One more time...Stocks higher...Nerdy actor dies

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats need to put together 60 votes one more time for health care reform. The vote to shut off debate is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon -- marking the start of a 30-hour countdown to a Christmas Eve vote on the bill itself. By then, it'll just need a simple majority to pass. The measure cleared its second 60-vote test this morning.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are up following the start of trading as investors shake off a report showing third-quarter economic growth was not as strong as previously forecast. The Commerce Department's new reading on gross domestic product showed a growth rate of 2.2 percent, smaller than a previous estimate of 2.8 percent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says he and the first lady have relatives who are unemployed and suffering because of the economic crisis, but he's confident that 2010 will be a better year for the American people. During an interview on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Obama said being part of the African-American community means that no matter how well you do, there is likely someone in your family who is hurting.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president is dismissing the year-end deadline set by the U.S. and the west for Tehran to accept a deal drafted by the U.N. The deal called for Iran to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel, and was aimed at making sure Iran couldn't develop nuclear weapons.

NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — Actor Arnold Stang, known for his nerdy looks and demeanor, has died. His son says Stang died of pneumonia over the weekend in Massachusetts. He was 91. He played alongside Milton Berle in the 1950s, was Frank Sinatra's sidekick in "The Man with the Golden Arm," and joined a big cast of comedy legends in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." He was also the voice of the cartoon character Top Cat.