Massive funding bill kicks off 113th Congress' final chapter  —  GOP riders on funding bill could bring veto threat.  —  Don't worry, Washington.  Congress will give you your Christmas and New Year's back this year — right after some more deadline-induced drama.

Not a parody  —  Columbia Law School is permitting students claiming to be impaired due to the emotional impact of recent non-indictments in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner matters to postpone taking their final exams.  Here is the text of a message from interim dean Robert Scott to the law school community:

19 hospitalized, thousands evacuated in ‘intentional’ gas leak at Rosemont hotel  —  Several thousand people, some dressed as animal characters, were evacuated from a Hyatt hotel in suburban Rosemont when an “intentional” chlorine gas incident at the Midwest FurFest convention led to 19 people being hospitalized early Sunday morning.