Cheat Sheet - Bachmann’s Iowa Chair Flips to Ron Paul

Today: Iran's Dangerous Game of Chicken, U.S. Preps Charges in BP Spill, Kim Jong-un Named Supreme Leader December 29, 2011 OUCH 1. Bachmann's Iowa Chair Endorses Paul Michele Bachmann just lost one of her most high-profile advisers to Ron Paul. Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson ditched the Minnesotan and jumped on the libertarian bandwagon, announcing at a Paul rally, "Tonight's a little tough for me; I've been serving as Michele Bachmann's state chair for the last year. And while Michele has fought tremendously for my conservative values, I believe we're at a turning point in this campaign." The two-timing aide had appeared with Bachmann at another event in Iowa just a few hours before. Bachmann, meanwhile, claimed that Sorenson confessed to "selling out" after being offered a large sum of money. Read it at CNN TENSION 2. Iran's Dangerous Game of Chicken For the second time in two days, the Iranian government has threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil supply line—a signal that Tehran's beef with Washington is escalating. The Daily Beast's Michael Adler on why Iran's refusal to back down on its nuclear program has made a U.S. attack a real possibility. Read it at The Daily Beast PUNISHMENT 3. U.S. Preps Charges in BP Spill U.S. prosecutors are preparing to file the first criminal charges against BP employees for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, says The Wall Street Journal. While the specific targets are unknown, investigators are focusing on several Houston-based engineers and at least one of their supervisors. Prosecutors say these suspects provided false information to regulators about the risks of the oil well while it was still operating. Charges could be brought in early 2012. Read it at The Wall Street Journal LEGACY 4. Kim Jong-un Named Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il may have already named his son Kim Jong-un successor to his regime, but the North Korean government has now made it official. Kim Jong-un was named "supreme leader" of the country's ruling party, military, and citizens during a memorial for his late father. The young Kim wept as he walked alongside his father's hearse through Pyongyang. The new leader, who is in his late 20s, is the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party, and now adds Great Successor, Supreme Leader, and Sagacious Leader to his list of titles. Read it at ABC News 2012 5. Romney Strikes at Paul in Iowa Mitt Romney must be pleased: a new CNN poll shows basically a two-man race in Iowa between Romney and Ron Paul, with Newt Gingrich collapsing to fourth place (and Rick Santorum surging to a surprising third). With just five days until the caucuses, Romney has begun training his sites on Paul, attacking him for his foreign-policy views: "One of the people running for president thinks it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon," he told a crowd Wednesday. "I don't." Paul, meanwhile, isn't backing down from his provocative foreign-policy positions: "How long do we have to stay in Korea?" he asked a crowd Wednesday. "We were there since I was in high school." Read it at The New York Times FOREIGN POLICY Yemen Fed U.S. Bad Intel: Report Information led to missile strike. REWIND Most Overlooked Movies of 2011 13 films the Oscars shouldn't ignore. OOPS Woman Brings Gun to 9/11 Memorial Is arrested when she asks police to check it. MYSTERIES Cheetah the Chimp's Story Questioned Experts say he couldn't have starred in Tarzan films. FOOT IN MOUTH NASCAR Driver Sorry for Breastfeeding Tweets Said public nursing was "nasty." GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET The Yes List Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. Obama's Nightmare: Reelected in 2012 but Republicans Take the Senate by Thomas E. Cronin Ultra-Orthodox Attacks on Israel's Women Linked to Arab Inequality by Peter Beinart Why 'Manscaping' Isn't Just for Porn Stars Anymore by Lizzie Crocker

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