Thursday, December 22, 2011 Democracy Now! : Season 2011 Episode 254

2011/12/22 Headlines: Dozens Killed, Wounded in Iraq Bombings; Manning Defense Rests Case in Pretrial Hearing; U.S. to Admit Fault in Killing of Pakistani Soldiers; Syrian Toll Mounts Ahead of Arab League Observers' Arrival; House GOP Faces Call to Back Down on Payroll Tax; EPA Enacts New Pollution Standards for Power Plants; Bank of America Settles Countrywide Bias Case with $335M Fine; U.S. Delays North Korea Food Aid Despite Warnings of Deaths; Lawmakers Call for Probe of CIA-NYPD Ties; 8 Soldiers Charged Following Suicide of Hazing Victim; Female Naval Couple Share Landmark "1st Kiss"