Cheat Sheet - Starbucks’s Fiscal Crisis Fail

Today: Winter Storms Head for Northeast , What to Do With Unwanted Gift Cards , High-Ranking Syrian General Defects December 26, 2012 GRANDE EFFORT 1. Starbucks' Fiscal Crisis Fail With only five days remaining for Democrats and Republicans to reach an agreement that will avert the fiscal cliff, President Obama is cutting his vacation short to head back to Washington and even Starbucks is getting in on the debate. The coffee giant is encouraging Beltway insiders to cut a fiscal deal by scrawling the phrase "Come together" on cups. The Daily Beast's Daniel Gross on why the gimmick won't work. Read it at The Daily Beast WHITE CHRISTMAS 2. Winter Storms Head for Northeast The severe storms that killed six people and caused travel delays in the Southern U.S. on Tuesday are now headed for the Northeast. Severe storms headed for the region bring new risk of tornados in the Coastal Carolinas and heavy snow fall in the Ohio Valley. Winter storm warnings have been issued in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Forecasts indicate the weather system will dump over a foot of snow on northern New England by Sunday. Severe thunderstorm and heavy rainfall is expected from southeast Virginia to Florida. An outbreak of tornadoes on Christmas Day left damage across the Deep South and over 100,000 customers were left without power in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. Read it at Reuters HO-HO-HUM 3. How to Dump Unwanted Gift Cards More than 80 percent of shoppers planned to buy at least one gift card this holiday season, meaning chances are you were gifted with one of the plastic gift certificates. Not pleased with the gift card you received? The Daily Beast's Nina Strochlic explains the best ways to turn them into airline miles, cash, or a charitable donation. Read it at The Daily Beast SWITCHING SIDES 4. High-Ranking Syrian General Defects In the latest sign of momentum shifting against embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the highest-ranking military officer yet has abandoned the regime in a publicly broadcast address. In a video that ran on Al Arabiya, Maj. Gen. Abdul Azia Jassem al-Shallal said he was defecting because of the Syrian military has deviated from "its fundamental mission to protect the nation and transformation into gangs of killing and destruction." It is believed that Shallal made the video near the Turkish-Syrian border, and that he is now seeking refuge in Turkey alongside other defectors. The announcement comes as insurgents continue to make territorial gains against Assad's regime in northern and central parts of the country. Read it at The New York Times RETALIATION 5. Russia Passes U.S. Adoption Ban A ban on Americans adopting Russian children sailed through the upper house of Russian Parliament Wednesday. The legislation echoes strong anti-American sentiments shared by many of Russia's political class—sparked namely by President Obama's signing of a law prohibiting access to visas and U.S. bank accounts for any Russian officials linked to the controversial death of imprisoned whistleblower, Sergei Magnitsky. If passed into law, the ban on adoption will be Moscow's promised "symmetrical" response to the Magnitsky Act, not to mention one of the most controversial laws of Vladimir Putin's reign over the country. Read it at Telegraph FIRED UP N.Y. Paper Publishes Gun Database Angering gun advocates on social media. LOOK AWAY Zuckerberg's Sis Complains About Privacy Photo she posted to Facebook gets big audience. AHEAD OF THE CURVE China Launches Longest Rail Line Travels more than 1,400 miles in eight hours. HOPE AND BOOKS Cities Battle for Obama Library Honolulu and Chicago both likely locations. SPOIL SPORT Dan Stevens Leaving 'Downton Abbey' No more Matthew Crawley. 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. The Number: Housing Markets in '13 In 2012, the U.S. housing market – house prices rose, activity rose, and foreclosures decreased. President of Miller Samuel Real Estate Consultants, Jonathan Miller joins Daniel Gross to discuss what's in store for the housing market. More Videos 2012's Craziest State: Florida (Of Course) by The Daily Beast Gary Shteyngart: How I Write by Noah Charney Matt Damon & John Krasinski's Bromance by Kevin Fallon

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