National: The failure of the congressional Supercommittee to reach an agreement on reducing the deficit was not just bad fiscal news. It was a significant failure of political leadership. Comment.

Cuba: U.S. President Barack Obama believes that this is not the time to lift the embargo on Cuba, according to the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Comment.

People: HERNDON, Va.-- Judy Smith, vice president of business development for ITT Exelis (NYSE: XLS) Information Systems division, has been appointed to the board of directors of Women in Aerospace (WIA). WIA is a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to expanding women’s leadership opportunities and visibility in the global aerospace community. Comment.

National: OSAWATOMIE, Kan. (AP) — President Barack Obama delivered a sweeping indictment of economic inequality in the U.S. on Tuesday as he summoned the memory of President Theodore Roosevelt and pledged to fight for fairness at a “make or break moment for the middle class.” Comment.

Music & Fashion: Acting on reports from attorneys for convicted Jamaican native Buju Banton, Olivia Grange, the island’s minister of youth, sports and culture said she is concerned about the conditions he must endure while incarcerated at a federal facility in Texas. Comment.