Most Oppose Muslim Ban
Nearly six-in-10 Americans oppose Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to bar Muslims from entering the United States, but Republicans are evenly divided on the issue, according to a new poll
The Brief
Obama Looks to Expand Background Checks for Gun Sales
President Barack Obama's advisers are finalizing a proposal to expand background checks for gun sales, a plan that would not need Congressional approval. Obama requested the plan from his team following the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College
Hurdles Remain as Clock Ticks at Paris Climate Talks
Negotiators gathered in Paris this month to craft what they hope will be the world's most significant agreement aimed at tackling climate change appear to have made significant progress toward that goal, but have to hammer out the final details
Being Happy Won’t Make You Live Longer
In a new study published in the Lancet, researchers report that happiness doesn’t have much to do with living longer, contradicting conventional wisdom and some previous studies that have connected happiness to longer life
Louisiana Cops Indicted on Murder Charges in Boy’s Death
Two police officers in central Louisiana have been indicted by a grand jury on murder charges in the shooting death of a 6-year-old boy after they opened fire into his father’s car
Connecticut Won't Let People on No-Fly List Buy Guns
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy announced he would sign an executive order banning the sale of guns to people on terrorist watch lists, including the no fly list, making Connecticut the first state to do so, after a similar measure failed in Washington
Muslim Group's Office Evacuated for Suspicious Package
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) headquarters in Washington, D.C. was evacuated after a foreign substance was received in the mail. Several employees were briefly quarantined until the substance was determined not to be dangerous
Male Commandos Don't Want Women In Special Ops Jobs
A new survey of more than 7,600 members of America's special operations forces found that most believe allowing women to serve in Navy SEAL, Army Delta or other commando units could hurt their effectiveness and lower their standards
Investigators Search for Red Flags in San Bernardino
The investigation into the shootings that left 14 dead last week continued in San Bernardino, where an FBI dive team searched a small, urban lake about 3 miles north of the shooting site
Middle Class Is No Longer Majority in U.S.
The American middle class is no longer the majority of the U.S. population, according to a new report which notes that the middle class dropping below the 50% threshold could mark a "tipping point" for the U.S.
Boston Train Traveled Without Driver, Was Tampered With
A six-car train with passengers on board that left a suburban Boston transit station without a driver and went through four stations without stopping was tampered with, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said
Kendrick Lamar Tops 2016 Grammy Nominations
The rapper leads the pack with 11 nominations, with Taylor Swift and the Weeknd following with seven nominations each. Max Martin, the songwriter-producer who’s worked with both Swift and the Weeknd, has six nominations, and Drake has five
