Russian Plane Crash Video Captures Moment Of Impact

Video from a dashboard camera captured the moment of impact when a passenger plane crashed into a highway at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. The Red Wings Tu-204 was empty except for crew when it rolled off the runway at Russia's third-busiest airport Saturday, breaking into three pieces and later catching on fire. Cars on the road were hit with debris from the plane. Of the eight crew members aboard at the time of the crash, five have died, including the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and two flight stewards.

Four crew members were pronounced dead at the scene, while a fifth succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash, according to RT. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. According to SkyNews, it is thought that light snowfall at the time of the crash may have obscured the pilot's view of the runaway, contributing to human error. Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for Russia's main investigative agency, was quoted by Russian news agencies Sunday as saying the data recorders were being examined, along with fuel samples, the Associated Press reports. Flight documents for the plane have been taken from the airline for examination. Dashboard cameras are popular in Russia as a way of substantiating claims in court, according to Animal New York.

Hillary Clinton Admitted To New York Hospital With Blood Clot Following Concussion

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was admitted to a New York hospital Sunday after the discovery of a blood clot stemming from the concussion she sustained earlier this month. Clinton's doctors discovered the clot Sunday while performing a follow-up exam, her spokesman, Philippe Reines, said. He would not elaborate on the location of the clot but said Clinton is being treated with anti-coagulants and would remain at New York-Presbyterian Hospital for at least the next 48 hours so doctors can monitor the medication. "Her doctors will continue to assess her condition, including other issues associated with her concussion," Reines said in a statement. "They will determine if any further action is required."

Clinton, 65, fell and suffered a concussion while at home alone in mid-December as she recovered from a stomach virus that left her severely dehydrated. The concussion was diagnosed Dec. 13 and Clinton was forced to cancel a trip to North Africa and the Middle East that had been planned for the next week. The seriousness of a blood clot "depends on where it is," said Dr. Gholam Motamedi, a neurologist at Georgetown University Medical Center who was not involved in Clinton's care. Clots in the legs are a common risk after someone has been bedridden, as Clinton may have been for a time after her concussion. Those are "no big deal" and are treated with six months of blood thinners to allow them to dissolve on their own and to prevent further clots from forming, he said.

A clot in a lung or the brain is more serious. Lung clots, called pulmonary embolisms, can be deadly, and a clot in the brain can cause a stroke, Motamedi said. Keeping Clinton in the hospital for a couple of days could allow doctors to perform more tests to determine why the clot formed, and to rule out a heart problem or other condition that may have led to it, he said. Dr. Larry Goldstein, a neurologist who is director of Duke University's stroke center, said blood can pool on the surface of the brain or in other areas of the brain after a concussion, but those would not be treated with blood thinners, as Clinton's aide described.

Obama To Meet With Congressional Leaders

The Senate's top Republican says President Barack Obama has asked congressional leaders to convene at the White House for last-minute talks on a deal that avoids automatic tax increases and broad spending cuts. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says the leaders are expected to meet with the president Friday, just four days before the government goes over the so-called "fiscal cliff" if Congress and Obama don't act. The meeting would be the first time Obama has huddled with all four leaders since Nov. 16 and would represent that last hope for a deal before the new year. Obama spoke to each leader individually Wednesday before returning from vacation in Hawaii. Obama and congressional Democrats want a deal that would let tax rates rise for the wealthiest taxpayers.

U.S. Mental Healthcare System Failing Patients Advocates Say

On Feb. 9, 1844, the governor of Missouri ate breakfast, went to his office and locked the door. Then he shot himself with a rifle. Thomas Reynolds’ death rattled the state and inspired a conversation about mental illness that led to the founding of its first public mental hospital. 168 years later, Missouri's mental health system is in crisis. “The place is something out of the 1920s,” Missouri State Rep. Jeanne Kirkton said of Fulton State Hospital, the state's first. “Have you ever seen ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’? It’s that, but worse.” A report by the Missouri Mental Health Department found that Fulton “is inordinately expensive to operate and is an extremely dangerous environment for both patients and staff.” For the state’s severely mentally ill, Fulton is one of a dwindling number of options.

According to an April 2012 Missouri Hospital Association report, there are only 637 licensed psychiatrists in the state. Budget cuts have forced both public and private hospitals to reduce the number of psychiatric beds they provide, while community-based mental health services have lost $17.2 million in the past 3 years alone. Missouri is not an outlier. The National Alliance on Mental Illness in 2009 gave America's mental health system a D rating. When state budgets across the country have needed trimming in recent years, mental health services have often been among the first to go. “It is not a glamorous issue,” said Sandy Pasch, a state representative from Wisconsin. “Mental health is often one of the first things to cut ... it’s not one of the heavily lobbied groups." In the past three years, $4.35 billion for services has been cut from state budgets across the country, according to a report by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute.

While states are slashing funding for treatment, private care is getting harder to obtain. Mental health advocates say that the number of providers nationwide has decreased in recent years. The ones that do practice often don’t take insurance or are all booked up. “Even if you have a benefits program that should offer you mental health and substance abuse services, it’s often difficult to find a provider who will even take you just to get in the door for an assessment,” said Sarah Steverman, the director of state policy for Mental Health America, the nation's largest non-profit mental health advocacy group. “We don’t have enough providers, and the providers that we do have don’t necessarily have to service the population that's most in need because there’s plenty of demand.” Amelio D’Onofrio is a New York City-based psychologist who teaches at Fordham University.

He said he requires patients to pay out of pocket for treatment. “Not everyone can afford that -- it limits the clientele to a certain socioeconomic status,” he said. “The reimbursement rates [from insurance companies] to mental health providers are not on par with making a living. These become difficult choices. I want to practice, but I’m going to do it in a way that I can practice the way I want to practice, not be limited with the paperwork that insurance companies require.” Jackie Malasky, a young professional working in Washington, D.C., said she used to see a therapist, but the out-of-pocket costs stopped her. “It just got to the point where it was too expensive,” she said. “I want to get back into therapy but it’s hard to find somebody you vibe with and it’s really expensive.” Even if providers do take insurance, insurance companies may not cover every service. “It is much cheaper for insurance companies to pay for medication than ongoing psychotherapy, and their lobbies and the money spent on advertisements have slowly infused our cultural thinking about this,” said Lloyd Sederer, the author of The Family Guide to Mental Health Care and an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health who also serves as an adviser to HuffPost's Healthy Living section.

But Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America’s Health Insurance Plans, the trade group that represents the health insurance industry, said that insurance companies aim to cover the services that fit patients best, no matter the cost. “Health plans provide coverage for very expensive things every day of the week,” she said. “The decisions have to do with what the science tells us is working best.” Furthermore, “if the typical recommendation doesn’t apply, then there’s a way for the physician to ask for an exception.” But there are signs that many people are slipping through the cracks. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 40 percent of adults with serious mental illnesses reported not getting treatment at all in 2009. One of those adults is Marsha Roach’s 30-year-old son Peter, who is autistic and also suffers from substance abuse issues.

Roach said that her son received extensive support in middle school and high school. Once he graduated, everything changed. “It's really a nightmare,” she said. "It just blows my mind with what I’ve had to go through. We've been very unsuccessful in everything we’ve tried.” Peter Roach lives in Branford, Conn., with his mother and grandmother and hasn’t worked or taken classes since high school. His mother, who has a full-time job, has tried for years to get him into supportive housing, but hasn't had any luck. “A big part of the reason is because he has family. They keep putting him at the back of the list because there are people who don’t,” Marsha Roach said. “What’s going to happen when I die? Who’s going to take care of him?” Roach has worked with counselors from BH Care, a nearby non-profit behavioral health care provider. She says that one counselor told her “if you can’t deal with him, drop him off at a [homeless] shelter.” Mike Fitzpatrick, the Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said that there is a total lack of a support system for caregivers. “Ultimately it's families and caregivers who are taking care of and providing support to the people that they love, and too often they’re going it alone.

” Fitzpatrick said that when caregivers are worried about loved ones, especially those who are resistant to getting help, calling the police is often the most accessible option. Samantha Bernstein of Stamford, Conn., has twice called 911 on her son Max, who has pediatric bipolar disorder. “He would have tantrums that lasted over an hour, I mean throwing himself on the floor,” she said. “He once had a tantrum that was so major that he slipped and hit his head and needed stitches.” She said that both times she called, the response team was extremely helpful. However, Max’s issues continued. “He was hospitalized eight times between the ages of 5 and 7,” she said. Bernstein enrolled her son in Hampshire Country School, a therapeutic boarding school for boys in Rindge, N.H. She said that Max, now 10, no longer has violent outbursts and is off medication. Thanks to the school, he has plenty of adult supervision and constant support. Hampshire's sticker price? $49,000 per year, according to its website.

That amount is not something most families can afford, given that the median income in U.S. households is only $52,762. But while mental health treatment often comes at a great cost to both patients and governments, studies suggest it’s more expensive for the nation to avoid dealing with mental illness than it is to treat it properly. A 2008 study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health found that serious mental illness costs the U.S. economy $193.2 billion dollars per year in lost earnings. That amount doesn't account for other associated costs, like the cost of incarcerations. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 56 percent of state prisoners and 45 percent of federal prisoners have symptoms or a recent history of mental health issues. People with mental illness "are by and large invisible people to many state legislators, so they’re the easier cuts to make without having a big backlash,” said Kirkton, the Missouri lawmaker. “It’s most unfortunate because when you look down into the numbers of how much it really costs state and local governments, when you think about all the impacts of mental illness on employment, hospital care, public safety, it's not a pennywise decision.”

Frank Luntz, GOP Pollster: The NRA Isn't Listening With Proposal For Armed Guards At Schools

Frank Luntz, a top Republican strategist and pollster, said Wednesday that the National Rifle Association's recent calls for armed guards to be stationed at every school in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. massacre suggested the organization isn't listening to public opinion on the issue.“The public wants guns out of the schools, not in the schools, and they're not asking for a security official or someone else," Luntz said on CBS’s “This Morning,” responding to a proposal first floated by top NRA lobbyist Wayne LaPierre during a press conference last week.

"I don’t think the NRA is listening. I don’t think that they understand," Luntz continued. "Most Americans would protect the Second Amendment rights and yet agree with the idea that not every human being should own a gun, not every gun should be available at anytime, anywhere, for anyone. That at gun shows, you should not be able to buy something there and then without any kind of check whatsoever. What they're looking for is a common-sense approach that says that those who are law-abiding should continue to have the right to own a weapon, but that you don’t believe the right should be extended to everyone at every time for every type of weapon.”

Luntz conducted a survey of gun owners both affiliated and unaffiliated with the NRA earlier this year, which found broad support for certain provisions that would restrict the sale of guns.Among NRA members, 74 percent said they support background checks as a requirement for concealed carry permits. Recent polls of the broader American populace have showed higher levels of support for that and other gun control measures which the NRA has historically opposed.

Kate Middleton Prince William Christmas Will Be Spent With Middletons Instead Of Royals

Prince William will spend Christmas with his pregnant wife Kate and his in-laws in the southern England village of Bucklebury, royal officials said Saturday. That means a family Christmas for the Duchess of Cambridge, who was recently hospitalized after suffering from severe morning sickness. A statement from St. James' Palace, William's official residence, didn't go into much detail, saying only that the prince and Kate would spend their time in Bucklebury "privately." But a recent article penned by Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton, gave some insight into what a Bucklebury holiday might look like for the royal pair. "The Middletons' Christmas should be blissfully calm. We're good at keeping each other's spirits up," Pippa wrote in the most recent edition of Britain's Spectator magazine. She added that her father, Michael, liked to surprise the family with bizarre costumes. "He buys a new costume each year and typically gets a bit carried away – a couple of Christmases ago, he appeared in an inflatable sumo outfit," she wrote. British royals traditionally spend the holidays at Sandringham, a vast estate in eastern England, and a spokesman for William said that royal couple would pay a visit at some point over the festive season. He noted that William's absence from Sandringham had been approved by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and her husband, Prince Philip. He spoke on condition of anonymity because palace rules forbid his identification in the press.

Santa Claus Obesity: Santa Is Getting Fatter, May Be Bad Influence On Children

Jolly ol' St. Nicholas, with his "bowl full of jelly" belly, has long been beloved by children everywhere for his snuggly tummy and rosy, rotund face. But it seems the venerated gift giver (or at least, his shopping mall-dwelling doppelgängers) is getting way too chubby -- and doctors warn that the added weight is not cause for holiday cheer. According to a Friday report by ABC News, titled "Many Santas Are Now Ho Ho Ho-bese," Santa Claus stand-ins seem to be getting fatter every year. Adele Saidy, owner of costume store Adele's of Hollywood who has been designing Santa costumes for more than four decades, told the network that she's observed an alarming trend in recent years as Santa suit sizes have continued to balloon. “They are getting larger and larger,” she told ABC News. “Last year and this year, 25 percent of my Santas -- oh, I don’t want to say it -- they are really overweight.”

Saidy is not the only Santa suit-seller that has observed this literal growth. An increasing number of retailers are now stocking their shelves with costumes that can fit Santas who wear a size XXXL or larger. This is not the first time that Santa's growing belly has made the news. In 1996, the Augusta Chronicle reported that Santa suits had been growing in size for many years. "The suits have always been big. But it's a question of how big. Extra large isn't always big enough and now we're getting calls for extra extra large," Jenny Zink, a veteran Santa suit maker, told the Chronicle at the time. A report in the Herald-Journal in 2004 reiterated this growing trend. Santasuits.com noted at the time that demand for larger Santa suits (up to 4XL) had been growing steadily. In 2010, John Tantillo, in a Fox News op-ed, lamented that Santa has become "just too darn fat" and that his growing waistline was not providing a healthy example for young children.

Fiscal Cliff 'Plan B' Gets Veto Threat From Obama

The White House says President Barack Obama would veto House Speaker John Boehner's `Plan B' proposal for extending tax cuts for people making up to $1 million.

White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer says it is unlikely that such a bill would pass the Senate. In a statement, he says the deficit reduction that would result from the `Plan B' approach is minimal and offers no spending cuts.Pfeiffer says Obama urges Republican leaders to work with the White House to find a reasonable solution instead of engaging in "political exercises." Unless both sides reach an agreement, a series of tax hikes and spending cuts will go into effect starting Jan.

Michigan Right-To-Work Bill Approved By Republican-Dominated House

The Michigan Legislature gave final approval Tuesday to a bitterly contested right-to-work plan limiting the power of unions, a devastating and once unthinkable defeat for organized labor in a state considered a cradle of the movement. Unswayed by Democrats' pleas and thousands of protesters inside and outside the state Capitol, the House approved two final bills, sending them on to Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. One dealt with private sector workers, the other with government employees.

Both measures cleared the Senate last week. Snyder is expected to sign the measures into law as early as Wednesday that would make Michigan the 24th state with right-to-work laws, which ban requirements that nonunion employees pay unions for negotiating contracts and other services. Supporters say they give workers more choice and boost economic growth, but critics say the real intent is to weaken organized labor by bleeding unions of money needed to bargain effectively with management. "This is about freedom, fairness and equality," House Speaker Jase Bolger said. "These are basic American rights – rights that should unite us." Democrats offered a series of amendments, one of which would have allowed a statewide referendum.

All were swiftly rejected. "This is the nuclear option," Rep. Doug Geiss, a Democrat from Taylor. "This is the most divisive issue that we have had to deal with. And this will have repercussions. And it will have personal hard feelings after this is all said and done." Protesters in the gallery chanted "Shame on you!" as the measures were approved. Union backers clogged the hallways and grounds shouting, "No justice, no peace." Sen. John Proos, a Republican from St. Joseph who voted for the right-to-work bills last week, said opponents had a right to voice their anger but predicted it would fade as the shift in policy brings more jobs to Michigan.

Mitt Romney Attends Manny Pacquiao - Juan Manuel Marquez Boxing Match

Defeated presidential candidate Mitt Romney was a guest ringside Saturday night at the fourth fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Romney also visited with Pacquiao in his dressing room before the fight, wishing him well in the bout. "Hello Manny. I ran for president. I lost," Romney told the fighter, according to Pacquiao publicist Fred Sternburg. Pacquiao is a congressman in the Philippines, and has said previously he might run one day for the president of his country. Romney and his wife, Ann, were guests of Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman Bill Brady at the fight at the MGM Grand hotel arena. Brady hosted a fundraiser for Romney during the presidential campaign. The Romneys arrived during the undercard, drawing little reaction from the crowd.

Mohammed Morsi Cancels Controversial Decree But Pushes Referendum

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi has cancelled a decree that gave him sweeping powers and sparked huge protests, but did not delay a referendum on a constitution as his opponents had demanded. The announcement came from the spokesman for politicians and other figures who took part in a national dialogue on Saturday convened by the Islamist president. But the main opposition group stayed away, so the talks had little credibility among protesters. One of the opposition's main demands was to scrap a referendum on a constitution that was drafted by an Islamist-led assembly. Liberals and others quit the assembly, saying their voices were not being heard. 

But that vote will go ahead on Dec. 15 as planned. Officials said those at Saturday's talks had discussed a delay but found legal obstacles prevented any change in the date for the referendum. The president issued a new decree in which the first article "cancels the constitutional declaration" announced on Nov. 22, spokesman Mohamed Selim al-Awa told a news conference. Last month's decree had led to protests and deadly violence. The new decree excluded some elements from the old decree that had angered the opposition, including one article that gave the president broad powers to confront threats to the revolution or the nation, wording that the opposition said gave him arbitrary authority to act.

Another article in the old decree had put beyond legal challenge any decision taken by the president since he took office on June 30 and until a new parliament was elected, a step that can only happen when a new constitution is in place. Although that article was not repeated, an article in the new decree put "constitutional declarations including this declaration" beyond judicial review. The new decree also outlined steps for setting up an assembly to draft a new constitution should the current draft be rejected at a referendum the decree said would be held on Dec. 15. The spokesman for the main opposition coalition that boycotted Saturday's talks, the National Salvation Front, said his group would meet on Sunday to discuss the announcement, but added his personal view was that it was not enough.

Scott Walker's Son Used Same-Day Registration Accompanied By The Governor

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) may find same-day voter registration inefficient, but his son apparently finds it quite convenient. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Matt Walker, a freshman at Marquette University, went to vote in Wauwatosa for the presidential election and registered while at the polls. A witness at the polling place said the governor accompanied his son. Wisconsin has had same-day registration since 1976. But at a recent speech in California, Walker said he would like to get rid of this law, citing the burden it placed on poll workers.

"States across the country that have same-day registration have real problems because the vast majority of their states have poll workers who are wonderful volunteers, who work 13-hour days and who in most cases are retirees," he said. "It's difficult for them to handle the volume of people who come at the last minute. It'd be much better if registration was done in advance of election day. It'd be easier for our clerks to handle that. All that needs to be done." Poll workers and election clerks have disputed Walker's characterization of same-day registration, and on Wednesday, he walked back his remarks.

"This is a ridiculous issue. My priority is about jobs, creating jobs," he told reporters. He did not, however, specify whether he would still sign a repeal bill if it came to his desk from the GOP-controlled legislature. Jocelyn Webster, a Walker spokeswoman, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Walker still believes ending same-day registration would make the electoral process easier for poll workers.

November Jobs Report: U.S. Economy Adds 146,000 Jobs As Unemployment Rate Drops

Stock futures jumped after the report. Dow Jones industrial average futures were down 20 points in the minutes before the report came out at 8:30 a.m., and just after were up 70 points. As money moved into stocks, it moved out of safer bonds. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note, which moves opposite the price, rose to 1.63 percent from 1.58 percent just before the report. Since July, the economy has added an average of 158,000 jobs a month. That's a modest pickup from 146,000 in the first six months of the year. The increase suggests employers are not yet delaying hiring decisions because of the "fiscal cliff." That's the combination of sharp tax increases and spending cuts that are set to take effect next year without a budget deal. Retailers added 53,000 positions while temporary help companies added 18,000 and education and health care also gained 18,000.

Auto manufacturers added nearly 10,000 jobs. Still, overall manufacturing jobs fell 7,000. That was pushed down by a loss of 12,000 jobs in food manufacturing that likely reflects the layoff of workers at Hostess. Sandy forced restaurants, retailers and other businesses to close in late October and early November in 24 states, particularly in the Northeast. The U.S. grew at a solid 2.7 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter. But many economists say growth is slowing to a 1.5 percent rate in the October-December quarter, largely because of the storm and threat of the fiscal cliff. That's not enough growth to lower the unemployment rate. The storm held back consumer spending and income, which drive economic growth. Consumer spending declined in October and work interruptions caused by Sandy reduced wages and salaries that month by about $18 billion at an annual rate, the government said. Still, many say economic growth could accelerate next year if the fiscal cliff is avoided. The economy is also expected to get a boost from efforts to rebuild in the Northeast after the storm.

Kate Middleton's Hospital Nurse Found Dead In London Days After Being Duped By Prank Callers

The hospital nurse who put through a prank call to Kate Middleton's private nurse earlier this week has been found dead in a suspected suicide, the Daily Mail reports. Jacintha Saldanha was found unconscious on Friday morning nearby King Edward VII Hospital in London, where she worked. A Scotland Yard spokesman said that the police were called and an ambulance arrived, but the woman was declared dead at the scene. The Daily Mail speculates that "one source indicated that the woman appeared to have killed herself." A rep for Scotland Yard only stated, "The death is not being treated as suspicious at this stage." 

This past Wednesday, the day after the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was admitted at King Edward VII Hospital to be treated for hyperemesis gravidarum, two radio hosts from 2Day FM, a Sydney-based station, called up the hospital for an on-air prank. Hosts Mel Grieg and Michael Christian pretended to be Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales, respectively, and were transferred by the receptionist to Kate's nurse. The nurse proceeded to reveal medical details to the supposed royal relatives, including the best time for them to come visit the pregnant duchess. This story is developing. The palace has released a statement: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jacintha Saldanha."

Marijuana Legalization Poll Finds Americans Want Federal Government To Leave States Alone

On Thursday, Washington became the first state to officially legalize marijuana, soon to be followed by Colorado as their new laws legalizing the drug for recreational use go into effect. A survey out Friday shows what Americans want the federal government to do about the states whose drug laws clash with national laws: Leave them alone.Fifty-one percent of Americans in the new HuffPost/YouGov poll said that in the two states that have legalized marijuana use for adults, the federal government should exempt any adults following state laws from federal drug law enforcement. Only 30 percent said the federal government should enforce its drug laws in those states in the same way it does in any other state.

A New York Times report has cast doubt on whether the two states will be able to put their new laws into effect unencumbered by the federal government, suggesting the Obama administration may pursue legal action to block the two states' laws, which contradict federal laws that make marijuana use illegal. The new HuffPost/YouGov poll suggests this would be an unpopular move by the federal government, although the survey asked about enforcement of drug laws against individuals, rather than action to block the state laws.

Exemptions for users and dispensaries in the states that permit medical marijuana were even more popular than the idea of states permitting recreational use. Fifty-eight percent of respondents favored exemptions from federal drug laws in those cases, and only 23 percent said they were opposed. Medical marijuana exemptions were popular even among some groups that did not favor exemptions for the two recreational marijuana states. For example, 40 percent of Americans age 65 and up opposed exemptions for adults using marijuana in the two states where it is legal compared to 35 percent who supported the exemptions. But of that same age group, 49 percent favored exempting medical marijuana patients and dispensaries, compared to 30 percent who opposed it. Republicans in the survey rejected exemptions for either recreational or medical marijuana, but were more split on an exemption for medical use: By only a 43 percent to 39 percent margin, they said the federal government should enforce its laws in medical marijuana states the same as it would in other states.

Judicial Vacancies Skyrocket During President Obama's First Term

As President Barack Obama winds down his first term in office, he won't be looking back with pride at his record on reducing federal judicial vacancies.There are currently 83 empty district and circuit court judge seats. That means Obama is poised to end the year with more vacancies than when he was sworn in -- there were 55 when he came in -- and with far fewer confirmed nominees than his two predecessors had by the end of their first terms. While former President Bill Clinton was at 200 and George W. Bush was at 205, Obama is at 160, according to data provided by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Thirty-three of those 83 empty seats are considered "judicial emergencies," meaning that because of the number of vacancies at the circuit court level, the amount of cases per panel of judges [on a given court] exceeds 700, or stays between 500 and 700 for more than 18 months. In district courts, it means a single judge has more than 600 cases, or between 430 and 600 for more than 18 months. The more overloaded judges are, the more delayed the process of moving millions through the justice system.

Senate obstruction is the most widely cited source of the crisis. But Obama's record when it comes to nominating judges is also lackluster. He hasn't put forward as many nominees as his predecessors, a fact that Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said is fueling the crisis with judicial vacancies. By this point in their presidencies, Clinton and Bush had nominated 247 and 231 judicial nominees, respectively. Obama has only put up 215.

But naming more nominees doesn't mean Senate Republicans would necessarily move any faster to confirm them, said a White House aide. "If my coffee pot only makes one cup per hour, no matter how many coffee beans I pour into it, the number of cups coming out will still be the same," said the aide. "It doesn’t matter how many more judges we jam into the pipeline, the vacancy rate doesn't change at all. The bottleneck is the Senate."

Indeed, Senate Republicans haven't been brewing much coffee with Obama the past four years. The pattern throughout the president's tenure has been uncontroversial judicial nominees clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee but going nowhere the Senate floor. Then, after months of opposition, GOP leaders agree to clear some of the backlog and long-stalled nominees sail through virtually unopposed.

Historically, senators from both parties stalled judicial nominees when those senators are in the opposite party of the sitting president. But what has changed is the degree to which obstruction has become standard operating procedure since Obama took office. After four years, Obama has seen about 75 percent of his nominees confirmed. By contrast, the Senate confirmed 81 percent of Clinton's nominees and 88.7 percent of Bush's nominees by this point in their presidency.

Hillary Is Running: A Dispatch From The Saban Forum

Hillary Clinton is running for President. And the Israeli political class is a full-blown train wreck. These are two conclusions, for whatever they are worth, based on a three-day conference I attended this weekend at the annual Saban Forum, in Washington, D.C.Sorry, America. You probably imagined we'd get a break from presidential campaigning, but Warren Buffett has other ideas. The billionaire investor just endorsed Hillary Clinton.A survey of attendees at this week's Take Back the American Dream conference in Washington, D.C. revealed that 59 percent of them want a female.

Sheldon Adelson Spent Far More On Campaign Than Previously Known

Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson vowed to spend as much as $100 million to defeat President Barack Obama and help the GOP take control of Congress. According to two GOP fundraisers with close ties to the Las Vegas billionaire, he made good on that promise -- and then some. Adelson ultimately upped the ante, spending closer to a previously unreported $150 million, the fundraisers said.Adelson, a fierce critic of Obama’s foreign and domestic policies, has said that his humongous spending was spurred chiefly by his fear that a second Obama term would bring "vilification of people that were against him." As that second term begins, Adelson's international casino empire faces a rough road, with two federal criminal investigations into his business.

This coming week, Adelson plans to visit Washington, according to three separate GOP sources familiar with his travel schedule. While here, he’s arranged Hill meetings with at least one House GOP leader in which he is expected to discuss key issues, including possible changes to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the anti-bribery law that undergirds one federal probe into his casino network, according to a Republican attorney with knowledge of his plans.

During the election, Adelson told Politico that the Justice Department investigation, and the way he felt treated by prosecutors, was a primary motivation for his investment in Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and other GOP candidates. He put his money where his mouth was. The two GOP fundraisers, both with strong ties to Adelson, said that the casino mogul dished out close to $150 million, including between $30 million and $40 million to the Karl Rove-founded Crossroads GPS and at least $15 million to grassroots efforts with financial links to Charles and David Koch. Among other major beneficiaries of Adelson’s largess were the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which received almost $5 million from Adelson, and the Republican Jewish Coalition, which got the bulk of its $6.5 million budget from him, the fundraisers said.

All of these are non-profit groups, which -- unlike the super PACs that raked in $54 million in funds from Adelson and his wife -- are not currently required to disclose their donors. Adelson’s public spending spree, larger than any other donor's in the last election, was made possible by two high court rulings in early 2010 that allowed corporations, unions and individuals to write unlimited checks to outside groups for political ads and other activities backing candidates.

The two fundraisers who provided information to The Huffington Post represented separate groups that each received seven-figure checks this year from Adelson. The fundraisers learned details of Adelson’s spending plans about a month prior to the election: one heard of them in a talk with the casino owner himself, while the other didn’t indicate if his information came from Adelson or a top aide to the billionaire. Both requested anonymity to protect their ties to Adelson and because they were not authorized to speak publicly about his giving.

Kate Middleton Pregnant: Confirmed By Buckingham Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby, according to an official statement just released by palace officials, who confirm that Kate Middleton and Prince William, both 30, are adding a royal boy or girl to their mix. Kate has been admitted to the hospital for Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a "very acute morning sickness, which requires supplementary hydration and nutrients," according to the duke and duchess' official website. Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby.

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news. The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter. The official statement of Kate Middleton's pregnancy comes after an exhaustive set of baby rumors that have dogged the couple ever since their royal wedding in April 2011: On the pair's recent royal tour in Asia, Catherine declined wine in favor of water on several occasions, fueling speculation that she was expecting. Prince William also told a little boy that he wanted "two" children. Just a week earlier, Star magazine had breathlessly (and creepily?) declared that the couple had conceived on a "passionate night together" following the London Olympics. In November 2011, just six months after the wedding, In Touch pronounced Kate sih weeks along, but summer 2012 came and went without, obviously, a royal birth. (Palace officials had shot down those rumors anyway.)

Also in November 2011, Catherine declined to taste a peanut butter paste at a UNICEF event, leading to gossip that she was expecting. (Pregnant moms apparently often avoid peanut butter to help prevent allergy issues.) The new royal baby will obviously be the first for William and Catherine, who married in 2011 after a 10-year on-and-off courtship. He or she will be Queen Elizabeth II's third great-grandchild (after Savannah and Isla Phillips), Prince Harry's first niece or nephew and will make Pippa Middleton a proud aunt. Our biggest congratulations to the Palace! And for the rest of us: buckle up. It's going to be quite a year.

The Daily Shutting Down: News Corp. To End Daily iPad Publication

After months of downsizing and rumors of its imminent closing, News Corp. announced its decision to cease publication of The Daily effective mid-December. News Corp. made the announcement on Monday.

Murdoch called the daily iPad news publication, the only one of its kind, "a bold experiment in digital publishing and an amazing vehicle for innovation" that "could not find a large enough audience ... to convince us the business model was sustainable in the long-term."

Daily chief Jesse Angelo, who also serves as executive editor of the New York Post, will become publisher of The Post. According to the News Corp. press release obtained by Business Insider: As part of a digital restructuring initiative, the company will cease standalone publication of The Daily iPad app on December 15, 2012, though the brand will live on in other channels. Technology and other assets from The Daily, including some staff, will be folded into The Post.

According to AllThingsD, the iPad application employs roughly 120 staffers. In July, News Corp. laid off almost one-third of Daily employees (at the time—70 of its 150 staffers) and put the publication "on probation" just eighteen months after its debut.

The massive layoffs came days after News Corp. announced its decision to divide into two separate companies, divorcing its print publications from its broadcast operations. Murdoch also announced a series of executive appointments regarding the News Corp. split on Monday.

In July, the New York Times reported Daily was on track to lose an estimated $30 million a year. Sources told the New York Observer that the fate of the iPad application would be reassessed by the company in November, following the 2012 election.

News Corp. launched Daily in February 2011. Upon its arrival, Murdoch heralded the first daily iPad news publication as a wave of the future, with high hopes that the application would transform the business of news gathering and editing.