Cheat Sheet - The GOP’s Lurch to the Left

Today: The GOP's Lurch to the Left , 34 Killed in Syria Car Bomb Blasts , The First Female Defense Secretary? November 28, 2012 'New Reality' 1. The GOP's Lurch to the Left As the fiscal cliff approaches, some GOP stalwarts are talking about raising taxes and soft-pedaling abortion. The Daily Beast's Howard Kurtz on the party's rebranding effort. Read it at The Daily Beast DEADLY 2. 34 Killed in Syria Car Bomb Blasts At least 34 people were killed and dozens more injured early Wednesday morning in a series of bomb blasts in Damascus, with Syrian state television blaming the attack on "terrorists." "When people gathered to try to rescue those injured in the first explosion, another explosion took place," said Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Damascus. The blasts occurred in a Damascus neighborhood that is mainly Druze and Christian—two groups who have not predominately joined the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad yet, although the rebels indicated the government may have orchestrated the attack to turn the minorities against each other. Meanwhile, government fighter jets reportedly bombarded rebel-held portions of the Damascus suburb of Daraya. Read it at Al Jazeera English GLASS CEILING 3. The First Female Defense Secretary? As speculation swirls about Defense Secretary Panetta's likely exit, Michele Flournoy ranks high on the short list. The Daily Beast's Eleanor Clift on the woman who could be just right for the job. Read it at The Daily Beast FAMILY PLANNING 4. China Easing One-Child Rules? China is considering easing some of the rules in its famous one-child-per-family policy, a former family-planning official told China Daily Wednesday. The official, Zhang Weiqing, said the government is drafting proposals allowing urban families to have two children even if the parents themselves are not only children, which is the current rule. The current policy allows for rural families to have more than one child. Demographers have warned that the policy, enacted in 1979, has created a rapidly aging population that may not be able to compete in the global economy. Additionally, the policy has come under harsh scrutiny over the years as a cause of forced abortions—this year, a woman in Shaanxi said she was forced by officials to terminate her pregnancy at seven months, despite that forced abortions are illegal. Read it at Reuters PRIVACY SETTINGS 5. Investigators Focus on Allen Emails Does this mean Jill Kelley could get her civilian honors back? The investigation into the correspondence between the Tampa socialite and NATO commander Gen. John Allen has been narrowed to about 60 to 70 emails that "bear a fair amount of scrutiny," a defense official said on Wednesday. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered an inquiry two and a half weeks ago into some 20,000 to 30,0000 "potentially inappropriate" emails between Allen and Kelley, the suspected "other woman" contacted by Paula Broadwell, Gen. David Petraeus's biographer with whom he was having an affair. The investigation into Allen has held up his nomination as NATO's supreme commander in Europe, and he has denied any wrongdoing. The defense official said there is no evidence so far of any security breaches between Allen and Kelley. Read it at The New York Times TRAGEDY Bob Dole Hospitalized "He is infirm," says Harry Reid. BIG PIMPIN' DSK Ruling Delayed On whether he will stand trial on sex charges. TRAGIC Six-Year-Old Hit by Bus in House LI bus swerved to miss pedestrian. TWO AND A HALF MEN Angus T. Jones Apologizes As Charlie Sheen confirms show is "cursed." YIKES '70s Show Star Arrested for Assault Not Lisa Robin Kelly's first brush with law. 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 Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. Naked Protesters Occupy Boehner's Office Stripped-down activists took over House Speaker John Boehner's office Tuesday to protest potential cuts to HIV/AIDS programs as part of the 'fiscal cliff' negotiations. Now get your head out of the gutter—you know his name is pronounced Bay-ner. More Videos Powerball Winners on Being Filthy Rich by Caitlin Dickson Did a Pedophile Steal Madeleine McCann? by Barbie Latza Nadeau The Man Behind Angus T. Jones? by Lizzie Crocker

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