Obama, Boehner tackle fiscal cliff face-to-face

President Obama and House Speaker Boehner meet at the White House Their spokesmen issue identical statements about the first such talks in 23 days Democrats and the GOP have been sparring about efforts to avert the fiscal cliff Sen. Corker joins some Republicans as open to hiking tax rates on the wealthy Washington (CNN) -- Twenty-three days since they last met face-to-face and 23 days before the fiscal cliff becomes a harsh reality, the two men most pivotal to the contentious budget talks sat down Sunday. There was no evidence of a breakthrough, though President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner at least did agree on something: what, and what not, to say. Sunday's White House meeting caught some by surprise, considering it had not been on the president's official schedule and the two sides have been sparring publicly, accusing each other of failing to work sincerely toward a compromise. After the talks ended, White House spokesman Josh Earnest and Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck issued identical statements. "This afternoon, the president and Speaker Boehner met at the White House to discuss efforts to resolve the fiscal cliff. We're not reading out details of the conversation, but the lines of communication remain open." SNL rips Boehner-Obama relationship Lagarde: 'zero' US growth without a deal Fiscal cliff and cost of doing nothing iReporters sound off on the fiscal cliff Poll: Public OK with tax hike for wealthy The fiscal cliff and food safety What if we go off the fiscal cliff? The statements didn't give much insight into developments on the effort to prevent the U.S. government from going over the fiscal cliff, the term referring to the widespread automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that will take effect in January without a deal. On Sunday, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde echoed numerous economic experts in predicting a sharp drop in confidence and "zero" U.S. economic growth if there's no agreement. But the two political camps' matching words were remarkable, given what they have been saying about each for weeks. Last Friday, for instance, Boehner reported "no progress" and accused the White House of having "wasted another week." "There are a lot of things that are possible to put the revenue that the president seeks on the table, but none of it's going to be possible if the president insists on his position, insists on 'my way or the highway,'" the Ohio Republican told reporters. Obama has held his ground, especially on his insistence that tax rates return to 1990s' levels for families with incomes higher than $250,000, while they'd remain the same for those making less than that. After campaigning against any tax increases, many top Republicans have expressed willingness since the election to raise revenue by adjusting deductions and loopholes. But Boehner and others have said any revenue hikes must be packaged with major spending cuts, including reforms to entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. And they've resisted any tax rate hikes -- including for the wealthiest Americans -- as part of any deal. There have been some public departures from that thinking however. On Sunday, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee said he'd support raising taxes on the top 2% of households, arguing it will better position Republicans to negotiate for larger spending cuts to Social Security and Medicare despite opposition from many Democrats. "A lot of people are putting forth a theory, and I actually think it has merit, where you go ahead and give the president ... the rate increase on the top 2%, and all of a sudden the shift goes back to entitlements," Corker said on "Fox News Sunday." Corker is not entirely alone, as fellow Republican Sens. Tom Coburn, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe have said they could vote for such a limited tax hike. There have been fewer higher-profile voices express that opinion in the House, though. One of them, Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, reiterated Sunday that he could go along with this scenario. "You have to do something, and doing something requires the cooperation of the Senate, which the Democrats run, and the signature of the president," Cole said on CNN's "State of the Union." But one of his colleagues, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, said the Republicans shouldn't budge. Despite the loss of Republican seats in the House and Senate, Blackburn argued voters affirmed support for the GOP on Election Day and "clearly said we don't want our taxes to go up." "The president thinks he has momentum, I think he is running on adrenaline from the campaign," the Tennessee lawmaker told CNN. This story was reported by Jessica Yellin, CNN's chief White House correspondent, in Washington and written by Greg Botelho in Atlanta.

Seeking political solution to Syria crisis

Syrians mourn a fallen rebel fighter at a rebel base in the al-Fardos area of Aleppo on Saturday, December 8. Click through to view images of the fighting from December, or see photos of the conflict from November. A Syria rebel commander sits behind a desk in his bombed out position in Aleppo on December 8. A Syrian rebel fighter emerges from a whole in a wall in Aleppo on December 8. Rebel fighters take part in a demonstration against the Syrian regime after Friday prayers in Aleppo on December 7. A wounded rebel fighter is transported to a hospital in the back of a truck in Aleppo, Syria, on Thursday, December 6. At least 23 people died in Syria on Thursday, most of them in Damascus and Aleppo, according to the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria. Rebel soldiers stand guard inside a building in Aleppo on December 6. Angelina Jolie, special envoy for the U.N. refugee agency, meets with Syrian refugees at the Zaatari refugee camp outside Mafraq, Jordan, on December 6. In this handout from the Shaam News Network, Free Syrian Army fighters stand guard against forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Al-khalidiya neighborhood of Homs on Tuesday, December 4. In this handout from the Shaam News Network, Free Syrian Army fighters take cover in destroyed buildings during clashes with regime forces on December 4. Syrians cross the border from Ras al-Ain, Syria, to the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar on Tuesday, December 4. Boys walk through a damaged area In Aleppo, Syria, seen through a destroyed car on December 4. A man inspects rubble in a neighborhood of Aleppo on Sunday, December 2. The bodies of three children reportedly killed in a mortar shell attack are laid out for relatives to identify at a makeshift hospital in Aleppo on December 2. Smoke rises from fighting in the Hanano and Bustan al-Basha districts of Aleppo on Saturday, December 1. Syrian-Kurdish women and members of the Popular Protection Units, an armed opposition group to the Syrian government, stand guard during a comrade's funeral in a northern Syrian border village on December 1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 The U.N.-Arab League envoy on Syria meets with Russian and U.S. diplomats He says they "stressed a political process to end the crisis" is still feasible 116 were killed around Syria on Sunday, an opposition group reports (CNN) -- After 21 months of bloodshed and a failure by the international community to do anything to stop it, the U.N.-Arab League point man on the Syrian crisis expressed confidence Sunday that a political resolution is possible. Lakhdar Brahimi's optimism followed talks in Geneva with Russian Deputy Foreign Mikhail Bogdanov and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, which he called "constructive and held in a spirit of cooperation." Getting Russia on board any international plan is seen as key because it has been an ally of Syria's government and blocked tough measures against President Bashar al-Assad in the U.N. Security Council. In a statement, Brahimi said the diplomats "explored avenues to move forward a peaceful process and mobilize greater international action in favor of a political solution." "All three parties reaffirmed their common assessment that the situation in Syria was bad and getting worse," said Brahimi, who was appointed a joint special representative in August, according to a story on the U.N. news website. "They stressed a political process to end the crisis was necessary and still possible." This conviction comes at a time when violence in Syria continues to rage. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that more than 40,000 people have been killed, with half a million seeking refuge in other countries and nearly 3 million internally displaced. The grim toll grew yet again on Sunday, with the opposition Local Coordination Committees reporting at least 116 deaths nationwide, including 10 children and four women. Forty-one of those deaths were in and around Damascus, and 32 were in Aleppo, including 20 burned near a Syrian Air Force Intelligence facility. In addition to civilians caught in the crossfire, Sunday saw more skirmishes involved organized fighting forces on both sides. The LCC said there were 97 clashes Sunday between Syrian troops and rebel Free Syrian Army members, who have made inroads around the Middle Eastern country in recent weeks. Opposition fighters have also taken steps of late to unify their ranks, with disparate Free Syrian Army units agreeing Friday to appoint a civilian rebel council leader and a military council leader for each Syrian province. The commanders will be under the leadership of a newly named chief of staff, Gen. Salim Idris, Free Syrian Army spokesman Louay Almokdad said. The united military front follows the creation of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, a new coalition of groups opposed to al-Assad's leadership. The United States, in particular, has pushed for opposition factions to unite. Another diplomatic focus has been trying to find a common international approach to Syria, in hopes that shared thinking -- especially involving friends of al-Assad -- can hasten an end of the war. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov joined Brahimi last Thursday in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to discuss Syria. Clinton said that meeting didn't produce a "breakthrough," but it was a start. She called for all facets of Syrian society -- except for al-Assad -- to be part of any transition. Russia said the countries should brainstorm with Brahimi on a peaceful transition and a political settlement. The possibility that Syrian forces could employ deadly chemical weapons -- something Damascus has denied -- has heightened the sense of urgency. Syrian forces began combining chemicals that would be used to make deadly sarin gas for use in weapons to attack rebel and civilian populations, a U.S. official told CNN last week. That possibility triggered international outcry, including from Russia, which sent strong messages to al-Assad warning him he'd lose their support if he used chemical weapons. The United States and some European allies are using defense contractors to train Syrian rebels on how to secure chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria, a senior U.S. official and several senior diplomats told CNN Sunday. The training, which is taking place in Jordan and Turkey, involves how to monitor and secure stockpiles and handle weapons sites and materials, according to the sources. Some of the contractors are on the ground in Syria working with the rebels to monitor some of the sites, according to one of the officials.

Search under way for missing singer and private plane

The plane Jenni Rivera was flying in took off from Monterrey, Mexico, on Sunday morning, officials say. NEW: Helicopters are assisting in the search for singer Jenni Rivera Authorities suspect the plane she was flying in crashed The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers outside Monterrey, Mexico Mexico City (CNN) -- Singer Jenni Rivera is missing after a private plane she was flying in lost contact with air traffic controllers in Mexico early Sunday morning, officials said. Two pilots and and four other passengers are also missing in the suspected crash, Mexico's transportation ministry said in a statement. The plane took off from Monterrey, Mexico, at 3:15 a.m. and lost contact with air traffic controllers about 60 miles away, the statement said. Helicopters are assisting in the search for the missing plane. The Mexican-American singer had a concert in the northern Mexican city Saturday night, according to her website. Born in Long Beach, California, to Mexican immigrant parents, Rivera, 43, released her debut album in 1999, her website said. She sings traditional Mexican ballads, and was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2002 in the category of "Best Banda Album." She is a judge on the popular TV show, "The Voice, Mexico," which was scheduled to air Sunday night. Noting its concern for Rivera, Mexican broadcaster Televisa said it would air a special report on the singer instead. A fellow judge on the show took to Twitter following news of Rivera's disappearance. "My heart is devastated," wrote Beto Cuevas. "All my prayers are with you, Jenni, and your family." Rivera's "I Love Jenni" reality show began airing on Telemundo's mun2 network last year. In October, People en Espanol named Rivera to its list of the 25 most powerful women. She is a mother of five. CNNMexico.com contributed to this report.

Students create Facebook sites for compliments

By Isolde Raftery, NBC News Eyal Hanfling was browsing Facebook one recent evening when he noticed that a friend, a student at Columbia University in New York, had received a glowing comment from an account called "Columbia Compliments." Further down his newsfeed was a compliment for another friend from an account called "TJ Compliments," for Thomas Jefferson High School. By midnight, Hanfling established an account for his school, Walt Whitman High in Bethesda, Md., a public high school of about 2,000 students. By the next evening, about 300 compliments had been submitted to Hanfling – at that point still an anonymous administrator – who in turn posted them. Those receiving the compliments were tagged in the post, but they didn't know their flatterer.    Courtesy of Eyal Hanfling The Facebook page "Whitman Compliments" was inspired by Queens University Compliments in Canada, created in September. Students submit compliments, which are then posted online anonymously. There are now at least 98 similar sites at universities and high schools, most of them in Canada and the U.S. The Facebook compliments craze was started in September by four students at Queens University in Ontario, Canada as an antidote to cyber-bullying and a way to spread joy across campus. The women who founded Queens U. Compliments have since started a hub page for all compliments groups, of which there are now 98, most of them in Canada and the U.S. Speaking with Time's Techland blog, Queens U. Compliments co-founder Rachel Albi likened the page to the 2000 movie, "Pay It Forward," about an 11-year-old boy who starts a goodwill movement in which people do favors for people who, in turn, do favors for others. The compliments forums could have a "contagious effect in a positive sense," Glenn Stutzky, an instructor at the School of Social Work at Michigan State University, told the Detroit Free Press. Courtesy of Eyal Hanfling Eyal Hanfling, a senior at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Md., was inspired to create the Facebook page, "Whitman Compliments." "I like the idea of having something other than cyber-bullying," Stutzky said. "This is cyber-graciousness." Hanfling said there has been cyber-bullying at his school, but few turned up in submissions to Whitman Compliments.  "I was really worried that people would take advantage of the system and write horrible things about their classmates and peers," he told NBC News. But of the 1,500 comments or so submitted over four days, just four or five were unkind, he said. Only one used a curse word. If anything, the complimenting became competitive. That's not too surprising for a high school that graduates 88 percent of its students to four-year colleges and that was profiled in a book called, "The Overachievers." "Students were overachieving in the compliments," Hanfling said. "Someone would post a compliment, and someone else would post an even longer, even more supportive and even funnier compliment." Among the more carefully considered compliments: "This is an appreciation post dedicated to your hair. Let us all marvel its beauty." And: "Youre the only person I know who can run a 5K with a smile on their face. Your style is impeccable and it looks like you're always swaggin out. You're there in the hard times and the great times and just an amazing friend who I am always happy to be around." And: "you're one of the sweetest guys I've ever known. We grew so close last year and I love talking to you because you're such a genuine listener. You're an incredibly strong person and I really admire that. Never change! You're amazing." Hanfling closed Whitman Compliments at midnight on Thursday. In a column for the student newspaper, the Black and White, he identified himself as the creator and manager of the forum. Not even his parents or younger sister had known. Hanfling wrote: When was the last time we complimented a random person in one of our classes? When was the last time we actually wished a random athlete "good luck" in the hallway before their game or congratulated someone on their victory at a tournament? Friends can "like" online posts, but real-life conversations are always more meaningful. After the column was published online, Hanfling enjoyed momentary stardom. He walked into a classroom and received a standing ovation. At a hockey game, he was given a similar reception. And while he hopes his classmates compliment each other in person now, there was another reason Hanfling curtailed the Facebook page: homework. For the four days that Whitman Compliments existed, Hanfling dedicated his evenings, from 5 p.m. to midnight, to the forum.    "I do not have enough hours in my day to copy and paste so many compliments," he said. More content from NBCNews.com: Storm pounds Upper Midwest with heavy snow, wind Cops: 2 University of Colorado students fed pot brownies to classmates, professor 3 dead, 4 hurt in Central Calforinia shootings, chase Breezy Point residents meet for first time since Sandy destruction On gay marriage, Supreme Court coud rule small, or big Video: Officers suspect high speed, alcohol in deadly NFL crash Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Cops: 2 students fed pot brownies to classmates, prof

By NBC News staff Two University of Colorado students have been arrested for allegedly feeding marijuana-laced brownies to their unsuspecting classmates and professor, police said. Thomas Ricardo Cunningham, 21, and Mary Elizabeth Essa, 19, baked the pot-laced brownies for the class as part of a "bring food day," the University of Colorado Police Department said in a news release on Sunday. The professor and classmates were unaware that the brownies contained tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, police said. On Friday morning, officers were called to the Hellems Arts and Sciences Building on the Boulder campus on a report of a professor who was complaining of dizziness and going in and out of consciousness.Paramedics transported her to a hospital. Later that afternoon, a student's mother notified campus police that her daughter, who had been in the professor's class, was having an anxiety attack and was at a hospital. On Saturday, a second student told police that she felt like she was going to "black out" after the class. Her family took her to the hospital for evaluation. An investigation revealed that the three hospitalized victims - and five other classmates - were suffering from the effects of marijuana, police said. The three hospitalized victims have since been released. Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com Cunningham and Essa were interviewed by police on Saturday evening and admitted that the brownies contained marijuana, police said. They were arrested on suspicion of four felonies: second-degree assault, inducing consumption of controlled substances by fraudulent means, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault and conspiracy to commit inducing consumption of controlled substances by fraudulent means. More content from NBCNews.com: Storm pounds Upper Midwest with heavy snow, wind 3 dead, 4 hurt in Central Calforinia shooting, chase Breezy Point residents meet for first time since Sandy destruction US Supreme Court to take up same-sex marriage issue Advocates on both sides hope for Supreme Court clarity on same-sex marriage Video: Officers suspect high speed, alcohol in deadly NFL crash Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

U.S. gas prices 'crash'

The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.38, according to the Lundberg Survey Fixed refining problems, shrinking demand, lower crude oil prices bring gas prices down A further drop is expected in the coming days, the publisher of the Lundberg Survey says Long Island, New York, had the highest average in the latest survey Memphis, Tennessee, had the lowest average (CNN) -- Gas prices have plummeted 46 cents a gallon over the past two months, according to a survey released Sunday. "This has been a true price crash," said Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the Lundberg Survey. The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.38, down nearly a dime over the past three weeks, Lundberg said. "This crash began back when refining problems around the country were being fixed, one after the other, at the same time that our seasonal gasoline demand was shrinking," she said. Crude oil prices have also dropped after having risen steadily. Prices at the pump should drop even more in the coming days, as refiners cut how much they're charging distributors and retailers, Lundberg said. The national average is about 8 cents higher than the average a year ago. The survey tallies prices at thousands of gas stations nationwide. Long Island, New York, had the highest average in the latest survey, at $3.85. The lowest average was in Memphis, Tennessee, at $3.04. Here are average prices in some other cities: • Boston - $3.59 • Baltimore - $3.34 • Atlanta - $3.27 • Baton Rouge, Louisiana• - $3.11 • St. Louis - $3.05 • Salt Lake City - $3.40 • Los Angeles - $3.68

Chavez to have cancer surgery in Cuba

NEW: Lawmakers unanimously approve Chavez's request to travel to Cuba for surgery NEW: The Venezuelan president's allies say opponents are politicizing his illness NEW: Opponents say Chavez hasn't been transparent, shouldn't govern from Cuba NEW: Analyst: Chavez went from "very evasive to very articulate" about succession (CNN) -- With Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's health in the spotlight, fiery speeches filled the halls of the country's National Assembly on Sunday. Lawmakers unanimously approved the 58-year-old Venezuelan leader's request to travel to Cuba for cancer surgery. But Sunday's National Assembly debate showed a sharp divide, as devastated supporters expressed solidarity with the president and opponents questioned whether Chavez was fit to govern. Some sang, clapped and cried as they showed support for Chavez, who announced Saturday night that his cancer had returned and said he needed to return to Havana for surgery. "We are going to speak of a new battle, for Chavez's life, and for the life of the republic," said Rep. Maria Leon of Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela. Under the constitution, the National Assembly is required to approve any trip that takes the president out of the country for more than five days. "You are facing a new fight, and we face it with you. ... It is difficult to find words to say how much we love you," Leon said. Opposition lawmakers said they would approve Chavez's request, but pushed for Vice President Nicolas Maduro to take over while the Venezuelan leader is in Cuba. "The constitution says the nation's capital is in Caracas, not in Havana. ... No act can be dictated outside the national territory," said Rep. Hiram Gaviria. Members of Chavez's party said such a move was unnecessary, and accused opponents of trying to politicize the president's illness. "In Cuba, in China, in Europe, he is our president, wherever he is," Rep. Gladys Requena said. On Saturday, Chavez said he wanted Maduro to replace him if "something were to happen that would incapacitate me." If the president dies, Venezuela's Constitution specifies that the vice president assumes the presidency until new elections can be held. Chavez called for voters to take things a step further. "My firm opinion, as clear as the full moon -- irrevocable, absolute, total -- is ... that you elect Nicolas Maduro as president," Chavez said, waving a copy of the Venezuelan Constitution as he spoke. "I ask this of you from my heart. He is one of the young leaders with the greatest ability to continue, if I cannot." It was the first time Chavez had spoken publicly about the possibility of a successor -- a shocking subject from a man who looms larger than life in Venezuela and in Latin American politics. "This is huge. He could have said something indirectly. He could have said something like, 'We'll have to see. Let's talk about it when the time comes,'" said Javier Corrales, a professor of political science at Amherst College in Massachusetts. "He switched from being very evasive to very articulate. That must have been the result of a major change in health for the worse." Last week, Chavez returned from Cuba after receiving medical treatment. He said doctors detected malignant cells and that he expects to undergo surgery in the coming days. Chavez, who had surgery in 2011 to remove a cancerous tumor, has undergone further operations and radiation therapy in Cuba since then. He declared himself cancer-free in July. Health rumors dogged Chavez on the campaign trail this year, but didn't stop him from winning re-election in October. The president has repeatedly spoken publicly about his cancer battle, but has never specified what type he has. The government has released few specifics, fueling widespread speculation about his health and political future, and sparking criticism from political opponents. "This has not been handled with the transparency and the truth that our people deserve," opposition Rep. Julio Borges said Sunday. But Diosdado Cabello, a close Chavez ally and the president of the National Assembly, countered that claim. "By God, since the first day he has spoken clearly. These men are trying to have a party with the president's illness," he said. "It's going to turn out well. He continues being the head of state and the head of the government. He continues being the president of the republic, under any circumstance." State-run VTV Sunday showed throngs of supporters cheering and praying in support of Chavez. An opposition coalition leader told CNN affiliate Globovision that the opposition would be prepared for a new presidential vote. CNN's Patrick Oppmann, Dana Ford and Rafael Fuenmayor contributed to this report.