HSBC TO PAY $1.9BILLION. Money Laundering Investigation.
This forfeiture by the financial giant would be the largest in a case involving a bank.

MILITARY CUTS. Part of Budget Negotiations.
House Democrats and Republicans seek substantial reductions in defense spending to avoid falling off that fiscal cliff.

DICTATOR MORSI. Is Democracy Not Possible?
It should come as no surprise that heavy-handed rule has a long history in Egypt, as well as in this entire region.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH. Colorado Governor Declares Pot Legal.

Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has agreed to a settlement with the hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault, according to a New York jurist. However, details of the 63-year-old's agreement with Nafissatou Diallo are confidential.

Strauss-Kahn had been charged with attempted rape and then resigned from his IMF post.
Mr Strauss-Kahn had previously admitted to a "moral failing", but insisted their sexual encounter was consensual.

In the wake of Ms Diallo's accusations, other women came forward with sexual assault allegations against him.

FINANCIAL DEADLINE NEARBY. US Near Fiscal Cliff
President Obama and Speaker Boehner meet, but will they avoid that impending Fiscal Cliff?

SPECIAL OPS CASUALTY. One Dies During Rescue.
A U.S. military service member was killed during the Afghanistan mission that freed an American doctor.

PRIVATE COLLEGE PRESIDENTS. Rising Salaries.
Compensation drifts upward, while the number of those crossing the $1-million barrier holds steady.

MORSI'S DRAFT CHARTER. Polarizing Egypt.

Mexican authorities have announced that the wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying singing superstar Jenni Rivera was found without survivors.

The U.S.-registered Learjet 25 went missing early Sunday after taking off from the city of Monterrey. The Mexican-American singer was better known for her work within the Norteña and Banda music genres.

July 2, 1969 - Dec 9, 2012

Before her life was cut short, this Mexican American entertainer was a symbol of resilience for millions of music fans on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border.

This Week in History, Dec 9 - Dec 15

Dec 09, 1992
U.S Marines storm Mogadishu, Somalia. United States Marines arrive in Mogadishu, Somalia, to spearhead a multinational force aimed at restoring order in the conflict-ridden country.

Dec 10, 1901
First Nobel Prizes awarded. Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace.

Dec 11, 1936

CHAVEZ SAYS CANCER RETURNS. Seeks New Medical Treatment.
Venezuelan president returns to Cuba for cancer operation after previously announcing he was cured.

POLITICAL FIGHT. US Senate Argues Privacy Law
Legislation allowing broad intercepts of e-mail, phone calls is causing controversy as administration officials say FISA should be extended to protect country, but senators are worried about privacy.

NORTH KOREA PAUSES. Announces Delay In Rocket Flight.
Spy satellite images indicate that preparations for that regime’s latest launch has been delayed.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority(MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) will operate full morning and evening rush hour service beginning Monday, December 10, as a result of Amtrak restoring the signal system capacity in one of its two flood-damaged East River tunnels. This will mark the first full service rush hour for the LIRR since Hurricane Sandy hit six weeks ago. The LIRR's off-peak service continues to operate on a regular schedule throughout the LIRR system.