Christmas Eve

(Newser) - The North American Aerospace Defense Command is ready for its busiest night of the year, when it puts mundane tasks like looking for wandering Russian bombers or North Korean missiles on the back burner and tracks Santa Claus. As it has every Christmas for more than 50 years, NORAD offers...

(Newser) - The first Christmas Eve vote scheduled in over 40 years has left the mood on Capitol Hill far from festive for senators and their hundreds of staffers. Aides and analysts hoping to spend Christmas with their families now face the prospect of being stuck in the capital on Christmas Day....

(Newser) - Lamar Alexander has called the Democrats' push to quickly pass health care reform "a political kamikaze mission toward a historic mistake," but Senate Dems have reasons other than self-immolation for scheduling a 7pm vote on Christmas Eve. Politico looks at five:

• To maintain momentum: If the latest compromise

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