Good morning! Here's what's on today's agenda:
"NBC/WSJ poll: Two-thirds support balanced deficit deal" by Mark Murray, NBC
"As the Obama White House and Congress negotiate to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, nearly two-thirds of Americans say they favor a balanced deal to reduce the deficit -- consisting of both higher tax rates and cuts to key entitlement programs."
Tune in at 10:00 AM ET to hear from Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), National Journal's Chris Frates and The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus.
"Obama Phones Minn. Residents, Talks Fiscal Cliff," CBS
"The phone call was part of a nationwide Democratic effort to pressure Congress into a budget deal. The president spoke with mayors of three cities: Philadelphia, Orlando, and Minneapolis. He told middle class Minnesotans their taxes could go up $2,200."
We'll talk with Minneapolis Mayor RT Ryback.
"Organized Labor Has Been Hurting Since Well Before the Passage of Right to Work in Michigan" by Matthew Zeitlin, The Daily Beast
"The recent passage of a right-to-work law in Michigan, once the beating heart of the union movement and its auto-industry base, will sharply curtail the ability of unions to charge dues to the workers they represent. It is just another in a long line of defeats for organized labor."
Strategists Steve Elmendorf and John Feehery join us.
"Mixed-Race? Dilemmas of Checking Racial Box on College Applications" by Rosa Ramirez, National Journal
"The article, which appeared in the Kansas City Star, says that while mixed-race individuals are still a tiny minority, census data show that people who identify being two or more races grew 32 percent in the last decade, bringing the total to 9 million. Overall, biracial Americans make up just 2.9 percent of the total U.S. population."
Education expert and host of TV One's "Save My Son" Steve Perry is here to discuss.
Plus, msnbc's Jonathan Capehart is here to talk about the year in political fashion.