North Korea mourns Kim Jong Il; son is 'successor' (AP)

North Korea mourns Kim Jong Il; son is 'successor' (AP)
House, Senate at odds over payroll tax cut (AP)
Iraq issues arrest warrant for Sunni VP (AP)
Mystery surrounds son set to succeed Kim Jong Il (AP)
As Romney's firm profited in SC, jobs disappeared (AP)
Father: paroled activist Berenson can leave Peru (AP)
Snowstorm halts travel in New Mexico, moves east (AP)
At gas pump, 2011 was the year of the big squeeze (AP)
Man locked in cellar: I never saw my gov't checks (AP)
AP source: Paterno out of hospital, improving (AP)
North Korea mourns dead leader, son is "Great Successor" (Reuters)
Payroll tax cut extension stuck in partisan fight (Reuters)
Euro zone IMF loan target in danger as UK declines (Reuters)
Tension rise as Iraq seeks Sunni VP arrest (Reuters)
Gingrich star fading in Iowa, nationally (Reuters)
Saab heads for scrapyard as long rescue quest fails (Reuters)
Syria to let in monitors as bloodshed rises (Reuters)
Philippines digs graves after typhoon kills hundreds (Reuters)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 11:56 AM PST

AP - North Koreans marched by the thousands Monday to their capital's landmarks to mourn Kim Jong Il, many crying uncontrollably and flailing their arms in grief over the death of their "Dear Leader."

House, Senate at odds over payroll tax cut (AP)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 11:54 AM PST

AP - The House and Senate barreled toward a collision Monday over some of the chief ingredients of President Barack Obama's recipe for reviving the economy, with tax increases and jobless benefit cuts awaiting millions of Americans on New Year's Day if the dispute is not resolved.

Iraq issues arrest warrant for Sunni VP (AP)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 01:33 PM PST

AP - Iraq's Shiite-led government issued an arrest warrant Monday for the Sunni vice president, accusing him of running a hit squad that assassinated government and security officials — extraordinary charges a day after the last U.S. troops left the country.

Mystery surrounds son set to succeed Kim Jong Il (AP)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 01:05 PM PST

AP - With the sudden death of his father, Kim Jong Un went from being North Korea's "Respected General" to "Great Successor" — a heady and uncertain promotion for a young man virtually unknown even to the North Korean people just a year ago.

As Romney's firm profited in SC, jobs disappeared (AP)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 11:52 AM PST

AP - More than two decades ago, Mitt Romney's business venture came to town with a bounty of highly anticipated manufacturing jobs. The new plant, just past the gas station off Interstate 85, needed skilled workers to churn out thousands of photo albums.

Father: paroled activist Berenson can leave Peru (AP)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 01:01 PM PST

AP - Three days after barring her exit, Peruvian migration officials gave paroled U.S. activist Lori Berenson a document on Monday clearing her to leave the country with her toddler son to spend the holidays with her family in New York City, her father said.

Snowstorm halts travel in New Mexico, moves east (AP)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 12:24 PM PST

AP - A powerful storm dumped heavy snow across sections of the Southwest and Great Plains Monday, stranding motorists in New Mexico in whiteout conditions and wreaking havoc on holiday travel just two days before the start of winter.

At gas pump, 2011 was the year of the big squeeze (AP)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 11:47 AM PST

AP - It's been 30 years since gasoline took such a big bite out of the family budget.

Man locked in cellar: I never saw my gov't checks (AP)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 12:47 PM PST

AP - A mentally disabled man says he didn't see his government benefit checks for 10 years after he began living with a woman who is now charged in a widespread fraud and abuse scheme.

AP source: Paterno out of hospital, improving (AP)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 01:26 PM PST

AP - Joe Paterno has been released from the hospital and has shown improvement after being treated for lung cancer, a person close to the former Penn State coach's family said Monday.

North Korea mourns dead leader, son is "Great Successor" (Reuters)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 01:09 PM PST

Reuters - North Koreans poured into the streets on Monday to mourn the death of leader Kim Jong-il and state media hailed his untested son as the "Great Successor" of the reclusive state whose atomic weapons ambitions are a major threat to the region.

Payroll tax cut extension stuck in partisan fight (Reuters)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 12:09 PM PST

Reuters - With a tax cut for 160 million U.S. workers set to expire in less than two weeks, Republicans and Democrats in Congress on Monday were mired in a last-ditch battle over extending it.

Euro zone IMF loan target in danger as UK declines (Reuters)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 01:33 PM PST

Reuters - Euro zone ministers agreed on Monday to boost IMF resources by 150 billion euros to ward off the debt crisis and won support for more money from EU allies, but it was unclear if the bloc would reach its 200 billion euro target after Britain bowed out.

Tension rise as Iraq seeks Sunni VP arrest (Reuters)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 12:26 PM PST

Reuters - Iraqi authorities issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Muslim Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi on Monday for suspected ties to assassinations and bombings, a decision likely to fuel sectarian tensions after the U.S. troop withdrawal.

Gingrich star fading in Iowa, nationally (Reuters)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 11:48 AM PST

Reuters - Presidential nominee Newt Gingrich's status as Republican front runner is fading after weeks of attack ads from rivals and intense media exposure of his political history and personality.

Saab heads for scrapyard as long rescue quest fails (Reuters)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 09:38 AM PST

Reuters - Car maker Saab ran out of room for maneuver Monday when its Dutch owner filed for bankruptcy, calling time on a nine-month battle to rescue the struggling Swedish marque.

Syria to let in monitors as bloodshed rises (Reuters)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 12:06 PM PST

Reuters - Syria agreed on Monday to let Arab states monitor its compliance with an Arab League peace agreement aimed at stopping violence, but human rights activists said more than 70 people had been killed during the day.

Philippines digs graves after typhoon kills hundreds (Reuters)

Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:48 AM PST

Reuters - Disaster agencies on Monday delivered body bags, food, water, and medicine to crowded evacuation centers in the southern Philippines as officials ordered the digging of graves to prevent disease after hundreds died from flash floods.