This is AP News Minute.President Barack Obama seems optimistic when it comes to the fiscal cliff.He says he thinks members of both parties can reach a "framework" on debt-cutting agreement before Christmas.New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is asking for nearly $37 billion in federal aid for to recover and rebuild after Superstorm Sandy.The governor says the revise total includes the cost of minimizing damage from future disasters.A nanny who is accused in the stabbing deaths of two children at their upscale Manhattan home has pleaded not guilty.A judge ordered her held without bail while she undergoes psychiatric exam.And the powerball jackpot drawing continues to climb. Lottery officials say it's now $550 million.A single winner taking the cash option would get more than $360 million before taxes.Nicole Grether, the Associated Press with AP News Minute.
