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A quiet envoy to the hermit kingdom of North Korea

A Korean-American scholar named Kun A. 'Tony' Namkung plays a significant behind-the-scenes role in exchanges between the US and North Korea.
McCain pounds Chuck Hagel in Senate confirmation hearing

At the confirmation hearing for Chuck Hagel as Defense secretary, Sen. John McCain took a particularly robust line of questioning, asking him about his views on the surge in Iraq.
Energy Voices A123 purchase by Chinese firm approved by US. Are energy secrets safe?

The acquisition of A123 Systems Inc. by China-based Wanxiang Group Corp. passed its last official hurdle with the authorization by the US government. The approval comes despite concerns that the A123 Systems deal would expose sensitive energy technology to Chinese authorities.
Opinion 6 reasons why President Obama will defeat the NRA and win universal background checks

Something is going to happen this session in the US Congress that hasn’t happened in more than a decade: The National Rifle Association (NRA) is going to lose on a top priority issue. Here are six reasons why President Obama will win a victory on universal background checks.
Robert Reich Society is not a zero-sum game

Wealthy Americans would do better with smaller shares of a rapidly-growing economy than with the large shares they now possess of an economy that’s barely moving, Reich writes.
Modern Parenthood Immigration reform: Teaching kids about the “pathway to citizenship”

As immigration reform and the pathway to citizenship are moving forward, an educator tells his idea for teaching kids about what's really American.
Ground beef recall linked to illness in five states

Ground beef recalled last week may be responsible for symptoms experienced by 16 people in Michigan, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin who ate the recalled ground beef.
Top Picks: A book on the history of Columbia Records, a PBS special that studies the life of Henry Ford, and more

Writer Deon Meyer spin a fascinating South African mystery in 'Seven Days,' PBS honors the astronauts on board the Columbia, and more top picks.
Presidential libraries: from Boston to Honolulu ... or maybe Chicago

Presidential libraries can be found coast to coast, and may even go beyond that once a site is selected for President Obama's future repository of documents and artifacts. To quickly hopscotch around to the 13 official presidential libraries and museums overseen by the National Archives, plus that of Abraham Lincoln, check out this library list.
Monitor Breakfast Rep. Sander Levin: Debt ceiling standoff may make tax reform harder

Michigan's Rep. Sander Levin, top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, says slow-walking the debt ceiling would also undermine prospects for immigration overhaul and tax reform.
Objections raised over additional projects lumped with Sandy relief

Some lawmakers are cautioning against passing the $50.7 billion Superstorm Sandy aid package, which includes $150 million in aid for fisheries in Alaska, Mississippi and the Northeast. House Republicans have introduced an alternative proposal.
Ohio school to arm janitors, receives support from parents

A school in Ohio will arm janitors after its board raised the issue for a vote Wednesday. Officials from the school that will arm four janitors said the community members hold the second amendment close to their hearts.
Lottery winner killed: Should lottery winners' names be kept secret? (+video)

A lottery winner was killed the day after his scratch-off ticket won, prompting questions about the need to protect the privacy and identity of these often very highly publicized lottery winners.
Chuck Hagel: why Obama is using political capital on Pentagon pick (+video)

President Obama just made it by one 'fiscal cliff,' with more to come. But he has shown he won't shy away from a fight in nominating former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel to run the Pentagon.
Obama hints at big debt-ceiling brawl, but can he win this one?

On Saturday in his weekly address, President Obama warned of a 'dangerous game' ahead if Congress resists raising the debt ceiling. US debt has hit the current limit – $16.4 trillion.
Opinion Don't listen to the Chicken Littles: Obama made smart investments in green tech

A few falling acorns (Solyndra and A123) don't mean the sky is falling on clean technology. Far from it. The federal government’s track record on supporting green energy tech is an enviable one. And this investment is improving America’s energy, economic, and environmental fortunes.
Slimmed farm bill reveals waning influence of agriculture

The 'dairy cliff' may have been avoided, but what was once a half-trillion-dollar bill full of subsidies for farmers was slimmed down to a no-frills extension. The once all-powerful farm interest may have lost its pull.
Chapter & Verse 'Fiscal cliff': banished for overuse

Lake Superior State University's 2012 list of terms that need to be removed from the English language was topped by 'fiscal cliff,"
House Republicans' 'fiscal cliff' gripe: When will we ever get spending cuts? (+video)

What riles House Republicans isn't the taxes on the rich in the Senate's 'fiscal cliff' bill, it's the absence of significant spending cuts. But changes at this late date could scuttle the bill.
'Dairy cliff'? Milk prices poised to spike unless Congress acts.

Prices could surge in January, but probably not double, if inaction by Congress results in the revival of a 1949 price system. And it probably won't come to that, as lawmakers work to avert dairy-case price shock.
'Fiscal cliff' no more? Americans vote to banish the term, at least.

'Fiscal cliff,' 'spoiler alert,' and 'boneless wings' all made a list of overused terms and phrases that is compiled annually by Lake Superior State University.
Change Agent Restoring US native prairies, acre by acre, yard by yard

Across the US Midwest, homeowners are restoring their yards and former farmland to the native prairie that existed in pre-settlement days. The benefits can be substantial — the need for less water and no fertilizer, and an ecosystem that supports wildlife.
Nature Wars

How can we best handle the wildlife now turning up in our own backyards?
Is the NRA push for guns in schools crazy? It depends on where you live.

Reaction to the NRA’s controversial proposal to have armed guards in all schools illustrates the regional divide over guns – how and even whether to control the nation’s private arsenal.
Unemployment down: which states are doing better than others

Unemployment rates fell in 45 states in November, but the strength of the job market varies widely by region, according to US data. Local resources and housing markets are among the reasons.