research reactor under construction nearby. BBC

N Korea Confirms Removal Of Powerbroker Chang Song-Thaek
North Korea has confirmed that Chang Song-thaek, a powerful uncle of North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-un, has been dismissed from his post. Mr Chang had committed "criminal acts", according to the state-run KCNA news agency. He was seen as an economic reformer and regularly handled talks with China, Pyongyang's only major ally. His removal is the biggest upheaval in North Korea's leadership since Mr Kim succeeded his father, analysts say. Two of his close aides have been executed for corruption, according to earlier South Korean reports. BBC

Edward Snowden To Give Evidence To EU Parliament
The European parliament is lining up Edward Snowden to give evidence by video link this month, in spite of resistance by British Conservatives, a Green MEP has announced. Jan Philipp Albrecht, a German Green MEP, said parliamentarians wanted Snowden to appear before the assembly's committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE). Albrecht said it would represent a great success for the parliament's investigation into mass surveillance of EU citizens. He said: "Half a year after the first publications from his collection of numerous NSA documents, the truth of which has not so far been refuted, there are still consequences as far as political responsibility is concerned. Guardian

South Korea Extends Its Air Defence Zone To Overlap With China's
South Korea says it has extended its air defence zone to partially overlap with a similar zone declared by China two weeks ago that has sharply raised regional tensions. Beijing's declaration of an air defence identification zone in an area that includes islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan has triggered protests from the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia. Announcing the expansion of its own zone to include two territorial islands to the south and a submerged rock also claimed by China, South Korea's defence ministry said the move would not infringe on neighbouring countries' sovereignty. Guardian

'Schizophrenic' US Foreign Policy Pushing Arab States Toward Russia, Bahrain Warns
America’s “schizophrenic” approach to the Middle East could result in many key Arab states deciding to align themselves more closely with Russia, the rulers of Bahrain warned on Sunday. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, warned that Barack Obama's administration would lose influence in the region if it persisted with what a “transient and reactive” foreign policy. There has been a sharp rise in tensions between Washington and several major Arab states in the wake of last month’s controversial interim agreement with Iran over its nuclear programme. Telegraph

White House Fights To Stop Congress Imposing Fresh Iran Sanctions
The Obama administration is mounting a determined bid to stop the US Congress from introducing fresh Iran sanctions legislation that the White House has warned could hamper efforts to close a comprehensive agreement with Tehran. However with expert-level negotiations due to begin in Vienna on Monday morning, senior senate aides said a bipartisan group of Democrat and Republican senators were “90 per cent” of the way to agreeing a text for new sanctions legislation. Under the plan being discussed over the weekend, Congress would grant the White House six months to conclude a deal with Tehran followed by two fixed 30-day extension periods to clinch a deal, if it was close. Telegraph

In Call To Ukrainian President, Ban Urges Peaceful Means To Diffuse Political Tensions
With hundreds of thousands of protestors reportedly rallying anew in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, General Ban Ki-moon today appealed directly to President Victor Yanukovich for peaceful dialogue to defuse ongoing political tensions in the country. In a telephone call with the President, Mr. Ban expressed his grave concern and emphasised that there must be no resort to violence. He also welcomed President Yanukovich's assurances that consultations would be initiated to defuse the situation, according to a readout of the conversation from Mr. Ban's spokesperson. The wave of demonstrations was sparked by a Government decision on 21 November to not sign an agreement on broader integration with the European Union. UN News

Philippines: 'Encouraging Progress' But Long Road Ahead - Senior UN Official
One month since Typhoon Haiyan slammed the Philippines, the top United Nations humanitarian official in the country today urged the international community to continue support so that people have access to food and clean water, as well as shelter and jobs. “Visiting Tacloban today, I see big differences from my first visit, almost one month ago,” Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Luiza Carvalho said. “The airport is operational, fuel is available, the water system is reconnected, people are receiving assistance and the town hall is functioning. “It is encouraging to see significant progress in such a short space of time but we need to remember there is a long road ahead,” she added. UN News

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