The Note’s Must-Reads for Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News Digital News Associates and Desk Assistants JAYCE HENDERSON, JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ and MELISSA NOEL

FOREGIN AFFAIRS:
The Wall Street Journal’s Shai Oster, Dinny McMahon and Tom Lauricella: “Offshore Trading in Yuan Takes Off” China's currency, pent up inside the country's borders for decades, is emerging as a hot property in global foreign-exchange markets, just months after Beijing allowed the yuan to be bought and sold outside the mainland for the first time. LINK

PRESIDENT OBAMA / JOB GROWTH:
The Los Angeles Time’s Jim Puzzanghera: “Obama to push corporate America to increase hiring” The president will meet with top executives at the White House in hopes of encouraging major companies to start spending some of their cash reserves. LINK

ECONOMY / TAXES:
Bloomberg’s Hans Nichols and Julianna Goldman: “Obama Said to Consider Yale's Levin for Top Economic Posts” President Barack Obama is considering Yale University President Richard Levin for a top economic post, possibly head of the National Economic Council or chairman of his outside advisory board, according to three people familiar with the matter. LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s John D. McKinnon, Gary Fields and Laura Saunders: “'Temporary' Tax Code Puts Nation in a Lasting Bind” Welcome to the world of the temporary tax code. In the late 1990s, there were typically fewer than a dozen tax provisions that had just a limited lease on life and needed to be renewed every year or so. Today there are 141. LINK

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton: “Huge Senate majority votes to advance $858B tax package” President Obama's $858 billion tax package won a huge bipartisan majority in the Senate Monday evening, setting it up for a contentious debate in the House. LINK

HEALTH CARE:
The New Times’ Kevin Sack: “Judge Voids Key Element of Obama Health Care Law” A federal judge in Virginia ruled on Monday that the keystone provision in the Obama health care law is unconstitutional, becoming the first judge to invalidate any part of the sprawling act and ensuring that appellate courts will receive contradictory opinions from below. LINK

Newsweek’s Daniel Stone: “Is Health-Care Reform Really in Trouble?” Considering that health-care reform has been—and likely always will be—the signature accomplishment of the Obama administration, the set-back dealt it by a Virginia judge was instantly pronounced earth-shattering. Virginia state officials had argued that the federal mandate to buy insurance violated the constitutional right to privacy. And without being ableto require that health people be insured too, the administration’s critics have pointed out, the entire law begins to unravel. LINK

G.O.P.:
Politico’s Jonathan Martin: “Steele stuns by running for reelection” Despite facing intense criticism from within his own party, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said he would campaign for another two-year term atop the GOP. LINK

The Hill’s Sean J. Miller: “Steele running for second term as chairman of the RNC” Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele will seek a second term. LINK

RICHARD HOLBROOKE:
ABC News’ Joshua Miller and Ned Potter: “Richard Holbrooke, U.S. Diplomat, Dead at 69” Richard Holbrooke, a forceful presence in American diplomacy for more than 45 years, died tonight in Washington, D.C. He was 69. LINK

Politico’s Laura Rozen: “U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke dies” Veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke died Monday at George Washington University Hospital in Washington after surgery to repair a tear in his aorta, the State Department announced. He was 69. LINK

The Washington Post’s Karen DeYoung: “Holbrooke’s death leaves major void in Obama’s Afghan Strategy” The death of Richard Holbrooke, who directed the civilian side of the war in Afghanistan, leaves a major void in what has always been the most difficult and vulnerable aspect of President Obama's strategy. LINK

OTHER:
The Washington Times’ Ralph Z. Hallow: “Top RNC official hasn’t voted in GOP primary for years” The Republican National Committee's top outreach official, hired to make help make the party younger and more diverse, hasn't voted in a Republican primary election of any kind since before 2000. LINK

The Washington Times’ Ben Conery: “Costco case ends in tie, with Kagan not hearing it” For the first time this term, the Supreme Court split evenly on a case because new Justice Elena Kagan took no part, a result that is likely to occur again in other decisions. LINK

ABC NEWS VIDEO:
ABC NEWS: “Major Blow to Health Care Reform” A federal judge has ruled that a key part of the law violates the constitution. LINK

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